Professional Background

Ms. Balbin is an Associate in the firm’s Intellectual Property Department, where she has experience in assisting clients throughout the entire IP lifecycle: from its creation, to protection and enforcement, and commercialization. She advises local, multinational, and foreign corporations across a range of industries such as the food and restaurant, cosmetics, software and technology, education, sports, and retail industries.

Her work includes helping clients stay compliant with regulatory requirements from agencies like the Food and Drug Administration and Bureau of Customs, ensuring smooth manufacturing, importation, and distribution of regulated products.

When it comes to commercialization, Ms. Balbin assists in drafting and reviewing licensing and distribution agreements, technology transfers, and IP-related clauses in commercial contracts. She also advises on IP policies and contract enforceability. Her insights have contributed to The Legal 500’s publication on franchising and licensing laws in the Philippines.

Ms. Balbin is also experienced in IP enforcement. She is part of the team representing multinational companies in complex patent disputes, and has successfully worked on trademark and domain name protection for major tech and retail brands. Her efforts have included leading actions that resulted in the removal of counterfeit goods from the market.

Beyond client representation, she has supported national IP policy development, including drafting rules for the Anti-Forgery Act and assisting in the creation of a Collective Management Organization to safeguard artists’ rights. She has also helped draft patent applications involving health and environmental technologies.

Outside IP, Ms. Balbin handles construction arbitration and has completed advanced training under the Philippine Dispute Resolution Center, Inc.

She earned her Juris Doctor degree from the University of the Philippines College of Law in 2022.