Category Archives: Partners

Jayson L. Fernandez, a partner, co-chairs the Taxation department. His practice focuses on taxation, and corporate law.

Jayson advises clients on the most tax efficient manner of structuring their deals in the Philippines. This includes the selection and funding of the appropriate investment vehicle for the Philippines, mode of transferring or acquiring property situated in the Philippines, availment of tax incentives and tax treaty relief, repatriation of funds from the Philippines, and reorganization of corporations.

Jayson counsels individuals on estate planning strategies. He also handles the tax aspects of estate settlements. He assists clients in securing tax clearances and confirmatory rulings from the Bureau of Internal Revenue and in complying with legal requirements during tax investigations, protesting deficiency tax assessments, and claiming refunds before the Bureau of Internal Revenue, Bureau of Customs, and local government units.

Jayson received his bachelor’s degree in Management Economics from the Ateneo de Manila University in 1991 and his juris doctor degree from the same university in 1995. He was admitted to the Philippine bar in 1996 and joined the firm in the same year.

V. Johann Espiritu is a partner who is working with the Project Development & Finance, and Technology, Media & Telecom departments. His practice focuses on project development and finance; technology, media and telecommunications; and corporate law.

Johann regularly advises entrepreneurs and their families on wealth protection, tax strategies, estate planning, family trusts, international market entry, and offshore investment.

Johann has established numerous family trusts, both onshore and offshore. He has also advised domestic and foreign corporations on corporate law, commercial law, foreign investments, infrastructure projects, energy or power projects, telecommunications, and mergers and acquisitions.

Johann served as General Counsel to a defense company located in Washington, DC, where he drafted and negotiated convertible notes and purchase agreements to raise capital for a start-up corporation in the defense arena. He also drafted complex contracts for the supply of geospatial intelligence software for use by the U.S. Government, and handled intellectual property matters for a high-technology start-up.

Johann is a lecturer at the Ateneo de Manila University School of Law where he teaches Information Technology Law and Venture Capital Transactions. He is also the Director of Career Development in the same university. He currently sits as a member of the Advisory Board of the Georgetown University Law Center.

Johann received his bachelor’s degree in Anthropology from the Ateneo de Manila University in 1995 and his juris doctor degree from the same university in 2000. He then received his master of laws degree from Georgetown University in 2004, where he graduated with distinction. He joined the firm in 2000. He was admitted to the Philippine bar in 2001 and the New York bar in 2005.

Rafael D. Del Rosario is a partner who is working with the Banking & Finance, and Labor & Immigration departments. His practice focuses on banking and finance, corporate, labor, and litigation.

Raffy advises clients in a broad range of issues arising from debt and equity financing structures, project financing and refinancing, security arrangements for single-lender and syndicated bank facilities, sundry regulatory compliance, and banking capital recognition for domestic and international banks. He also regularly assists foreign companies in resolving issues regarding doing business in the Philippines. This includes establishing Philippine presence and providing counsel to a legal reform initiative designed to benefit the banking and financial services sector.

Raffy’s labor and employment work runs the gamut from representing clients in labor disputes before the National Labor Relations Commission to structuring employment transition programs resulting from corporate, mergers and acquisitions, consolidations, and dissolutions. He also represents clients in proceedings before the Court of Tax Appeals, Court of Appeals, and Supreme Court in a broad range of legal matters from tax amnesty to intra-corporate disputes.

Raffy was previously assigned by the firm on legal consultancies with a leading telecommunications company in the Philippines and a multilateral financial institution headquartered in Manila.

Dino Ricardo T. De Los Angeles, a partner, works with the Litigation & Arbitration, Corporate,  Banking & Finance, and Real Estate & Natural Resources departments. His practice focuses on arbitration, litigation,  corporate law, banking and finance, and real estate.

Dino provides advice on regulations and transactions to clients. He drafts and reviews legal documents and handles cases before trial courts, Court of Appeals, Court of Tax Appeals, and Supreme Court. He also represents clients before administrative agencies and quasi-judicial bodies such as the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board, Securities and Exchange Commission, Intellectual Property Office, Office of the City Prosecutor, and Construction Industry Arbitration Commission.

