School of Law
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About the School of Law

 

AMPIL, Francis Joseph H. 

Biography:

Francis Ampil received his elementary and high school education from La Salle Greenhills and De La Salle Zobel. He graduated college with the degree Bachelor of Arts Major in Political Science from De La Salle University. He obtained the degree Juris Doctor with Second Honors from the Ateneo De Manila University and placed third in the 1999 bar examinations that had a passing rate of 16.59%. He obtained the degree Master in Management Major in Strategic Finance from the Asian Institute of Management. He was a law professor of the DLSU-FEU Joint MBA-JD Program and the FEU Institute of Law. He is currently a law professor of the DLSU TD School of Law and the Ateneo School of Law.

Areas of Specialization/Interest:

  • Litigation

  • Labor

  • Tax

  • Corporate Services

  • Banking

  • Intellectual Property

Professional Affiliation & Recognition:

  • Member, Integrated Bar of the Philippines

Courses Taught:

  • Civil Law: Property and Land Titles, Wills and Succession, Obligations and Contracts, Agency, Trust and Partnership (ATP), Torts and Damages

  • Commercial Law: Negotiable Instruments Law, Corporation Law, Transportation Law, Commercial Law Review

Education:

  • Elementary and Secondary: La Salle Greenhills (LSGH) and De La Salle Zobel (DLSZ)

  • Tertiary: De La Salle University (DLSU), Bachelor of Arts Major in Political Science

  • Law School: Ateneo De Manila University (ADMU), Juris Doctor with Second Honors

  • Business School: Asian Institute of Management (AIM), Master in Management Major in Strategic Finance

AQUINO, George S. D

Email:

  • gsaquino@accralaw.com

  • attygsa@mac.com

Biography:

Mr. Aquino is a Partner at the Litigation and Dispute Resolution Department of the Angara Abello Concepcion Regala and Cruz Law Offices (ACCRALAW). He handles civil and criminal litigation specializing in commercial disputes; product liability and consumer issues; administrative and regulatory litigation; cases involving public officials; white collar crimes; and government and legislative advocacy. He is also active in representing clients in Congressional investigations, and has had the opportunity to assist in the crafting and deliberations of some pieces of legislation.

Mr. Aquino is a member of the Remedial Law Department of the Ateneo de Manila University School of Law, and has handled classes in Remedial Law Review; Civil Procedure; Criminal Procedure and Appellate Practice.

Mr. Aquino is a Bar Review Lecturer in Remedial Law for the Ateneo de Manila School of Law and other bar review centers. He is also a member of the Supreme Court Sub-Committee on the Revision on the Rules of Civil Procedure.

Areas of Specialization/Interest:

  • Litigation and Dispute

Professional Affiliation & Recognition:

  • Member, Integrated Bar of the Philippines

Courses Taught:

  • Remedial Law Review

  • Civil Procedure

  • Criminal Procedure

  • Appellate Practice

Education:

  • Juris Doctor - Ateneo de Manila University School of Law 1998

  • BS Legal Management -  Ateneo de Manila University 1994

CBG

BANIQUED, Carlos G.

Email:

  • cgbaniqued@baniquedlaw. com

Contact Number:

  • (+632) 86339418-19

Biography:

Consistently cited by Chambers and Partners (a UK firm) and Euromoney Publications (a UK/HK firm) among Asias Leading Lawyers in the Field of Taxation and Commercial Laws, as well as by Global Counsel 3000, The Legal 500 Asia Pacific, Asia Business Law Journal, International Tax Review, and several other publications.

After graduation from the U. P. College of Law in 1981, he joined the law firm of Romulo Mabanta Buenaventura Sayoc & De los Angeles where he worked from January 1982 to August 1996 and became a Partner and, eventually, Head of the firms Tax Practice Group.He later founded in September 1996 the tax law firm, Baniqued & Bello, of which he is formerly a Senior Partner and now Senior Counsel.

After obtaining his LL. M. degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1985, he worked for almost 2 years in the law firm of Kaplan Russin Vecchi Eytan & Collins in San Francisco, CA, where he served as an International Tax and Business Law Consultant.

He served as the bar examiner in Taxation in the 2018 Philippine Bar Examinations.

He is the author of the book, Remedies of Taxpayers and the Government under the NIRC, published by Rex Bookstore.

