About Us
About Us
Since our foundation in September 1990, our Firm has been committed to personal and quality service that has been the anchor of lasting relationships with clients through the years.
Our clients have the guarantee of experience and expertise from our legal team of partners who are accomplished in their specialties, and associates recruited from the top law schools in the country.
At present, we have a complement of twelve lawyers and eighteen support staff. Our lawyers keep abreast of the latest developments in various practice areas through continuing legal education, specialized training and studies, and involvement in business, professional and civic organizations, such as the American Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines, ASEAN Law Association, Philippine Bar Association and various Rotary Clubs.
Our Firm offers a full range of legal services, from general counselling and special corporate projects to representation in all types of adversarial proceedings, particularly management-labor disputes and civil, criminal and commercial litigation. We take a proactive approach to clients' concerns, and respond to referrals with prompt and sound counsel. In everything that we do, the client's interest is, and will always be, our first and foremost consideration.
We are Medialdea Ata Bello Guevarra & Suarez.
Our Commitment
Our Commitment
The practice of law aims to establish what is true, pursue what is right, and uphold what is just.
To achieve these ends demands a commitment to the highest standards of ethical conduct, unsullied integrity, utmost competence, and consistent excellence.
The clientele expects only the best efforts, loyalty, and the full measure of dedication from those upon whom it has reposed trust and confidence.
Above all, to muster all knowledge and skills in order to help shape a better society founded upon respect for the majesty of law tempered with justice is the true mark of success in the legal profession.
To these principles our law partnership is pledged.
Our Clients
Our Clients
The Firm services the legal and related needs of a wide client base that includes leading corporations, financial institutions, and emerging businesses. They are engaged in such activities as:
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Below is a representative list of our corporate clients:
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PARTNERS
Salvador C. Medialdea
Salvador C. Medialdea
SALVADOR C. MEDIALDEA obtained his Bachelor of Science in Management from the Colegio de San Juan de Letran in 1972 and his Bachelor of Laws from San Beda College in 1976.
A member of the Philippine Bar since 1977, Atty. Medialdea began his law career at the Angara Abello Concepcion Regala & Cruz (ACCRA) Law Offices. In 1983, he joined the Ponce Enrile Cayetano Bautista Picazo & Reyes (PECABAR) Law Offices where he was a Partner until August 1990. In both law firms, Atty. Medialdea handled various labor, litigation and immigration referrals.
Atty. Medialdea ventured into government service in 1998 when he was appointed Administrator of the Livelihood Corporation (LIVECOR) where he worked from 23 September 1998 until 30 November 1999. Thereafter, he was appointed Presidential Assistant for Political Affairs on 19 July 2000 and served as such until 31 October 2000.
Atty. Medialdea was President of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (Rizal Chapter) from 1985 to 1987 and was its Director from 1983 to 1985. He is a charter member of the Rotary Club of Makati Southwest and is presently the Secretary General of the Asean Law Association Golfers’ Club (ALA). He is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the San Beda Law Alumni Association (SBLAA).
Atty. Medialdea was Bar Examiner in Labor and Social Legislation given by the Supreme Court in September 2006.
Loreto C. Ata
Loreto C. Ata
LORETO C. ATA obtained his degrees in Bachelor of Arts, Major in Political Science (Cum Laude) in 1972 and Bachelor of Laws (Valedictorian and Magna Cum Laude) in 1976 from Far Eastern University (FEU).
Admitted to the Philippine Bar since 1977, Atty. Ata specializes in litigation practice, handling civil, criminal, corporate, and election cases. He started as an associate in the law office of Antonio R. Bautista and taught law subjects at the FEU Institute of Law. In 1983 he transferred to the Ponce Enrile Cayetano Bautista Picazo & Reyes (PECABAR) Law Offices. He co-founded the Firm in 1990. In 1995 he left the Firm and established his own law office which he merged in 2001 with the law office of the late Sen. Renato L. Cayetano. He rejoined the Firm in September 2007.
For years, Atty. Ata held various official positions at the Integrated Bar of the Philippines Makati Chapter where he also chaired its Legal Aid Committee. He is an active member of the Rotary Club of Makati Northwest and served twice as its President. He is the immediate past President of the FEU Law Alumni Association, and former National President of the Beta Sigma Lambda Fraternity & Sorority. He is currently an Investigating Commissioner in the Commission on Bar Discipline, Integrated Bar of the Philippines. He heads the Firm's Litigation Department, and has lectured in the Mandatory Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) Program supervised by the Supreme Court.
