Cruz Marcelo & Tenefrancia (CMT) is pleased to welcome back Maria Vinina Bonita A. Padilla, a partner in its Litigation & Dispute Resolution Department, after her successful completion of her Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Law and Politics. Ms. Padilla was granted a scholarship under the Young Leaders’ Program in Law by the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT).
The Young Leaders’ Program is hosted by Kyushu University which established the LL.M. program under the Graduate School of Law in 1995. The program aims to contribute to the fostering of future national leaders in Asian and other countries; the establishment of friendly relations among various countries; and the improvement of policy planning activities by forming a network among national leaders thorough the deepening of their understanding of Japan. The students are expected to play an active role as future national leaders in their respective countries. The program comprises of coursework and a thesis and offers a broad curriculum covering all major fields of law with a particular focus on international economic and business law in an increasingly global economic environment.
Through the program, Ms. Padilla lived for a year in Fukuoka, Japan, during which she completed advance studies in White Collar and Corporate Crime; Private International Law; Transnational Commercial Law and Foreign Investment; International Financial Law and Regulation; International Maritime Law; and International Labor Law, among other subjects. She also studied cutting-edge topics under the program such as Bioethics and the Law; Science, Technology and Innovation Policy; Platforms and the Law; EU Law; and EU Technology Law. She was also chosen to intern at the Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH) Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (ROAP) located in Hong Kong, SAR. Finally, she authored and defended a thesis entitled, “To Do or Not To Do: Institutionalizing Corporate Criminal Liability in the Philippines”.
Ms. Padilla’s completion of the Young Leaders’ Program reinforces CMT’s commitment to continuous professional development and personal growth. Her enhanced expertise will further strengthen CMT’s competence in criminal law, law and governance, conflict of laws, transnational civil litigation and business law.
Cruz Marcelo & Tenefrancia congratulates Ms. Padilla on this remarkable accomplishment and looks forward to her continued contributions to the firm and its clients.