Areas of Specialization/Interest:

  • Tax and Corporate Law

  • Mergers and Acquisitions

  • Estate Planning

Professional Affiliation & Recognition:

  • Member, Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP)

  • Member, American Bar Association (ABA)

  • Past President, Tax Management Association of the Philippines (TMAP)

  • Lecturer, Mandatory Continuing Legal Education (MCLE)

  • Member, Corps of Professors (Taxation), Philippine Judicial Academy (PhilJA)

  • Professorial Lecturer, U. P. College of Law

Courses Taught:

  • Taxation 1

  • Taxation 2

  • Tax Law Review

  • Special Problems in Taxation

  • Taxation of Mergers and Acquisitions

  • International Taxation

Education:

  • Bachelor of Arts, San Beda College (1977), Magna Cum Laude

  • Bachelor of Laws (LL. B. , now J. D. ), University of the Philippines (1981)

  • Master of Laws (LL. M. ), University of Pennsylvania (1985)

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CADIZ, Dante Miguel V.

Email:

  • dmvcadiz@gmail. com

Biography:
Dante Cadiz obtained his Bachelor of Arts Degree, Major in Philosophy from the University of Santo Tomas in 1977. After which, he attended the Ateneo de Manila University School of Law (ALS) where he obtained his Bachelor of Laws Degree in 1981 and graduated as Class Salutatorian and a Deans Scholar. He took the bar on the same year.

After taking the bar, Dante worked at Angara Concepcion Regala & Cruz Law Offices and, thereafter, at the Romulo Mabanta Buenaventura Sayoc & Delos Angeles Law Offices (Romulo Law). He began teaching various law courses at the ALS in 1984.

In 1991, while working both as a professor and as a Senior Associate at Romulo Law, Dante obtained his Masters Degree in Business Administration from the Ateneo de Manila Graduate School of Business. He then proceeded to the University of Pennsylvania Law School and Wharton School of Business where he completed his Master of Laws in 1993. He took and passed the New York State Bar Exam in 1996. While in the USA, Dante joined The World Bank in Washington D. C. as a Legal Consultant.

Aside from teaching at the ALS, Dante also taught at the UST Faculty of Civil Law and De La Salle-Far Eastern University Joint Master of Business Administration-Juris Doctor Program. He also served as the Dean of the Manuel S. Enverga Law School as well as a member of its Executive Committee.

Dante is currently the General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of San Miguel Yamamura Packaging Corporation and its domestic and foreign subsidiaries in Australia, Japan, Malaysia, Vietnam, and China. He is also a Trustee of the Manuel S. Enverga University Foundation.

Areas of Specialization/Interest: 

  • Corporation Law

  • Labor Law

  • Contracts

  • Real Estate

Professional Affiliation & Recognition:

  • Member, New York Bar

  • Member, Integrated Bar of the Philippines

  • Member, Philippine Bar Association

Courses Taught:

  • Constitutional Law

  • Private International Law

  • Torts and Damages

  • Transportation Law

  • Lands Titles and Deeds

  • Labor Law 1 and 2

  • Labor Law Review

Education:

  • Bachelor of Arts Major in Philosophy, University of Santo Tomas, 1977;

  • Bachelor of Laws, Ateneo de Manila University School of Law, 1981;

  • Master of Business Administration, Ateneo de Manila Graduate School of Business, 1990;

  • Master of Laws, University of Pennsylvania, 1993.

atty camacho

CAMACHO, Leonardo M.

Email:

  • lcamacho@ateneo.edu

Biography:
Atty. Leonardo Camacho is a lawyer, public policy specialist, and professor of law. He is currently the Deputy Country Director (Philippines) of the Tony Blair Institute (TBI). Prior to joining TBI, he was a Consultant for the ADB and World Bank Group, as well as an Associate Counsel for Paxus LLP, an international human rights law firm. Atty. Camacho was also a former Policy Adviser for the UK Government’s National Infrastructure Commission. He also worked in the Supreme Court as a Court Attorney. Prior to joining the Supreme Court, Atty. Camacho was an Associate (Litigation and Dispute Resolution) at Cruz Marcelo & Tenefrancia.

He obtained his Juris Doctor degree with Second Honors from the Ateneo Law School, ranking 8th among the graduating class. He also obtained his Masters degree in Public Policy from the University of Cambridge, graduating with Distinction.

Areas of Specialization/Interest:

  • Constitutional Law

  • Obligations and Contracts

  • Public Policy

Professional Affiliation & Recognition:

  • Member, Integrated Bar of the Philippines

  • Member, Philippine Bar Association

  • Member, Cambridge Union

  • Member, Oxford-Cambridge Club of the Philippines

Courses Taught:

  • Constitutional Law I

  • Statutory Construction

  • Legal Writing

Education:

  • Bachelor of Science in Management, Ateneo de Manila University, 2012 (Honorable Mention)

  • Juris Doctor, Ateneo de Manila University, 2016 (Second Honors)

  • Master of Public Policy, University of Cambridge, 2021 (Distinction)

atty capule

CAPULE, Elmore O. 

