Villaraza & Angangco (V&A Law) — Philippines

About

The Firm: Villaraza & Angangco Law (V&A Law) was founded in 1980. With approximately 70 lawyers recognised by their peers to be at the top of the legal profession, and 100 highly trained non-legal staff, the firm offers professional services of the highest calibre. With decades of experience in serving a full spectrum of clients’ interests, its lawyers are equipped to skilfully handle the most intricate problems and provide comprehensive solutions that deliver results. The firm has been at the forefront of the Philippine legal landscape and has gained the trust and confidence of leading multinational corporations, financial institutions and conglomerates. V&A Law is a full-service law firm with specialisation in the areas of litigation, corporate and intellectual property law. ### Areas of practice Litigation: the firm is involved in commercial, civil, tax and criminal representation and trial advocacy in every forum. V&A Law provides efficient and effective strategies capitalising on alternative methods of dispute resolution. Its litigators have successfully handled cases in all appellate levels of the judicial system and routinely handle appeals from quasi-judicial agencies. The firm represents a wide array of banks and financial institutions, both local and foreign. V&A Law has been involved in almost all major corporate recovery projects in the country, both litigated and non-litigated. The lawyers of V&A Law have extensive exposure and a high level of competence in handling matters involving labour standards and labour relations law. Moreover, the firm also handles labour litigation before the regular courts and quasi-judicial bodies, such as the National Labour Relations Commission (NLRC). Corporate & Commercial Law: the firm is involved in major mergers and acquisitions in strategic industries, including banking and finance, telecommunications, transportation, manufacturing, food retail, business process outsourcing, insurance, entertainment, and pharmaceuticals. V&A lawyers are experts in the field of power and energy. The firm provides transactional advice on capital markets, securities regulations and finance and serves as counsel on major foreign investments in the country. The corporate lawyers in the firm are equipped with experience in giving comprehensive legal assistance in various property development and real estate transaction projects at all stages. The firm is counsel to leading mining and exploration companies on a broad range of matters, including compliance with nationality and capitalisation requirements and obtaining government licences. V&A lawyers are known for providing innovative solutions to efficiently manage the taxation burden of individuals and entities doing business in the Philippines. The firm plays an active role in the country’s leading public utilities and infrastructure projects under public-private partnership projects, build-operate-transfer, joint venture, and procurement projects. Intellectual property: the intellectual property lawyers of V&A assist in trademark and patent prosecution, particularly the filing and maintenance of both Philippine and foreign trademark, patent, utility model and industrial design registrations. The firm also represents clients in the registration and deposit of copyrights and other related rights. It assists clients to ensure that full commercial value is realised through intellectual property commercialisation, licensing and franchising. V&A lawyers are experienced litigators who have extensive practice in intellectual property litigation. The firm provides efficient and responsive programmes for the enforcement of intellectual property rights in the Philippines. The lawyers are equipped with competence in advising media, entertainment and broadcasting entities in the promotion and protection of their intellectual property rights consistent with their strategic business objectives. The firm also gives advice in border control measures and in the product registration of pharmaceuticals and medical devices. The clientele of V&A includes domestic generic drug corporations, which the lawyers assist in freedom to operate searches and patent cancellation. ### Labor & Employment The Firm’s Labor and Employment Department advises local and multinational employers across the full spectrum of Philippine labor and employment law, delivering timely, accurate, and business‑aligned counsel on workplace regulation, labor disputes, and employee relations. The Department is regularly engaged for retainer support, including contract standardization, policy development, employee data protection, tax‑related employment considerations, and workplace health and safety, demonstrating the Department’s versatility across diverse, highly regulated industries. The Department has extensive experience in employment litigation and dispute resolution and supports employers on both contentious and advisory matters, from disciplinary action and employee separation to union‑related concerns and collective bargaining. It also provides day‑to‑day guidance on employment contracts, internal policies, and immigration requirements for foreign employees, and conducts internal assessments and compliance reviews to identify and address potential flashpoints for dispute, with careful attention to each client’s business environment and risk tolerance. With deep subject‑matter expertise and a practical approach to risk management, the Department also assists clients on the employment aspects of corporate transactions, cross‑border workforce matters, and evolving regulatory requirements, including government measures introduced in response to events such as the COVID‑19 pandemic. Through longstanding partnerships with premier international law firms, the Department regularly advises multinational clients on multi‑jurisdictional employment policies, restructuring, business closures, and comparative analysis of Philippine and foreign labor laws. ### Languages - English - Filipino ### Memberships - ASEAN Plus Group (APG) ### Staffing Figures - 23 Number of Partners - 54 Number of Lawyers

