COMMERCIAL AND CIVIL LITIGATION

The firm is experienced in commercial and civil litigation, both as counsel for the plaintiff or for the defense.  Recently the firm successfully prosecuted and obtained a satisfactory settlement in a multi-million peso case filed by exporters against a freight forwarder and a foreign shipping company.  Mr. Riguera, the senior partner and head of the litigation department, is a law professor in civil procedure and evidence and is a bar lecturer on procedural law.   His expertise in procedural law has been recognized by the Supreme Court when it appointed him to the panel of experts which reviewed the bar examination questions in procedural (remedial) law.   

 

CORPORATE PRACTICE

The firm handles corporate law matters of various clients before the SEC.  The firm’s lawyers act as corporate secretary for various corporations, domestic and foreign. The firm is experienced in the incorporation and registration of corporations, including those wherein there is significant foreign equity.

 

INVESTMENT LAW

The firm has advised foreign clients on investing in the Philippines and worked with them in order to register  and effect their investments in a cost and tax-effective manner and to maximize incentives and benefits.    

 

BANKRUPTCY AND CORPORATE REHABILITATION

The firm has handled bankruptcy and corporate rehabilitation cases, both for the distressed corporation and for creditors.    The firm has also acted as receiver for corporations under rehabilitation.

 

LABOR LAW

The firm handles labor law matters for several corporations, including subsidiaries of well-known multinational corporations.  The firm has had considerable success in representing and defending its corporate clients before the labor arbiters and the National Labor Relations Commission.  The firm has also represented with success employees in suits for illegal dismissal.  The firm recently was able to obtain a multi-million peso award in favor of an employee in an illegal dismissal case against a well-known thrift bank.   

 

DEBT RECOVERY

The firm has wide experience in debt and asset recovery in behalf of local and foreign clients.  The firm prides itself in its aggressive yet cost-effective debt recovery system.  

 

IMMIGRATION

The firm is well-versed and experienced in handling immigration and related matters before the Bureau of Immigration, with which the firm enjoys a good working relationship.     The firm also handles the immigration and labor law requirements of foreign expatriates working in the Philippines.

 

FOREIGN PROCESS SERVICE

The law firm has successfully served summons and process in several cases in behalf of foreign parties.    We pride ourselves in our track record of speedy yet cost-effective service of foreign summons, court processes and papers on Philippine nationals and residents.    We have the experience and expertise to coordinate with foreign lawyers/parties in assuring that service of process will comply with the requirements of Philippine procedural law as well as the procedural law of the forum.

 

FAMILY & MARRIAGE LAW

The firm has considerable experience and expertise in handling and successfully obtaining judgments for the nullification or annulment of marriages for its clients.  The firm has also successfully obtained satisfactory settlements in behalf of its clients in marital property division and in family support cases.  In January 2011, the firm won before the Supreme Court a landmark case wherein the firm successfully argued that the requirement of liquidation and partition does not apply to a judgment declaring a marriage void under Article 36 of the Family Code.  

 

ADOPTION

The firm has significant experience and success in adoption cases, both for local and foreign clients.   The firm recently obtained an adoption decree in behalf of its foreign clients which involved complex technical and legal requirements and liaising with local agencies.  

 

TAXATION

The firm has represented individual and corporate clients in their dealings with the Bureau of Internal Revenue.   The firm was able to obtain a favorable ruling from the BIR which enabled a domestic subsidiary of a well-known multinational firm to obtain a much more favorable tax treatment from the BIR and which involved the interpretation of complex tax regulations and a tax treaty between the Philippines and the United States.  

 

ESTATE PLANNING

The firm is experienced in advising clients on how to minimize or save on estate taxes and in handling settlement of estate cases and estate tax matters before the BIR.  

 

BANKING

The firm has experience and expertise in representing clients in negotiations and in cases involving banks.   The senior partner Mr. Riguera is a bar lecturer on banking law and has considerable banking experience having been previously counsel for Insular Savings Bank.    

 

SECURITIES

The firm is well-versed in Securities Law.  Mr. Riguera, the senior partner, was formerly counsel for Philippine Commercial Capital Incorporated, one of the top investment banks in the Philippines.  Mr. Riguera is also a bar lecturer on securities law.  The firm has successfully represented clients in cases involving the application of the Securities Regulation Code.

 

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LAW

The firm’s intellectual property section has successfully defended and represented clients in trademark infringement cases involving renowned brands Gatorade drinks and Intel.   The firm is experienced in handling trademark application cases.  

 

REAL ESTATE & PROPERTY LAW

The firm’s real estate & property law section has successfully prosecuted and defended several cases involving real estate and property rights before the courts and the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board.  The firm acted as counsel for several clients in a land reversion case filed against them by the Republic of the Philippines.  The firm won judgments dismissing the case in the Regional Trial Court and in the Court of Appeals. The firm has considerable experience in advising clients on real property acquisitions, undertaking due diligence, and in drafting real estate deeds.   The partners Manuel and Hazel Riguera are both licensed real estate brokers.    Mr. Riguera is a bar lecturer on property and on real estate law.  

 

CRIMINAL LITIGATION

The firm is experienced in criminal cases, both for the prosecution and the defense.   The firm has successfully prosecuted criminal cases involving corporate and employee fraud.  The firm also has experience in criminal defense and had obtained the dismissal of criminal cases against its clients.  The senior partner Mr. Riguera is a law professor on procedural law and teaches evidence and criminal procedure.  

 

APPELLATE ADVOCACY

The firm prides itself in the quality and success of its appellate practice.   The firm has won several judgments in the Court of Appeals in behalf of its clients, some of which involve the reversal of the judgments of the trial courts and quasi-judicial tribunals.  The firm in behalf of its corporate client obtained a judgment from the Court of Appeals reversing adverse decisions of the labor arbiter and the National Labor Relations Commission which had awarded millions of pesos in damages to a dismissed employee.    

 

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