Renato Q. Bello
Renato Q. Bello
RENATO Q. BELLO graduated from Saint Louis University in 1976 with a degree in Political Science and obtained his Bachelor of Laws from San Beda College in 1980. He was admitted to the Philippine Bar in 1981. In 1983, he took up further studies in Industrial Relations at the International Training Institute in Sydney, Australia.
Before going into active law practice, Atty. Bello worked with the Department of Labor and Employment in various capacities, namely, as Med-Arbiter/Conciliator, Executive Assistant to the Director of the Bureau of Labor Relations (BLR), and Chief of the BLR Appeals and Review Division. He worked at the Ponce Enrile Cayetano Bautista Picazo & Reyes (PECABAR) Law Offices from 1985 until August 1990.
Atty. Bello was a director, and later became the President, of the Intercontinental Broadcasting Corporation (IBC-13, a government owned television station) for 4 years. He was also a Grand Rhoan of the Lambda Rho Beta Fraternity and formerly a faculty member of Saint Paul College of Manila. He is currently a member of the Philippine Association on Voluntary Arbitration, Inc. (PAVAI) and the Philippine Maritime Voluntary Arbitrators Association (PMVAA). He is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the San Beda Law Alumni Association (SBLAA).
Atty. Bello is currently the Managing Partner of the Firm, and heads its Labor and Immigration Departments together with Atty. Salvador C. Medialdea. He is a lecturer in the Mandatory Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) Program supervised by the Supreme Court.
Menardo I. Guevarra
Menardo I. Guevarra
MENARDO I. GUEVARRA received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science (Magna Cum Laude) in 1974 from the Ateneo de Manila University. In 1977, he completed his masteral studies in Economics at the University of the Philippines.
Atty. Guevarra worked at the National Economic and Development Authority from 1977 to 1983 and at the Central Bank of the Philippines from 1983 to 1986.
Atty. Guevarra obtained his Bachelor of Laws degree (with honors) from the Ateneo de Manila University in 1985. He placed second in the bar examinations given in the same year.
He started his career in law with the legal staff of the 1986 Constitutional Commission and then worked as an associate at the Ponce Enrile Cayetano Bautista Picazo & Reyes (PECABAR) Law Offices until 1990. In 1999, Atty. Guevarra underwent an intensive practical training in maritime and admiralty law in London under the auspices of the Steamship Mutual Underwriting Association (Bermuda) Limited.
Atty. Guevarra co-heads the Firm’s Litigation Department and is also a long-time faculty member of the Ateneo de Manila University School of Law. He has taught a wide range of subjects, including Property, Civil Procedure and Evidence.
Atty. Guevarra is a lecturer in the Mandatory Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) Program supervised by the Supreme Court and an Accredited Arbitrator of the Philippine Dispute Resolution Center, Inc., the arbitration arm of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Lorna Imelda M. Suarez
Lorna Imelda M. Suarez
LORNA IMELDA M. SUAREZ graduated from the Ateneo de Manila University in 1989 with a degree in Philosophy and received her Juris Doctor (JD) degree in 1995 also from the Ateneo de Manila University. She was admitted to the Bar in 1996.
Atty. Suarez started her law career with the Firm as an apprentice in 1994 and formally joined the Firm immediately after taking the bar examinations in 1995. She was admitted into the Partnership in 2001 and became a name partner in 2009.
Atty. Suarez is a member of the Philippine Bar Association. She has obtained extensive experience in civil, criminal, commercial and tax litigation, and is active in the field of intellectual property. She heads the Firm’s General Counselling and Retainer, and the Corporate, Administrative and Special Projects Departments.
ASSOCIATES
Grace U. Fonacier
Grace U. Fonacier
GRACE U. FONACIER obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy from the University of the Philippines (Cum Laude) in 1992 and Juris Doctor degree from the Ateneo de Manila University in 1996. She also took up Trust Operations and Investment Management training under the Trust Institute Foundation of the Philippines in 2005. She specializes in litigation and corporate law.
Claribelle S. Bautista
Claribelle S. Bautista
Atty. Bautista obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of the Philippines in 2000 and Bachelor of Laws from San Beda College in 2010. She was admitted to the Philippine Bar in April 2011. Atty. Bautista specializes in litigation and labor law.
Ma. Angela Leonor C. Aguinaldo
Ma. Angela Leonor C. Aguinaldo
Atty. Aguinaldo obtained her Bachelor of Science degrees in Applied Economics and in Commerce major in Legal Management from the De La Salle University (Second Honors) in 2005. She earned her Juris Doctor degree from the Ateneo de Manila University in 2010. She was admitted to the Philippine Bar in April 2011. Atty. Aguinaldo specializes in litigation and election law.