Office locations

Practice areas

Lawyers in this office

Adrian Paul Mallari

Senior Associate · Corporate / M&A

Alejandro Alfonso Navarro

Senior Partner · Labour & Employment

Alyssa Jasmin Perez

Junior Associate · Corporate / M&A

Alyssa Marie Sobere

Junior Associate · Litigation

Amber Shawn Gagajena

Junior Partner · Corporate / M&A

Anna Marie Grace Antonio

Junior Associate · Corporate / M&A

Annie Erika Dee

Junior Associate · Labour & Employment

Anthony Jr. Capuyan

Junior Associate · Litigation

Antonio Miguel Lu

Partner · Intellectual Property

Augusto San Pedro

Senior Partner · Litigation

Benzon Rambayon

Junior Associate · Labour & Employment

Bianca Georgia Paloma

Junior Associate · Litigation

Bianca Ysabel Vicente

Junior Associate

Bienvenido Somera

Senior Partner- IP Department Head · Intellectual Property

Caleb Lauredo

Senior Associate · Labour & Employment

Celina Marie Nepomuceno

Junior Associate · Labour and Employment

Dan Galman

Junior Associate · Litigation

Danielle Francesca San Pedro

Junior Partner · Intellectual Property

Edgardo III Paras

Junior Associate · Labour & Employment

Edna Africa

Junior Associate · Corporate / M&A

Edward King Chua

Senior Associate · Intellectual Property

Elaine Atienza

Junior Partner · Litigation

Erika Alexis Oreta

Junior Associate

F. Arthur Villaraza

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer · Corporate / M&A

Frances Angelie Barroso

Junior Associate · Litigation

Frances Louise Ronquillo

Junior Associate

Fritz Julius Casama

Senior Associate · Corporate / M&A

Ivy Bernardo

Junior Associate · Litigation

Joaquin Silverio Aison

Junior Associate · Litigation

Jose Arturo Poe

Junior Associate

Jose Lorenzo III Angeles

Junior Associate · Litigation

Juan Miguel Lopez

Junior Associate · Litigation

Juanito Sañosa, Jr.

Co-Managing Partner · Corporate / M&A

Kareen Balmes

Junior Associate · Litigation

Katrina Doble

Junior Partner · Intellectual Property

Kristin Charisse Siao

Partner · Corporate / M&A

Krizz Darnelle Santos

Junior Associate · Litigation

Kyle Gino Salazar

Junior Associate · Intellectual Property

Lawrence Ivan Manalo

Senior Associate · Labour & Employment

Leah Glenda Quesada

Junior Partner · Litigation

Leon Maria Angel Caguioa

Partner · Litigation

Ma. Carla Mapalo

Partner · Corporate / M&A

Ma. Samira Tacandong

Senior Associate · Corporate / M&A

Macario Jr. Duguiang

Junior Associate · Corporate / M&A

Marco Gabriel Millan

Junior Associate

Maria Christina Aniceto

Junior Associate · Corporate / M&A

Maria Francesca Vergara

Senior Associate · Corporate / M&A

Maria Patricia Cruz

Senior Associate · Intellectual Property

Mark Benjamin Yam

Partner · Corporate / M&A

Mark Leo Bejemino

Partner · Intellectual Property

Melissa Gabrielle Remulla

Junior Associate · Litigation & Dispute Resolution

Miguel Ruiz Tan

Junior Associate · Corporate / M&A

Niel Franco Aguhob

Junior Associate · Corporate / M&A

Noel Kris Illescas

Partner · Litigation

Norelyn Villaruel

Junior Associate · Intellectual Property

Paolo Miguel Consignado

Senior Associate · Litigation

Patricia Dizon

Junior Associate · Legislative & Regulatory

PJ

Phil Josef Mendoza

Junior Associate · Litigation

Rachelle Ann Go

Senior Associate · Corporate / M&A

Raoul Angangco

Chairman and CEO · Corporate / M&A