Litigation and Dispute Resolution

Disputes are the backbone of this firm. The partners built their practice in courtrooms, and that experience shapes everything else we do — how we draft, how we negotiate, and how honestly we assess your position before anything is filed.

We appear at every level of the Philippine system: the Metropolitan and Regional Trial Courts, the Court of Appeals, the Supreme Court — and the quasi-judicial agencies and constitutional commissions where much of Philippine business law is actually decided.

Commercial and civil disputes

Contract and recovery claims, collection actions, property disputes from ejectment through annulment of title, and the corporate controversies that follow deals gone wrong. Where a negotiated resolution beats a judgment, we say so plainly; we also handle mediation and arbitration, including proceedings administered by the Philippine Dispute Resolution Center, Inc. (PDRCI).

Criminal and white-collar matters

A substantial share of our docket is criminal — estafa, qualified theft, falsification, cyber libel, and securities offenses, on both the prosecution and defense side. We treat the preliminary investigation before the prosecutor's office, the DOJ, or the NBI as the main event rather than a formality, because that is where most Philippine criminal cases are actually decided.

Public-accountability proceedings

We act in Commission on Audit proceedings, Ombudsman investigations, and the administrative cases that follow them — for public officers defending their decisions and for private parties whose contracts put them in the government's path. This work runs alongside our Government and Legislative Advocacy practice.

How we run a case

Every matter is mapped before it is moved: theory, evidence, forum, and exit. Philippine litigation is a long game, so we tell you the realistic timeline and cost at the start — then prepare as if the case will be tried, because that preparation is what produces good settlements. Appeals are part of the map from day one: our briefs go before the Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court.

Who we act for

Local and international businesses, their owners and officers, public officials, and private individuals — as plaintiffs and defendants, complainants and accused. If your matter could end in a courtroom, or already has, it belongs here.

If your dispute is cross-border, start with our guide to dispute resolution and arbitration for foreign investors — then bring us the specifics.