Katherina S. Fabellon
Katherina S. Fabellon
Atty. Fabellon obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in Management major in Legal Management from the Ateneo de Manila University in 2006 and Juris Doctor degree from the University of the Philippines in 2010. She was admitted to the Philippine Bar in April 2011. Atty. Fabellon specializes in litigation and corporate law.
Jon Paulo V. Salvahan
Jon Paulo V. Salvahan
Atty. Salvahan obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of the Philippines in 2006 and Juris Doctor degree from the Ateneo de Manila University in 2010. He was admitted to the Philippine Bar in April 2011. Atty. Salvahan specializes in litigation and labor law.
Genevieve N. Gonzales
Genevieve N. Gonzales
Atty. Gonzales obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in Commerce with specialization in Applied Corporate Management from De La Salle University in 2006 and Juris Doctor degree from the Ateneo de Manila University (Second Honors) in 2010. She was admitted to the Philippine Bar in April 2011. Atty. Gonzales specializes in litigation, corporate law and intellectual property.
Marie Joyce P. Manongsong
Marie Joyce P. Manongsong
Atty. Manongsong obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from the University of the Philippines in 2004 and Bachelor of Laws from Far Eastern University (Class Valedictorian) in 2010. She was admitted to the Philippine Bar in April 2011. Atty. Manongsong specializes in litigation and corporate law.
Alternative Dispute Resolution
Alternative Dispute Resolution
The Firm represents clients in local and arbitration proceedings on disputes involving commercial, construction, and maritime transactions as well as issues involving labor. In addition, the Firm’s partners who have extensive training and experience in conducting mediation and voluntary arbitration proceedings offer mediation and arbitration services to assist the parties in resolving their disputes.
Banking & Finance
Banking & Finance
The Firm’s banking practice includes a wide spectrum of banking litigation and corporate banking transactions, including regulatory compliance with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas and other government agencies, loan and security documentation and syndications, and trade finance such as letters of credit and import/export transactions.
Construction
Construction
The Firm provides assistance to its clients in the construction industry, particularly in the areas of acquisition and land development, documentation of construction agreements, handling employment and supplier issues, and compliance with the Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board, Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board, and other related government agencies. In the event of construction disputes, the Firm represents its clients in arbitration and/or judicial proceedings.
Corporate, Administrative &
Special Projects
Corporate, Administrative & Special Projects
The Firm’s Corporate Department provides an extensive range of legal services to domestic and foreign clients. Our corporate practice includes general corporate law, securities, insurance, commercial law, obligations and contracts, and administrative law.
In particular, the Firm offers counseling on, and documentation of, clients’ rights and responsibilities relative to corporate matters or special transactions, including, but not limited to:
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The Firm also extends legal assistance in matters requiring or involving government licenses and authorizations, registration of documents and transactions with regulatory agencies, liaison work, protests, contests, litigation, and other proceedings before administrative, and quasi-judicial bodies, such as:
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Directorship and Secretaryship
Directorship and Secretaryship
Whenever necessary, the Firm’s lawyers also act as directors, consultants, and corporate secretaries for clients. The work entails attendance at board and stockholders’ meetings, counselling during meetings, preparation and keeping of minutes, resolutions and stock transfer books, issuance of stock certificates and documentation of stock transfer transactions.
Election
Election
Our lawyers also provide counselling and conduct seminars on election laws, and represent clients before the Commission on Elections, the different canvassing boards and electoral tribunals.
Energy
Energy
The Firm offers comprehensive service on power and energy transactions, including assistance to electric cooperatives and advice on power purchase agreements, joint venture agreements, and other energy-related agreements.
Environmental Law
Environmental Law
The Firm provides assistance to its clients in transactions involving regulatory compliance, occupational health and safety issues, and environmental risks and liabilities. It also conducts comprehensive environmental compliance due diligence and represents clients in the mining industry on public land use.
Estate Planning
Estate Planning
The Firm’s experience in this field covers asset protection planning, including trust administration and will preparation. It offers solutions for tax optimizations as well as implements executor mandates and represents clients in probate proceedings, estate litigation and other issues relating to the distribution of estates.
Family Law
Family Law
The Firm is experienced in representing clients in issues involving pre-nuptial agreements, declaration of nullity of marriages, annulment, adoption, child support and legal custody, paternity suits and guardianships.
General Counselling and Retainer
General Counselling and Retainer
The services rendered for clients who have retainer agreements with the Firm include consultations, general counselling and contract documentation relating to client’s operations. These services cover pertinent laws, rules and regulations bearing upon the tax, finance, insurance, labor relations, and employment aspects of the clients’ activities, and include the preparation and review of agreements and contracts.