Email:

  • ecapule2005@gmail. com

Contact Number:

  • 09175202092

Biography:

Atty. Elmore O. Capule placed third in the 1987 Bar Examinations, after graduating second honors from the Ateneo Law School that same year. In 1994, he joined the BSP when he was hired as Bank Attorney. He had since held several positions in the BSP and was appointed General Counsel in 2013, and was designated as Assistant Governor in 2016 and as Senior Assistant Governor in 2019.

BSP published four (4) books on Banking Laws, and he is the Editor-in-Chief of three (3) The Banking Laws of the Philippines Books I & II and the recently published Banking Laws of the Philippines Annotated (2023); while he is one of the Executive Editors of The Banking Laws of the Philippines Book III.

In his capacity as Head of the BSP Legislative Team, he marshalled BSPs efforts to pass major legislations such as Republic Act No. 11211 (An Act Amending The New Central Bank Act), Republic Act No. 11127 (National Payment Systems Act), Republic Act No. 11256 (An Act to Strengthen the Countrys Gross International Reserves), Republic Act No. 11439 (An Act Providing for the Regulation and Organization of Islamic Banks), Republic Act No. 11523 (Financial Institutions Strategic Transfer [FIST] Act), Republic Act No. 11765 (Financial Products and Services Consumer Protection Act), Republic Act No. 11901 (Amendments to the Agri Agra Act), and assisted in the passage of Republic Act No. 11840 (Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation Charter Amendments).

Atty. Capule is also a lecturer of the Mandatory Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) of the University of the Philippines, Ateneo de Manila University, and the Philippine Judicial Academy. He is presently the Chairman of the Governance, Legal and Compliance Committee of the Bankers Institute of the Philippines.

Areas of Specialization/Interest:

  • Banking Laws

  • Corporation Law

  • Administrative Law

Professional Affiliation/Recognition:

  • Bankers Institute of the Philippines

Courses Taught:

  • Banking Laws (Ateneo Law School)

  • Constitutional Law (FEU Institute of Law)

  • Private Corporation Law (FEU Institute of Law)

Education:

  • BS Agribusiness (University of the Philippines)

  • Bachelor of Laws (Ateneo de Manila University)

atty poco

CERVANTES-POCO, Maria Patricia R

Email:

  • mpcervantes@ateneo.edu

Biography:
Patricia Cervantes-Poco is a resident supervising lawyer at the Ateneo Legal Services Center. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree (with honors) from the University of the Philippines in 2005. She completed her Juris Doctor degree with honors in 2009, and passed the Bar Examinations administered in the same year. In 2019, she was conferred a Master in Forensics, Criminology and Law by the Maastricht University in the Netherlands. 

Upon passing the bar, Patricia briefly worked as an analyst at the Supreme Court of the Philippines before joining the Ateneo Human Rights Center, where she worked on advocacies on civil and political rights and the strengthening of human rights mechanisms in the ASEAN region. She participated in the drafting of the ASEAN Human Rights Declaration in 2011-2012. 

Aside from teaching full-time in ALS, Patricia has taught at the Far Eastern University Institute of Law and has delivered Gender Sensitivity Trainings to government institutions such as the Office of the Ombudsman and the National Police Commission. She is a trained family mediator and formation worker and facilitates counselling sessions for various units of the University. 

Areas of Specialization/Interest:

  • Human Rights

  • Criminal Law

  • Ethics

  • Alternative Dispute Resolution

Professional Affiliation & Recognition:

  • Member, Integrated Bar of the Philippines

Courses Taught:

  • Criminal Law

  • Legal Ethics

  • Legal Profession and Counselling

  • Human Rights Law

  • Institutions and Mechanisms for Human Rights Promotion and Protection 

  • Interdisciplinary Course on Corruption, Impunity and Governance

  • Foundational Course on Women’s Rights

  • Gender and the Law

  • The Lawyer as Leader and Policymaker

  • Clinical Legal Education 101

  • Legal Research

  • Introduction to Law

Education:

  • Bachelor of Arts, University of the Philippines College of Social Sciences and Philosophy, 2005

  • Juris Doctor, Ateneo de Manila University School of Law, 2009

  • Master in Forensics, Criminology and Law, Maastricht University Faculty of Law, 2019.

dean maita

CHAN-GONZAGA, Ma. Ngina Teresa V.

Email:

  • mcgonzaga@ateneo.edu

Biography:

Maita Chan-Gonzaga is currently serving as Ateneo Laws Associate Dean for Academic Affairs (since 2018). Her areas of interest include political law, civil law, human rights and legal ethics. Aside from her administrative and teaching duties in Ateneo Law, she lectures in Ateneo de Zamboanga University College of Law, as well as for the Master of Laws Program of the Universidad de Deusto. She also lectures on Contract Law in the Virtual Campus of the Universidad Internacional de Andalucia.

