Sycip Salazar Hernandez & Gatmaitan

SyCip Salazar Hernandez & Gatmaitan (SyCipLaw), founded in 1945, is the largest law firm in
the Philippines. Although its work centers on business activity, the firm has offered a broad
and integrated range of legal services that cover such areas as family relations,
constitutional issues, and other matters of law unrelated to commerce.
Rafael A. Morales is the Managing Partner in SyCip Salazar Hernandez & Gatmaitan. Prior to
his appointment, he was head of the firms Banking, Finance & Securities Department. His
areas of expertise include corporation and commercial law, contract law, banking and
financial law (including project financing), securities, joint ventures, mergers and
acquisitions, and international law.
He has had much recognition for his legal work, including citations in Euromoney Legal
Media Groups Guide to the Worlds Leading Banking Lawyers and Asian Legal Business
List of 100 pre-eminent Asia-Pacific Lawyers. He has been cited as a leading lawyer
by IFLR1000, Legal 500, Chambers Asia Pacific, Asialaw Profiles and Whos Who Legal.
While in the US for his graduate studies, Mr. Morales trained as a foreign apprentice at
Rosenman Colin Freund Lewis & Cohen in New York (1978-1979). He later on became a
foreign attorney at Anderson Mori & Rabinowitz in Tokyo (1984-1986).
He was president of the Inter-Pacific Bar Association, an organization of lawyers from more
than 65 jurisdictions and with interest in the Asia-Pacific region. In addition, he is a member
of the Philippine Bar Association, the Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines, the
New York State Bar Association and the American Bar Association.
Mr. Morales is a professorial lecturer at the College of Law of the University of the
Philippines, and was a visiting professor at the School of Law of La Trobe University in
Melbourne, Australia (Summer, 2007). He authored two books: The Philippine General
Banking Law (Annotated) and The Philippine Securities Regulation Code (Annotated), as well
as numerous legal articles.
Admission to the Bar
1975, Philippines
1986, New York, U.S.A
Education

University of the Philippines (B.A., cum laude; LL.B., cum laude and class valedictorian)
University of Michigan (LL.M. De Witt Fellow)

Romulo (The Fine Art of Lawyering)

Romulo Mabanta Buenaventura Sayoc & de los Angeles traces its roots
to the law firm of Gibbs, McDonough and Ozaeta that practiced law in
the Philippines in 1902, under the American regime.
Romulo offers a full range of legal services with its team of talented and experienced
lawyers who are experts in their own fields.
Romulo is composed of more than 90 lawyers all of whom speak English fluently, and
majority of whom have received training and graduate degrees from international
universities.
Romulo offers a full range of legal services including mergers & acquisitions, capital
markets, foreign investments, dispute resolution, art & antiquity, taxation, mining, oil &
gas, infrastructure, environment, family, immigration, insurance, labor & employment,
real estate, securities, banking, intellectual property, aviation, and admiralty.

ANGARA ABELLO CONCEPCION REGALA & CRUZ LAW

OFFICESACCRALAW
ACCRALAW was founded in 1972, out of the shared vision of its five founding partners to
establish an institutional law firm based on the highest standards of legal competence.
The Firm was initially conceived by Edgardo J. Angara and Manuel G. Abello+,
who had known each other since their student days at the University of the Philippines (UP)
College of Law. In a landscape then dominated by larger and more established firms
primarily designed to serve multinational corporations, Angara and Abello saw an emerging
and dynamic generation of local enterprises and individuals whose legal requirements were
not being prioritized and adequately addressed. They saw this as an opportunity to
establish a law firm which would focus on this new group and provide exceptional legal
advice and expertise.
Teodoro D. Regala and Jose C. Concepcion, former classmates at the University of
the Philippines College of Law, soon joined Angara and Abello and with the arrival

of Avelino V. Cruz, Angara's classmate at the University of Michigan Law School and an
alumnus of the San Beda College of Law, the Firms founding partners were complete.