Labor
Labor
The Firm represents clients in proceedings involving labor and employment problems before various agencies, such as:
- Department of Labor and Employment
- Philippine Overseas Employment Administration
- National Labor Relations Commission
- Overseas Workers Welfare Administration
- National Conciliation and Mediation Board
- Bureau of Labor Relations
The Labor Department has wide experience in the following areas:
- collective bargaining negotiations
- preventive counselling in personnel management
- employment contract drafting and interpretation
- voluntary and compulsory arbitration
- illegal dismissal and money claims
- strikes and unfair labor practice cases
- wage and salary standardization, including correction of wage distortion
- labor ramifications of mergers, divestments, acquisitions and other business reorganizations
- mediation and conciliation
- grievance handling
To keep pace with rapid developments in labor laws, and to ensure that clients are abreast with new legal concepts, the Labor Department organizes seminars on labor standards and labor relations conducted by experts in the field of labor laws.
Legal Audit
Legal Audit
The Firm provides legal audit services involving the comprehensive review of the client’s business operations, contracts, forms, policies, and structure.
Litigation
Litigation
The Litigation Department handles all stages of civil, commercial, and criminal litigation in all courts of justice and administrative bodies performing quasi-judicial functions, as well as before arbitrators, involving the following areas:
Commercial and Administrative Litigation
- corporate disputes, including inter-corporate and intra-corporate disputes
- banking and finance disputes, including letters of credit issues
- insurance and reinsurance disputes
- maritime litigation and arbitration
- insolvency and bankruptcy
- securities and commodities fraud litigation
- piracy, infringement and unfair competition cases involving intellectual property
- tax matters
- construction litigation and arbitration
Civil Litigation and Special Proceedings
- persons and family relations cases
- property disputes
- land registration
- expropriation of property
- torts and quasi-delict liability claims
- debt collection
- will contests and other probate-related matters
- enforcement of foreign judgments
- foreclosures
- conflict of laws disputes
- settlement of estates
Criminal Cases
The Firm has been engaged by various clients, both for the prosecution and defense. The Firm handles criminal cases heard and tried by the Sandiganbayan, the Court of Tax Appeals and the Regional Trial Courts, as well as those investigated by the Ombudsman, the Office of the Provincial/City Prosecutors, and the Department of Justice. The Firm has a very extensive experience in appellate practice in the Court of Appeals and in the Supreme Court.
Immigration
Immigration
The Firm has an established practice in naturalization, immigration, visa, and deportation cases. It provides legal representation in petitions for citizenship and application for family, employment and investment visas.
Intellectual Property
Intellectual Property
In intellectual property matters, the Firm provides assistance in the registration of copyrights and in filing, maintaining and enforcing registrations for patents, designs, utility models and trademarks. It also renders assistance in the drafting, negotiation and review of patent and trademark licensing agreements, matters involving information technology, and legal representation in cases involving infringement, unfair competition, and other related cases for the protection of intellectual property and information.
Maritime
Maritime
The Firm has demonstrated knowledge in the various aspects of the maritime industry, particularly in the areas of maritime charters, sale and lease contracts of vessels, off-shore workers, collision, passenger injury and cargo loss, and has represented protection and indemnity (P & I) clubs in several cases.
Media & Entertainment
Media & Entertainment
The Firm has represented numerous clients in theatre, television and film industries and has handled on their behalf contract negotiations for their talent services and product endorsements. It has also successfully litigated cases involving, among others, their right to privacy.
Mining
Mining
The Firm’s mining practice involves various types of mineral-related transactions, including property ownership issues, mining agreements and compliance with regulatory requirements.
Taxation
Taxation
The Firm’s tax planning services includes providing tax opinions on a wide range of tax issues and obtaining rulings from the Bureau of Internal Revenue, Bureau of Local Government Finance and other taxing authorities. The Firm also represents and provides support to its clients in tax litigation.
News
No News Updates
Articles
Hallmarks of Good Legal Writing
February 22, 2009Atty.Loreto C. Ata has written an article, "Hallmarks of Good Legal Writing," which appeared in the 2008 issue of Far Eastern Law Review, journal of the Far Eastern University (FEU) Institute of Law. He lectured on the topic, Suggestions for Effective Writing, at the Mandatory Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) Program sponsored by FEU’s Center for Continuing Education held on 22 February 2009.
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Some Defenses in Libel Suits
March 12, 2009Atty. Loreto C. Ata handles for the Firm libel and related cases. The interested reader may find useful and informative his article, "Some Defenses in Libel Suits."
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Contact Us
17/F The Taipan Place, F. Ortigas Jr. RoadOrtigas Center, Pasig City
1605 Philippines
Tel.: 635-4276 to 83
Fax: 635-5279; 635-5283
E-mail: mailbox@mabgslaw.com.ph
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