Maita is currently a member of the Committee on International Law and International Affairs of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines. Prior to joining Ateneo Law full time in June 2015, she served as Commissioner of the Presidential Commission on Good Government, having been appointed by President Aquino in September 2010.  Previous professional commitments include engagements as an associate of Romulo Mabanta Buenaventura Sayoc & De Los Angeles Law Office (2002-2004) and as Program Officer of the Working Group for an ASEAN Human Rights Mechanism  Ateneo Human Rights Center (2004-2010).

Maita obtained her Juris Doctor degree from the Ateneo Law School in 2002, graduating valedictorian of her class and receiving the St. Thomas More Award for the Most Distinguished Graduate. She obtained her Magister Juris from Oxford University in 2008.  She took the 2002 Bar Examinations (ranked 4th) and has been teaching at Ateneo Law since admission to the Philippine Bar in 2003.

Maita served as Civil Law Bar Examiner for the Philippine National Bar Examinations in 2018.

Areas of Specialization/Interest:

  • Political Law

  • Civil Law

  • Professional Association & Recognition:

  • Member, Integrated Bar of the Philippines (since 2003)

Courses Taught:

  • Constitutional Law

  • Obligations and Contracts

  • Persons and Family Relations

Education:

  • Magister Juris, Queen's College, Oxford University, 2008

  • Ateneo de Manila University School of Law, 2002

  • Bachelor of Science in Psychology, Ateneo de Manila University College of Arts and Sciences, 1997

atty closa

CLOSA, Felippe Mart E.

Email:

  • fclosa@ateneo.edu

Biography:
Ipe Closa obtained bus Bachelor of Arts from the Ateneo de Manila in 2005 and proceeded to the Ateneo Law School (“ALS”) where he completed his Bachelor of Laws degree in 2009. He started working at Herrera Teehankee and Cabrera Law Office (“HTC Law”) as an underbar before he passed the September 2009 Bar Examinations. He continued to be part of HTC Law from 2009 until present.

Aside from teaching in ALS, he is currently a member/listed as part of the panel of arbitrators of the Philippine International Center for Conflict Resolution.

Areas of Specialization/Interest:

  • Litigation and Dispute Resolution

  • Arbitration

Professional Affiliation & Recognition:

  • Member, Integrated Bar of the Philippines

  • Arbitrator, Philippine International Center for Conflict

  • Resolution

Courses Taught:

  • Legal Forms

  • Clinical Legal Education

Education:

  • Bachelor of Science, Ateneo de Manila University (2005)

  • Bachelor of Laws, Ateneo de Manila University – School of Law (2009)

atty axel

CRUZ, Axel Rupert M. 

Email:

  • amcruz@ateneo.edu

Biography:
Axel Rupert Cruz is the current Director of the Ateneo Legal Services Center, the legal aid office of the Ateneo Law School. He obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree (Interdisciplinary Studies) from the Ateneo de Manila in 1998 and proceeded to the Ateneo Law School where he completed his Juris Doctor degree in 2002 (with honors). After taking the 2002 Bar Examinations (where he ranked 11th out of all successful examinees), Axel joined Quisumbing Torres, practicing within the firm’s Dispute Resolution department from 2003 to 2010. He thereafter opened his law practice specializing in fraud prevention, detection, investigation, and resolution in the areas of asset misappropriation, bribery and corruption, cybercrime, money laundering, price fixing, and bid rigging.

Axel also teaches criminal and procedural law in the Ateneo Law School, including the Clinical Education Program under the law student practice rule. 

He wrote the book “Special Penal Laws of the Philippines: Codal, Salient Points, and Case Law” (published by Rex Book Store).  

Areas of Specialization/Interest:

  • Dispute Resolution

  • Criminal Law

  • Remedial Law

  • Competition Law

Professional Affiliation & Recognition:

  • Member, Integrated Bar of the Philippines

Courses Taught:

  • Clinical Legal Education

  • Criminal Law and Special Penal Laws

  • Civil Procedure

  • Modes of Discovery

Education:

  • Bachelor of Arts (Interdisciplinary Studies), Ateneo de Manila University College of Arts and Sciences, 1998 

  • Juris Doctor, Ateneo de Manila University School of Law, 2002 

atty cruz-ferrer

CRUZ-FERRER, Evecar B.