Dino is involved in domestic and international arbitrations, both institutional and ad hoc. He is familiar with the arbitration rules of the Construction Industry Arbitration Commission of the Philippines, International Chamber of Commerce, Singapore International Arbitration Centre, and United Nations Commission on International Trade Law.

Dino received his bachelor’s degree in Legal Management, cum laude, from the Ateneo de Manila University in 2004. He thereafter obtained his juris doctor degree from the same university in 2011 where he graduated Salutatorian and received the Silver Medal for Academic Excellence. He is also a fellow of the Life Management Institute. He was admitted to the Philippine bar in 2012 and joined the firm in the same year.

Benjamin Z. De Leon Jr., a partner, is a member of the Intellectual Property, Litigation & Arbitration, and Labor & Immigration departments. His practice focuses on intellectual property, litigation, corporate, and immigration.

Benjie has been an intellectual property practitioner for more than 35 years. He handles cases involving patent, trademark, and copyright infringements. He formulates programs for the administration, enforcement, and protection of intellectual property rights and interests.

Benjie provides counseling services relating to trade secrets, litigation and prosecution of unfair business and trade practices, and licensing of patents, trademarks, and copyrights. He advises on regulatory and transactional matters involving the importation of pharmaceutical, cosmetic, food, and industrial products.

Benjie handles intellectual property issues not only before the Intellectual Property Office but also those under various government administrative agencies, such as the Food and Drug Administration, Department of Trade and Industry, Bureau of Animal Industry, and Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority.

Benjie received his bachelor’s degree from the University of the Philippines in 1967 and his bachelor of laws degree from the same university in 1971. He was admitted to the Philippine bar in 1972 and joined the firm in 1981.

Jose Luis G. De Dios, a partner, works with the Corporate department. His practice focuses on corporate law and securities.

Luigi advises Philippine and foreign clients on initial public offerings, equity issues, private placements of debt securities, and other security issues. His work includes setting up various corporate entities, corporate rehabilitation cases, estate planning, extra-judicial settlement of estates, and various commercial transactions.

Luigi has extensive experience dealing with corporate and securities laws. He has dealt with transactions advice, licensing matters, and dealings with capital markets. He has also advised Philippine and foreign clients on various regulatory and transactional matters including international joint ventures and international and domestic initial public offerings of securities.

Luigi was a special executive assistant of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairperson Rosario N. Lopez. He was responsible for drafting the SEC Framework for the Unification of the Stock Exchanges and Formation of The Philippine Stock Exchange. He was also designated as the SEC representative to the Asian Development Bank-USAID Philippine Capital Market Development Program.

Luigi was the Chairman of the Board of Canvassers of the Commission on Elections – Overseas Absentee Voting in Seoul, South Korea for the 2004 Philippine National Elections. He was also a professor at the Ateneo de Manila University School of Law before joining Romulo.

Luigi received his bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of the Philippines in 1985 and received his bachelor of laws degree from the Ateneo de Manila University in 1989. He received his master of laws degree under the Securities and Financial Regulation Program from the Georgetown University Law Center in 1996. He was admitted to the Philippine bar in 1990 and joined the firm in 1992.

Ma. Elena P. Hernandez-Cueva is a partner affiliated with the Corporate department. Her practice focuses on corporate law and banking.

Malen is an expert in corporate and foreign investment, banking, real estate, and litigation. Her experience in corporate and foreign investment includes general corporate counseling and assistance in the different phases of foreign investment and doing business in the Philippines from conception, formation, operations, winding-up, dissolution, and liquidation. She also renders advice and assistance with due diligence requirements for mergers and acquisitions, contract-drafting, negotiations, and other transactions.

Malen provides legal advice and counseling on matters such as banking laws, rules, and regulations, trusts and trust products, Anti-Money Laundering Act, and Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Regulations.

Malen has previous experience in agrarian land reform and expropriation matters including representation before the Department of Agrarian Land Reform. In litigation, she possesses appellate practice consisting of legal advice and assistance to the firm’s litigation group in developing case theories and strategies and in drafting court pleadings for appellate and original cases before such courts.

