Corporate & Special Projects

The firm manages the legal aspects of real estate transactions and construction projects, providing its clients comprehensive legal assistance, such as advice, innovative solutions, and responsive documentation, at all stages of various property development projects. Key to the group’s servicing clients in property development and real estate transactions is assisting developers of commercial, residential, industrial, and mixed-use projects, including economic zones and information technology parks and buildings, in meeting the rules and regulations of relevant government agencies and local government units. The group also assists investors in understanding the Philippine real estate market; addressing key transactional issues, including land reclassification and conversion; aiding clients in the preparation and negotiation of joint development agreements, construction contracts and related agreements; advising parties in workouts, financing and restructuring arrangements that involve real property; as well as the structuring of transactions to ensure tax efficiency.

The firm provides comprehensive legal services in business and regulatory matters related to gaming laws and regulations, and project development. The firm represents gaming-industry owners, gaming equipment manufacturers and distributors, and developers of integrated gaming and entertainment facilities. The practice group’s crack team of lawyers offers counsel on a broad spectrum of issues and areas indispensable to the gaming industry. These include compliance with nationality restrictions, incentives, obtaining licenses and registrations required for gaming operations, contract drafting, negotiation and review, taxation, and national and local government relations, including representation before the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation, the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority and First Cagayan Leisure and Resorts Corporation, the Games and Amusements Board and the Philippine Racing Commission.

Our firm’s Intellectual Property litigators handle all IP cases. Our IP litigators’ specialized knowledge and experience give us a unique advantage over other firms that conduct IP litigation through their general litigation groups. Our team is composed of seasoned and experienced litigators who have successfully handled a wide variety of patent, trademark, and copyright cases. Our IP litigators have also been recognized as top enforcement and litigation experts in the Philippines by major legal publications. We have successfully argued and won Supreme Court cases for our clients, including the landmark IP decisions that declared the first internationally well-known mark in the Philippines, upheld the jurisdiction of the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) over administrative cases for unfair competition and infringement, confirmed that the abandonment of a patent application on the ground of public interest, and clarified that the IP rules of procedure do not prohibit the filing of a demurrer to evidence in patent infringement cases.

The firm’s tax lawyers extensively and proactively advise clients on the tax implications of their domestic and foreign transactions, and create comprehensive tax planning strategies that are specifically aimed at fulfilling its client’s objectives while being compliant with tax laws and regulations. We represent our clients before the Bureau of Internal Revenue and local government units and assist them in handling tax audits and examinations before the government bodies which have resulted in the successful reduction of their deficiency tax assessment.

Infrastructure projects are the backbone of society and play an essential part in economic development. Among our roster of lawyers are partners who have served in senior government positions and whose experiences lend invaluable insight into the workings of the public infrastructure sector. This allows us to counsel and give our local and international clients expert advice on the legal, regulatory, and policy aspects of dealings between the public and private sectors.

In recent years, there has been tremendous progress in Financial Technology (FinTech) and the digitalization of business processes, which has led to their growing relevance in various industries and sectors. To help navigate this increasingly complex landscape, the firm’s Technology and FinTech Practice Group is composed of professionals that are uniquely positioned to provide guidance and support to our clients seeking to achieve competitive growth in the everchanging digital business environment.