Email:

  • ecruz-ferrer@ateneo.edu

Biography:
Evecar Cruz-Ferrer obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy degree from University of the Philippines in 1997 and proceeded to Ateneo de Manila University School of Law where she completed her Juris Doctor Law degree in 2001. During law school, she represented the school and the country in two international moot court competitions: Vis Arbitration Moot Court Competition (Vienna, Austria), 2004 and Jessup International Moot Court Competition (Washington, D.C.), 2005. After taking the Bar Examinations in 2001, she joined Ongkiko Kalaw Manhit and Acorda as an Associate and thereafter joined the Supreme Court of the Philippines in 2006. In the Supreme Court, she managed judicial reform programs funded by the World Bank. In 2008, she joined the International Committee of the Red Cross as its program manager and legal adviser and proceeded to work with the international organization for over a decade.  Evecar was a consultant for various local and international institutions on the field of international humanitarian law and human rights, among others UNICEF, Commission on Human Rights, Department of Justice, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police, Department of Education and Department of Health.  

Aside from teaching in ALS, Evecar is also a law faculty in Arellano University College of Law, Polytechnic University of the Philippines College of Law and De La Salle University College of Law. 

Areas of Specialization/Interest:

  • International Law

  • International Humanitarian Law

  • Human Rights

  • Constitutional Law

Professional Affiliation & Recognition:

  • Member, Integrated Bar of the Philippines

Courses Taught:

  • Humanitarian Law in Armed Conflicts

  • Special Issues in International Law

  • Constitutional Law

Education:

  • Bachelor of Arts, University of the Philippines (Diliman), 1997

  • Juris Doctor, Ateneo de Manila University School of Law, 2001

  • Master of Arts, International Studies, University of the Philippines, 2021

  • Post Graduate Diploma on International Humanitarian Law, National Academy of Legal Studies University of Law, 2008

  • Post Graduate Diploma on Law of the Sea, Yeosu Academy, 2022.

atty de la fuente

DE LA FUENTE, Juan Miguel Victor C.

Email:

  • mcdelafuente@zglaw.com

Contact Number:

  • 09178484823

Biography:
Atty Micoy obtained his A.B Developmental Studies Degree from the De La Salle University-Taft in 2001 and his Juris Doctor Degree from Ateneo de Manila University in 2007.

He is a partner at Gruba Law, where he began his legal career in year 2008 under the tutelage and guidance of Dean Lily K. Gruba, where he has advised various companies engaged in various business interests such as Banking, Gaming and Leisure, Insurance, Construction, Energy, and Water. He is also currently the corporate secretary of a publicly listed corporation, a Director of Bayanihan Bank (A Rural Bank) and teaches Tax at the Ateneo de Manila School of Law. He is an avid biker and music lover.

Areas of Specialization/Interest:

  • Tax

  • Mergers and Acquisitions

  • Corporate Law/Banking and Finance

  • Labor

  • Gaming

  • Intellectual Property

Professional Affiliation & Recognition:

  • Member, Integrated Bar of the Philippines

  • Member, Tax Managers Association of the Philippines

Courses Taught:

  • Taxation 1

  • Taxation 2

Education:

  • Bachelor of Arts- De la Salle University 2021

  • Juris Doctor Ateneo de Manila University 2007

DE LEON, Magdangal Mendoza

Email:

  • dangaldeleon@yahoo.com

Contact Number:

  • 09175660819

Biography:

Court of Appeals Justice Magdangal M. de Leon (Ret. ) has been a faculty member of Ateneo Law School since 1999. He served as Assistant Solicitor General for thirteen (13) years before his appointment to the Court of Appeals in 2004. Presently, he is the Chairperson of the Philippine Judicial Academy Remedial Law Department (since 2010). He is also a bar reviewer and has been a bar examiner in Remedial Law (2009) and Labor Law (2016). He is the author of three lawbooks:  Appellate Remedies; Special Proceedings, Essentials for Bench and Bar; and Remedial Law Reviewer-Primer. He was a member of the Supreme Special Committee for Continuous Trial of Criminal Cases (2017) and Special Committee on the Amendements to the 1997 Rules of Civil Procedure (2019). In addition, he is an active MCLE lecturer, and has travelled to San Francisco and Los Angeles, California for that purpose.

Areas of Specialization/Interest:

  • Remedial Law

Professional Affilitation & Recognition:

  • Asean Law Association

  • Philippine Bar Association

Courses Taught:

  • Appellate Practice

  • Civil Procedure

  • Remedial Law Review

Education:

  • Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service, University of the Philippines, 1968

  • Bachelor of Law, University of the Philippines, 1972

Atty helen

DE LEON-MANZANO, Helen C. 