Malen previously worked in the Supreme Court of the Philippines as Legal Attorney at the office of Justice Hugo E. Gutierrez. She was also employed as a consultant at the Legal Affairs Department of the Office of the President of the Philippines and the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel.

Malen received her bachelor’s degree in Philosophy from the Ateneo de Manila University in 1979 and her bachelor of laws degree from the same university in 1983. She was admitted to the Philippine bar in 1984 and joined the firm in 1988.

Manuel M. Cosico is a partner who is affiliated with the Transportation, Litigation & Arbitration, and Labor & Immigration departments. His practice focuses on admiralty, litigation, arbitration, and labor.

As a maritime lawyer, Manny handles ship arrest and seaman’s claim cases. He likewise handles acquisitions and sales of ocean-going vessels, which involve extensive negotiations with foreign sellers or buyers and their foreign counsels, and dealings with the MARINA and Philippine Ports Authority. He also handles marine insurance, general and particular averages, and salvage cases.

As an arbitration lawyer, Manny handles both foreign and domestic arbitration cases, such as construction disputes and commercial transaction issues. He has appeared before the ICC, the Singapore International Arbitration Center, and the Triple-A Arbitration Center in New York City.

Manny is currently the Chairman of the Construction Industry Arbitration Commission, which has exclusive jurisdiction over construction disputes in the Philippines. He is also an Accredited Arbitrator at the Philippine Dispute Resolution Center, Inc. which hears and decides disputes that are commercial in nature.

Manny rejoined the firm as counsel for admiralty and litigation after resigning as Regional Trial Court/Special Criminal Court Judge of Makati City in 1992, becoming partner the year after.

Manny acquired his basic training in maritime practice in the admiralty law firms of Walker & Corsa in New York and John Meadows & Associates in San Francisco, and at the California Maritime Institute. He received his bachelor of laws degree from the Ateneo de Manila University in 1967 and was admitted to the Philippine bar in 1968.

Cristina Collantes-Garcia is a partner working with the Project Development & Finance department. Her practice focuses on project development and finance, and securities.

Cristina gives advice on transaction structure, reorganization, and restructuring as well as licensing and regulatory matters. She has extensive experience in cross-border acquisitions and capital market transactions. She also specializes in banking, finance, energy, and infrastructure projects.

Cristina is well-versed in work involving public bidding of governmental assets. She has represented both domestic and foreign clients in various dealings before the Securities and Exchange Commission, Department of Energy, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Bureau of Internal Revenue, and Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.

Cristina received her bachelor’s degree from the University of the Philippines in 1993 and her juris doctor degree from the Ateneo de Manila University in 2002. She was admitted to the Philippine bar in 2003 and the New York bar in 2009. She joined the firm in 2008.

Yvette C. Chua is a partner who is a member of the Project Development & Finance department. Her practice focuses on project development and finance, and securities.

Yvette advises domestic and foreign clients on various corporate deals and transactions involving mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, initial public offerings, equity and debt issuances, project financing, corporate restructuring, government contracts, taxation, and regulatory matters. She represents domestic and foreign clients before various regulatory agencies such as the Securities and Exchange Commission, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Philippine Economic Zone Authority, and The Philippine Stock Exchange.

Prior to joining Romulo, Yvette was with another law office where she handled various civil, criminal, and administrative litigation cases. She was also involved in international commercial arbitration cases and appellate proceedings before the Court of Appeals and Supreme Court.

Yvette has taught Business Law in the College of Business Administration of the University of the Philippines. She also speaks Fookien.

Yvette received her bachelor’s degree in Accountancy, cum laude, from De La Salle University in 2000 and was awarded the Joaquin Cunanan Medal of Excellence. She thereafter received her bachelor of laws degree, cum laude, from the University of the Philippines in 2005, where she graduated Salutatorian and was awarded the Dean’s Medal for Academic Excellence. She obtained her master of laws degree from Harvard Law School in 2009. She was admitted to the Philippine bar in 2006 and joined the firm in 2009.