Category Archives: Partners

Joseph Anthony M. Alejandro is a partner managing the firm’s Hong Kong office. His practice focuses on corporate law, banking, tax, intellectual property, labor, immigration, estate, and international law.

Nic provides legal and business consultancy to foreign investors in the Philippines as well as to Philippine clients overseas.  He specializes in providing counsel on the whole legal spectrum of doing business in the Philippines that ensures tax efficiency from project conceptualization to capital and profits repatriation. He  also  has  extensive  experience  in  setting  up  and  structuring business and investments overseas as well as international tax and estate planning involving offshore corporations.

A member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb) of London since 1990, Mr. Alejandro also handles cross-border litigation, mediation, and arbitration.

Nic received his bachelor of laws degree from the University of the Philippines in 1987. He graduated from Ateneo de Manila University with a degree in AB Economics and BS Management Engineering. https://www.romulo.com/alejandro-joseph-anthony-m/He joined the firm in 1988.

Ma. Stella M. Alegre-Batungbacal is a partner working with the Project Development & Finance department. Her practice focuses on project development and finance, securities, and corporate law.

Mirella specializes in advising international and local investment banks in the arrangement and underwriting of initial public offerings, follow-on offerings, and top-up placements. She provides legal support for various regulatory filings required for equity offerings, including the Registration Statement to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Listing Application to be filed with The Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE), and Application for Approval from Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) in case the issuer is a Philippine bank.

Mirella has extensive expertise in advising financial institutions on both secured and unsecured bond issuances and notes facilities undertaken by Philippine corporations. Pursuant to this, she assists clients in corporate filings with the SEC, PSE, and BSP.

Mirella has also advised on various mergers and acquisitions undertaken by some of the firm’s multinational clients. She is experienced in providing structuring advice regarding the legal framework in the acquisition of an entity, and in assisting in the negotiations with various counterparties to the transaction.

Mirella has counselled local and foreign clients on the regulatory environment affecting entities doing business in the Philippines, as well as the various corporate vehicles available under the local set-up.

Mirella received her bachelor’s degree in Business Economics from the University of the Philippines in 1992. She thereafter obtained her juris doctor degree from the Ateneo de Manila University in 1996. She was admitted to the Philippine bar in 1997 and joined the firm in the same year.

Kathryn Paz Consuelo M. Alfelor is a partner whose practice currently focuses on banking and finance, corporate law, securities, and family law.

Kat advises and prepares documentation for Philippine and foreign clients on various corporate and commercial deals and transactions including licensing and regulation, corporate structuring, corporate governance, joint ventures, and public offering.

Kat’s practice extends to the field of family law where she renders advice on marital relations, custody, support, property relations, settlement of estates, and wills and succession. She regularly appears in courts and quasi-judicial agencies, handling cases in civil, criminal, and administrative law. She also prepares pleadings before the trial and appellate courts.

Kat has represented clients before various regulatory agencies including the Securities and Exchange Commission, Bureau of Internal Revenue, Bureau of Customs, Land Management Bureau, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Department of Health, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and Philippine Stock Exchange.

Kat received her bachelor’s degree from the Ateneo de Manila University in 2007 and her bachelor of laws degree from the same university in 2011 where she graduated with Second Honors. She was admitted to the Philippine bar in 2012 and joined the firm in the same year.

Ronaldo Modesto J. Ventura, a partner, is a member of the Banking & Finance department. His practice primarily focuses on banking and finance, corporate law, real estate, and natural resources.

Ronald deals with a broad range of corporate matters. He handles real estate transactions, corporate structuring, joint ventures, conveyancing, acquisitions, energy and energy-related activities, public lands, and issues related to foreign investments in nationalized activities. He has also been engaged in financing of various enterprises through issuances of subordinated loans, bonds, and assignments of non-performing loans, among others.

Ronald has advised Philippine and foreign clients on regulatory and transactional matters. He has worked with government agencies in the development of other types of financing products that the government may execute with respect to capital market transactions. He has also handled various civil, criminal, and administrative cases.

Ronald was the Chairman of the Advocacy Group of the Ateneo de Manila Alumni Association in 2011, of which he was a director from 2008-2010.

Ronald received his bachelor’s degree in Legal Management from the Ateneo de Manila University in 1988 and received his juris doctor degree from the same university in 1992 where he graduated with a Silver Medal. He was admitted to the Philippine bar in 1993 and joined the firm in 1994.

Priscilla B. Valer is a partner who heads the Taxation department. Her practice focuses on taxation, and corporate law.

Precy is involved in a broad range of tax services which include tax assessments, tax refunds, creation of tax efficient structures, and tax planning. She also handles corporate matters.