A HISTORY OF GROWTH AND STRENGTH

On May 1, 1972, ACCRALAW opened its first offices at the Philippine Bank of Commerce
Building on Ayala Avenue in the premier business district of Makati City. Starting from an
initial six and then increasing to more than 30 lawyers, in 1975 the Firm moved to its own
building, the ACCRA Building on Gamboa Street also in Makati. In just a few years, ACCRA
had achieved phenomenal growth and had become one of the nations largest and leading
law firms. Furthering its expansion, the Firm established a branch in Cebu City in 1980 and
in 1996, an office was opened in Davao City. Having outgrown its Head Office at the
ACCRA Building, in March 2010, the Firm moved to a new, modern and bigger ACCRALAW
Tower in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City.
Today, 42 years after it first opened its doors, the Firm has approximately 150 lawyers (41 of
whom are partners), around 130 support staff, and two branches in the two most important
commercial cities in the country outside Metro Manila. ACCRALAW is uniquely positioned
to service clients throughout the Philippines. Equally as important, its lawyers have vast
cross-border experience in complicated international transactions and are able to quickly
service and communicate with its international clients in real time. The Firm also has an
impressive network of correspondent firms positioned in the primary business centers of the
world. The Firm's strong presence in the Philippines, coupled with its international
experience, makes it truly distinct in the Philippines.
Perhaps more than any other law firm in the Philippines, the Firm has trained and produced
an impressive list of top tier government officials including, among others, three Executive
Secretaries, two Senate Presidents, six Senators, several Congressmen, two SEC
Chairpersons, and a BIR Commissioner. The Firm's Partners have also been instrumental
in providing invaluable resource persons to government agencies and assisting in the
drafting of crucial legislation, rules and regulations.
The economy of the Philippines, together with the rest of Asia, is growing at an
unprecedented rate. Moreover, financial centers and fortunes are shifting towards this
region where there is a burgeoning, young, upwardly mobile and educated population with
increasing disposable income. In the face of all this growth and economic activity,

ACCRALAW is strategically and uniquely situated to service its clients within the region and
without.
ACCRALAW is evolving and expanding in todays world of ever changing technologies and
shifting economic fortunes.
We are here to serve.
The policy of the Firm is to recruit from the ranks of outstanding graduates of the leading
law schools in the country. While academic excellence is undeniably a critical factor, diverse
extracurricular activities and excellent inter-personal skills are given significant weight in the
consideration of applicants.
The Firm is considered in the legal world as a remarkable training ground for lawyers,
politicians and statesmen. The number of top tier government officials, senators,
congressmen and heads of departments who are alumni of the Firm attests to this. The
training received from the Firm is undisputedly one of the best albeit, exhaustive and
strenuous. Our lawyers are sought after not only by our local and foreign clients, but
equally, by our competitors. ACCRA trained lawyers are recognized, prized and pursued not
only by Philippine law firms but by other Asian law firms.
The goal of the Firm is to train practical, ethical and diligent professionals who are experts
in all aspects of their fields of specialization. In addition to knowing the law, we expect our
associates to have a good command of the dynamics of the industries in which their clients
operate.
Recruitment is initiated at the beginning of the calendar year. Invitations to interview are
sent to the top graduates of the leading law schools. Identified applicants are interviewed
before graduation or before taking the bar examinations. Initially, the Firms hiring partner
interviews the applicant. Applicants may express interest in joining a specific department of
the Firm in which case, the partners of this department also meet with the applicant.
Questions asked normally delve into qualifications and skills of the applicant, his/her
interests, academic and otherwise and are designed to ascertain the applicants
commitment to, and expectations about law practice in the Firm.

Exemplary candidates are singled out and offered a position at the Firm, starting after the
bar examinations. Once hired, exceptional applicants may be granted a bar stipend by the
Firm.
ACCRALAW recognizes its lawyers and non-legal staff as its primary source of strength.
The Firm maintains an excellent support staff who stay on until retirement.
The Firm spares no effort and expense in recruiting the best of their class and those with
prodigious potential , providing them with unparalleled training, and rewarding those who
stand out with admission into the partnership.

Villaraza & Angangco

1.

SYCIP SALAZAR HERNANDEZ & GATMAITAN

2.

ROMULO MABANTA BUENAVENTURA SAYOC &

DE LOS ANGELES

3.

ANGARA ABELLO CONCEPCION REGALA & CRUZ

4.

VILLARAZA & CRUZ (also CARPIO VILLARAZA &

CRUZ)

5.

SIGUION REYNA MONTECILLO ONGSIAKO & CRUZ

6.

QUASHA ASPERILLA ANCH ETA PENA & NOLASCO

7.

PICASO BUYCO TAN FIDER & SANTOS

8.

CASTILLO LAMAN TAN PANTALEON & SAN JOSE

9.

QUISUMBING TORRES & ENVANGELISTA

10. PONCE ENRILE REYES & MANALASTAS