Email:

  • helen.manzano2013@gmail.com

Biography:
Helen C. De Leon-Manzano is a Professorial Lecturer in Commercial Law I (Credit Transactions and Financial Rehabilitation), Public International Law, and Fundamentals of Thesis Writing. She sits as a member of the LLM Thesis Committee of the Law School. Dr. Manzano received her Bachelor of Arts degree majoring in Economics (Honorable Mention) from the Ateneo de Manila University in 1978 and her Bachelor of Laws degree (Second Honors) from the same university in 1982.

In 1991, she completed her Doctor of Laws degree (Doktoratstudium in Rechtswissenschaften) at the University of Vienna School of Law as a full scholar of the Austrian Government under the North–South Dialogue Programme. While in Vienna, Dr. Manzano worked as a legal apprentice at the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL).     Dr. Manzano is also a Senior Partner at Saulog and De Leon Law Offices. She acts as general counsel for several corporations in diverse industries such as banking and financial services, power generation, information technology, property development, and general trading.

Areas of Specialization/Interest:

  • Corporation Law

  • Commercial Law

  • Estate Planning

  • Finance and Securities

Professional Affiliation & Recognition:

  • Member, Integrated Bar of the Philippines

Courses Taught:

  • Partnership

  • Credit Transactions (now, Commercial Law I)

  • Public International Law

  • Legal Research and Writing II

Education:

  • Bachelor of Arts (Economics) Ateneo de Manila University, 1978

  • Bachelor of Laws, Ateneo de Manila University School of Law ,1982

  • Doctor of Laws degree (Doktoratstudium in Rechtswissenschaften),  University of Vienna School of Law, 1991.

DELA ROSA, Jose Lorenzo R.

Biography:

Prior to taking his oath as Court of Appeals Justice on March 8, 2022, Justice Jose Lorenzo Relova Dela Rosa was the Presiding Judge of the Regional Trial Court of the City of Manila, Branch 4, a position he held for almost 10 years.  Being both a Family Court and Manila's exclusive Land Registration and Cadastral Court, he was able to sharpen not just his skills with regard to court procedure but also deepen his understanding of family law, gender sensitivity, human trafficking, and land titles and deeds.

As Municipal Trial Court Judge of Victoria, Laguna, he was a representative of first level court judges in the Philippine Judicial Academy's (PHILJA) Board of Trustees.

Justice dela Rosa is a faculty member of the Ateneo de Manila University School of Law where he teaches Civil Procedure, Evidence, Persons and Family Relations, Civil Law Review I, and Family Court Litigation.  For San Sebastian College Recoletos College of Law, where he started teaching in 2000, he presently teaches Remedial Law Review II.  Recently, he joined the De Lasalle University College of Law where he teaches Persons and Family Relations.  Additionally, he helps members of the bar keep updated with their mandatory continuing legal education through the lectures he conducts for the University of the Philippines Institute for the Administration of Justice (IAJ).  Aside from giving lectures for PHILJA where he is a member of its Remedial Law Department and is designated as Professorial Lecturer II, he also acts as a Chief Facilitator and Facilitator in its training programs for judges.  He was a Bar Examiner in Civil Law II for the 2022 Bar Examinations.

He is a Fellow of the International Visitors Leadership Program and the International Law Enforcement Academy.

Areas of Specialization/Interest:

  • Remedial Law

  • Civil Law

Professional Affiliation & Recognition:

  • Member, Integrated Bar of the Philippines

Courses Taught:

  • Civil Procedure

  • Persons and Family Relations Civil Law Review I

  • Family Court Litigation

Education:

  • Juris Doctor, Ateneo de Manila University, 1999

  • BS Legal Management, De La Salle University, 1993

DOROTAN-TIUSECO, Maria Luwalhati C.

Email:

  • aludorotan@gmail.com

Biography:

Alu is Department of Finances spokesperson and Undersecretary handling the Climate Finance Policy Group, Information Management Service, and Political & Legislative Liaison Group.

Prior to joining the economic team, Alu served as chief legal counsel and policy head in the Office of Senate President Franklin M. Drilon and the Office of Senate President Juan Miguel F. Zubiri. She co-wrote and closely supervised the passage of landmark measures, including the Revised Corporation Code, Bangsamoro Organic Law, concurrence to the ratification of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Agreement, and amendments to the Public Service Act and Retail Trade Liberalization Law.

While Alu began her career as a corporate law associate at Picazo Buyco Tan Fider & Santos, one of the Philippines leading firms specializing in corporate law and special projects, she has spent most of her career in government service. She also served as spokesperson of the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and permanent representative to the Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Presidential Cabinet Cluster, and convenor in a number of solid waste, urban renewal, traffic and international relations programs. Alu was likewise a member of the Boards of the Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA), the Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA), and served as board secretary of the Metro Manila Council (MMC).