Precy received her bachelor’s degree in Commerce with a major in Accounting from the University of Santo Tomas in 1985, and her juris doctor degree from the Ateneo de Manila University in 1992. She was admitted to the Philippine bar in 1993, placing 10^th in the bar exams. She joined the firm in 1993.

Daniel Kendrick T. Tumangan is a partner who is a member of the Dispute Resolution, Project Development & Finance, and Environment & Natural Resources departments. His practice focuses on litigation, arbitration, corporate law, natural resources, and labor.

DK handles diverse litigation cases before numerous trial and appellate courts. He acts as counsel for major foreign and local clients in international and domestic arbitration cases, mediation, negotiations, and other forms of alternative dispute resolution regarding commercial disputes. He is conversant with the arbitration and mediation rules of the International Chamber of Commerce, United Nations Commission on International Trade Law, American Arbitration Association, International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes, Philippine Dispute Resolution Center, Inc., and the Construction Industry Arbitration Commission of the Philippines.

DK represents major companies in a broad range of environmental and safety-related issues including problems and concerns arising from environmental laws and related rules and regulations. He also assists clients in handling their employee relations, ensuring that the minimum labor standards under Philippine law are observed. He also has experience as counsel on matters involving corporate and business transactions.

DK received his bachelor’s degree in Commerce, major in Business Management from the De La Salle University in 1993 and his bachelor of laws from San Beda College in 1998. He went on further to receive his masters of law in International Legal Studies from Georgetown University in 2005, where he graduated with distinction. He was admitted to the Philippine bar in 1999 and joined the firm in the same year.

Aileen Sarah T. Lerma, a partner, is working with the Securities department. Her practice focuses on securities, and corporate law.

Aileen has extensive experience in handling various capital market transactions, among which are local and international offerings of debt and equity securities, asset-based securities, certificates of deposit, securitizations, and initial and follow-on public offerings. She represents both domestic and foreign clients regarding transactions, regulations, and investments before various government agencies, including the Securities and Exchange Commission, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Department of Finance, Board of Investments, and Philippine Economic Zone Authority.

Aileen has assisted numerous domestic and multinational companies in the registration of mutual fund companies. She also represented both borrowers and lenders in bilateral and multilateral financing and loan transactions. Furthermore, she has provided advice regarding consolidation, restructuring, and reorganization of operations to industries covering a diverse field, such as real estate, pharmaceuticals, infrastructure, and business process outsourcing,

Aileen received her bachelor’s degree in Communication Arts from the Ateneo de Manila University in 1992 where she graduated with honors. She then went on to receive her juris doctor degree from the same university in 1996, where she also graduated with honors. She was admitted to the Philippine bar in 1997, and joined the firm in the same year.

Maria Paz S. Angeles-Carale is a partner who is based in the Hong Kong office while remaining a member of the Project Development & Finance department.

Paz is currently working for both the Manila and Hong Kong offices of the firm. Her experience in a broad range of cross-border, corporate finance, and investment transactions complements the services offered by the Hong Kong office.

Paz has represented international investors in structuring and implementing foreign investments and joint venture arrangements in the Philippines.

Paz received her bachelor’s degree in Business Economics from the University of the Philippines in 1990 and her juris doctor degree from the Ateneo de Manila University in 1994. She received a Certificate of International Law from The Hague Academy of International Law in 1996 and her master of laws degree from Yale Law School in 1997. She was admitted to the Philippine bar in 1995, placing 10th in the bar exams. She joined the firm in the 1997.

Rico Tan is a partner who is working with the Corporate Banking & Finance department. His practice focuses on banking and finance, corporate law, and securities.

Rico is a regular adviser of various multilateral financial institutions, offshore banking units, and most foreign banks in the Philippines. Mr. Tan has extensive debt capital market experience, having been recognized as a preferred Philippine counsel to the managers and dealers in all the recent global bond issuances in foreign currency as well as global Peso notes, bond exchanges, and tender offers by the Republic of the Philippines and other government-owned and -controlled corporations.  He works closely with the Philippine government through the Department of Finance, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Securities and Exchange Commission, and Insurance Commission.

Rico also has significant experience in structuring and offering bank regulatory capital instruments and is a key advisor to arrangers and issuer-banks in connection with Basel II- and Basel III-compliant regulatory capital offerings.

Rico participated in the capital market development project on the immobilization of trading of equity securities, establishment of the clearing corporation and guarantee fund for the trading of equity securities, and organization of the fixed-income exchange and the depository and trust company in the country. Mr. Tan is the preferred counsel of government financial institutions for their monetization programs in connection with the Internal Revenue Allotments of local government units, as well as for the allocation of tobacco excise taxes, among others.

Rico received his bachelor of science degree in 1988 from the Ateneo de Manila University, and his juris doctor degree in 1992 from the Ateneo School of Law with a Silver Medal for academic excellence. He was admitted to the Philippine bar in 1993 and joined the firm in 1994.