What each practice area covers

Every business operating in the Philippines needs a licence to operate. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) governs domestic and foreign corporations, partnerships, branch offices, representative offices and regional headquarters. After the SEC come the municipality, BIR, SSS, PhilHealth and Pag-IBIG. The firm prepares the paperwork and deals with each agency in person, so the client is spared the back-and-forth.

Works in this area: Atty. Alfred Edison Tan

Covers

• Business formation and incorporation
• Licensing and registration
• Corporate secretary services
• Drafting of corporate documents
• Corporate litigation
• Investment protection

The firm acts in both the prosecution and the defence of offences. It stays with the client from the preliminary investigation before the Office of the City Prosecutor, through trial, to appeal or until judgment becomes final. Cases handled include adultery, concubinage, violations of B.P. 22, estafa and murder.

Works in this area: Atty. Alfred Edison Tan

Covers

• Special penal laws and the Revised Penal Code
• Prosecution and defence
• Preliminary investigation before the City Prosecutor
• Trial
• Appeal

Family cases are handled with strict confidentiality from first meeting to final decision. The managing partner, Atty. Barbie E. Samson, leads the family law work, including Violence Against Women and Children (VAWC) cases, adoption and custody.

Works in this area: Atty. Barbie E. Samson

Covers

• Annulment
• Declaration of nullity
• Legal separation
• Child custody
• Judicial separation of property
• Adoption
• Presumptive death
• Civil law litigation

For foreign nationals who come to Cebu to work, invest or retire: the right visa, applied for properly. And for when something goes wrong, such as arrest, deportation or blacklisting by the Bureau of Immigration.

Works in this area: Atty. Demi Lynn B. Yap

Covers

• Extension of stay
• Working visas
• Permanent and temporary resident visas
• Special retiree resident visa
• Returning former Filipinos
• Citizenship retention and reacquisition
• Deportation defence
• Blacklist lifting
• Hold departure orders

Registration gives the owner control over how a song, artwork, invention, design or business mark is used and sold, and protection against unauthorised use. The firm registers intellectual property for companies and individuals, and reviews advertising, syndication, programming and distribution contracts.

Works in this area: Atty. Arl P. Lim

Covers

• Patents
• Trademarks and trade names
• Licensing and assignments
• IP ownership and registration
• Software and multimedia licensing
• Advertising, promotions and talent agreements

As investment has grown, labor rules have become stricter and penalties heavier. The firm litigates labor cases and advises on compliance, acting for employers or for employees.

Works in this area: Atty. Arl P. Lim

Covers

• Labor law litigation
• Labor consultancy
• Labor dispute resolution
• Labor unions
• Collective bargaining

Laws and jurisprudence now hold medical practitioners in the Philippines to stricter standards. The firm handles malpractice cases in both prosecution and defence.

Covers

• Civil and criminal prosecution with damages
• Defence of medical practitioners

For foreign companies setting up an outsourcing operation in Cebu: from finding space in an IT building to registering with PEZA or the BOI. Confidentiality agreements are drafted around the principal’s own privacy laws, with attention to security, personally identifiable information and disaster recovery.

Covers

• Locator services at IT buildings
• Incorporation, permits and licensing
• PEZA and BOI registration
• Employee screening and background checks
• Legal, accounting, payroll, bookkeeping and tax reporting
• Master outsourcing and employment agreements
• Confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements
• Visas for company expatriates

Before buying, a buyer has to understand the property’s risks and liabilities, on top of each agency’s requirements. The firm runs the due diligence check that saves future costs and unexpected complications.

Works in this area: Atty. Donato Gonzalez, Atty. Arl P. Lim

Covers

• Verification and processing
• Full due diligence check
• Land titling and Register of Deeds processes

Exports, trading and importation drive much of the Philippine economy. The firm handles the compliance requirements and paperwork for importation and exportation.

Covers

• Importation requirements
• Import entries
• Duty and tax payments
• Returning resident privileges
• Broker coordination