Areas of Specialization/Interest:

  • Political Law

  • Constitutional Law I

  • Parliamentary Law

  • Environmental Law

Professional Affiliation & Recognition:

  • New York Bar Association

  • Integrated Bar of the Philippines

Courses Taught:

  • Constitutional Law I

  • Political Law Review

  • Comparative Environmental Law

Education:

  • Master of Laws in Energy and Environment, Tulane Law School

  • Juris Doctor, Ateneo Law School

  • Political Science, Bachelor of Arts, UP Manila

atty espiritu

ESPIRITU, Victor Johann

Email:

  • mailbox@johannespiritu.com

Biography:
Johann regularly advises entrepreneurs and their families on wealth protection, tax strategies, estate planning, family trusts, international market entry, and offshore investment.

Johann has established numerous family trusts, both onshore and offshore. He has also advised domestic and foreign corporations on corporate law, commercial law, foreign investments, infrastructure projects, energy or power projects, telecommunications, and mergers and acquisitions.

He previously served as General Counsel to a defense company located in Washington, DC, where he drafted and negotiated convertible notes and purchase agreements to raise capital for a start-up corporation in the defense arena. He also drafted complex contracts for the supply of geospatial intelligence software
for use by the U.S. Government, and handled intellectual property matters for a high-technology start-up, where he also advised on the holding structure/s of large family trusts invested in the company.

He currently sits as a member of the Advisory Board of the Georgetown University Law Center.

He was admitted to the Philippine bar in 2001 and the New York State bar in 2005. Johann became a full member of
The Society of Trust and Estate Practicioners (UK)  in 2016.

Areas of Specialization/Interest:

  • Private Wealth

  • Succession Planning

  • Project Finance

  • Fund Raising

Professional Affiliation & Recognition:

  • Romulo Mabanta Buenaventura Sayoc & de los Angeles

Courses Taught:

  • Information Technology and the Law

Education:

  • Georgetown University (LL.M.)

  • Ateneo de Manila University (J.D.)

  • Ateneo de Manila University (A.B. Social Science – Anthropology)

atty estorninos

ESTORNINOS, Klarise Anne C.

Email:

  • kestorninos@ateneo.edu

Biography:

Kla obtained her Bachelor of Science in Management from the Ateneo de Manila University and her Juris Doctor degree from the Ateneo Law School. She has been teaching in the Ateneo Law School since 2012 and was the previous Director of Adhikain para sa Karapatang Pambata (AKAP) or the child rights desk of the Ateneo Human Rights Center (AHRC). She was also the previous Director of Programs of Consuelo Zobel Alger Foundation. She obtained her Advanced Masters of Law degree in International Childrens Rights Law from Leiden University in the Netherlands where she graduated cum laude and as the class valedictorian. Aside from teaching in the Ateneo Law School, she is also an annual guest lecturer in Leiden University on Childrens Rights in ASEAN. She is currently a child rights lawyer working in the development sector.

Areas of Specialization/Interest:

  • Children's Rights

  • Human Rights

  • Policy and Legislative Advocacy

Personal Affiliation & Recognition:

  • Member, Integrated Bar of the Philippines

Courses Taught:

  • Children's Rights Law

  • Legal Ethics

  • Human Rights (prev. )

  • Street Law (prev. )

Education:

  • BS Management, Ateneo de Manila University (2007)

  • Juris Doctor, Ateneo Law School (2011)

FAJARDO, Christopher

Email:

  • cfajardo@ateneo.edu

Biography:

Cris Fajardo teaches Philosophy of Law and Theology and the Law. He obtained Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from Pontificia Universita Urbaniana (Rome, Italy) in 1995, magna cum laude. In 2004, he earned Master of Arts in Philosophy from Ateneo de Manila University. He earned Bachelor in Sacred Theology degree from Loyola School of Theology in 2010, magna cum laude. For some years, he did pastoral, socio-economic, and school administration works in Bukidnon Province. He then went on to study at Pontificia Universita Gregoriana (Rome, Italy), where in 2014, he earned Licentiate Degree in Fundamental Theology, summa cum laude. In 2017, he was conferred Master of Philosophy in Theology degree by University of Oxford (UK).

Concurrent with teaching at ALS, he teaches theology and philosophy courses at Loyola School of Theology. He does ministry works in Parish communities, occasionally guides Ignatian Spiritual Exercises, and provides spiritual direction to religious and lay people.

Areas of Specialization/Interest:

  • Philosophical Theology

  • Legal Philosophy

  • Fundamental/Systematic Theology

  • Comparative Religion

  • Radicalization of Religions Research

  • Early Phenomenology

  • Ignatian Spirituality

Courses Taught:

  • Philosophy of Law

  • Theology and the Law

Education:

  • Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy (1996), Pontificia Universita Urbaniana (Rome, Italy).

