Villaraza & Angangco was built on the legacy of former Supreme Court Justice Antonio Carpio. The firm is a recognised name in litigation relating to commercial, government and regulatory and employment disputes. The team is also active in the banking, telecoms, real estate, energy and infrastructure sectors.
Some of the key names for commercial and regulatory disputes include Alejandro Alfonso Navarro, Augusto San Pedro and Thea Daep. Joseph Anthony Lopez heads the litigation team. In intellectual property, Bienvenido Somera and Katrina Doble are the names to note.
In the government and regulatory space, the firm played a crucial role in defending the directors and officers of Udenna Corporation, the president of Chevron Malampaya, and the managing director of UC Malampaya Philippines. This defence was in response to a complaint filed before the Office of the Ombudsman, pertaining to the approval of a share sale agreement involving the parent company of one of the contractors of the Malampaya Project. The significance of this case cannot be understated, as it has substantial implications for the future operations of the Malampaya deep water gas-to-power project. This project stands as the largest commercial gas discovery in the Philippines, with the government's long-standing intention to reduce oil imports, ensure a more stable supply of cleaner energy from an indigenous resource, and fulfil up to 20% of the country's energy requirements.
In the field of labour and employment, the firm achieved notable success by successfully defending a global technology company against a series of harassment suits brought by independent contractors engaged for transportation services. Through creative and unconventional legal manoeuvres, the firm skilfully highlighted the absence of an employer-employee relationship between the contractors and the client, thereby demonstrating the lack of jurisdiction for the tribunals over the subject-matter. With the dismissal of the first harassment suit, the firm's unconventional legal strategy proved effective and served as a deterrent against subsequent harassment claims by independent contractors targeting the client.
The firm counts esteemed companies as litigation clients, including Aircraft Support Industries, Fountel Corporation, Manila Water Company and UC Malampaya Philippines.
Client feedback
“Professional, proactive and responsive.” – Commercial arbitration
“Enquiries are being answered professionally and they handle our SEC (government agency) requirements well.” – Government and regulatory
“Clear, timely and commercial advice. They have a large employment team.” – Labour and employment
Thea Daep
“Has the ability to provide sound business sense.”
Katrina Doble
“Katrina responds promptly and professionally.”
Winona Maraiah Fajardo
“Good communicator, easy to talk to and responds fast.”
Rashel Ann Pomoy
“Professional, responsive, respectful and proactive.”
“She provides clear and knowledgeable advice, effectively guiding clients through legal matters. Additionally, she demonstrates excellent organisational skills in efficiently managing her team and consistently meeting deadlines.”
“Very responsive and very knowledgeable about labour matters especially in relation to our industry.”
Arthur Villaraza
“He maintains a strong ethical standard, demonstrating integrity in his work. He approaches legal matters strategically, carefully considering the best course of action. Furthermore, he is known for his straightforward and direct communication.”
