Patricia Bunye, Managing Partner of Cruz Marcelo & Tenefrancia, received the 2025 Licensing Executives Society International (LESI) Gold Medal at a dinner on 25 April 2026 for LESI’s leadership and international delegates in Dublin, Ireland.
The Gold Medal is the highest honor awarded by LESI to individuals who have made exceptional, long-term contributions to the organization and the field of intellectual property licensing.
In receiving the award, Patricia acknowledged that it was an extraordinary recognition conferred by a community she highly respects and has learned so much from over the years, underscoring how LESI has impacted her professionally and personally.
Patricia served as LESI President from 2016 to 2017, the first Filipino and Southeast Asian to serve in that capacity. She was also President of LES Philippines from 2006 to 2009.
She described her years in LESI as an opportunity to grow both as a lawyer and leader, particularly in learning to balance multiple interests and cultural differences. She added that LESI had also given her a platform to make a difference, particularly in the Philippines, where IP licensing can be a tool for national development.