  • Master of Arts in Philosophy (2004), Ateneo de Manila University.

  • Bachelor of Sacred Theology (2010), Loyola School of Theology.

  • Licentiate in Fundamental Theology (2014), Pontificia Universita Gregoriana (Rome, Italy).

  • Master of Philosophy in Theology, 2017, University of Oxford (United Kingdom).

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FERRER, Simeon Ken R.

Email:

  • skrferrer@syciplaw.com

Biography:

I am a corporate lawyer with extensive experience in corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions, equity, debt and derivative offerings, project finance and capital market transactions. I am currently Of Counsel at SyCip Salazar Hernandez & Gatmaitan where I was a Senior Partner and Corporate Services Department Head prior to retirement. My clients at SyCipLaw included Philippine and foreign companies across various industries including power, manufacturing, information technology, mining, banking, financial services and real estate.

I have retained some of my directorships at former clients and am now an Independent Director of Grand Plaza Hotel Corporation, a company listed on the Philippine Stock Exchange. I continue to be the Corporate Secretary of Meralco, the largest distribution utility in the Philippines, and two other public companies. I am an SEC-accredited teaching Fellow at the Institute of Corporate Directors.

Areas of Specialization/Interest:

  • Corporate Governance

  • Mergers and Acquisitions

  • Equity Debt, and Derivative Offerings

  • Project Finance and Capital Market Transactions.

Personal Affiliation:

Current:

  • Of Counsel, SyCip Salazar Hernandez & Gatmaitan

  • Independent Director, Grand Plaza Hotel Corporation

  • Corporate Secretary, various public companies including Meralco

  • Fellow, Institute of Corporate Directors

  • International Alumni Contact, University of Michigan Alumni Association

Past:

  • Senior Partner and Corporate Services Department Head, SyCip Salazar Hernandez & Gatmaitan

  • Foreign Attorney, Sullivan & Cromwell (New York)

Courses Taught:

  • Corporate Practice

Education:

  • BS Business Economics, University of the Philippines

  • Bachelor of Laws, University of the Philippines

  • Master of Laws, University of Michigan

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GO, Erdelyne C.

Email:

  • ecgo@ateneo.edu

Biography:

Erds obtained her Juris Doctor degree from the Ateneo de Manila University School of Law and graduated as Class Valedictorian in 2008 and became a member of the Philippine Bar in 2009. Atty. Go has significant experience in various areas of the law, both in the public and private sector, with particular expertise in litigation, corporate and/or commercial transactions and special projects. She was appointed as the Deputy Chief Presidential Legal Counsel in 2015. After her stint at the Office of the President in 2016, Erds became a founding partner of Go and Umali Partners-At-Law, a full-service law firm with extensive experience in corporate law and special projects as well as in litigation and arbitration in courts of all levels, and specialized agencies such as the Sandiganbayan, Office of the Ombudsman, Department of Justice, and Commission on Audit. Erds co-authored the Philippine chapter of The Dispute Resolution Review, 5th Ed. published by the Law Business Research Ltd of the UK in 2013.

Areas of Specialization/Interest:

  • Litigation and dispute resolution

  • Construction arbitration

  • Corporate law

  • Public-private partnership and infrastructure

  • Data privacy law

Professional Affiliation:

  • Member, Integrated Bar of the Philippines

Courses Taught:

  • Remedial Law Review

  • Civil Procedure

  • Special Proceedings

  • Torts and Damages

  • Appellate Practice and Brief-Making

Education:

  • Bachelor of Science in Legal Management (First Honorable Mention), Ateneo de Manila University, 2004

  • Bachelor of Laws (Valedictorian), Ateneo de Manila School of Law, 2008

atty gomez

GOMEZ-ESTOESTA, Ma. Theresa Dolores C.

Email:

  • teigestoesta@gmail.com  

  • jtestoesta.sb7thdiv@gmail.com

Contact Number:

  • 09178555425

Biography:
Justice Gomez-Estoesta has long been in government service. She joined the Office of the Solicitor General in 1991 until her appointment as Presiding Judge of the Metropolitan Trial Court of Manila, Branch 6, in 2002.  She was cited by the Society for Judicial Excellence of the Supreme Court as the Most Outstanding Judge of the 1st Level Courts in 2005. She likewise garnered an award for Best Decision in Criminal Cases.  In 2006, she was promoted as Presiding Judge of the Regional Trial Court of Manila, Branch 7.   In 2012, she was again recognized for her work as a trial judge by having merited the Outstanding RTC Judge award conferred by then Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim.  In the same year, the Society for Judicial Excellence gave her the Chief Justice Cayetano Arellano Award as Most Outstanding Judge for 2nd level Courts.  

On June 20, 2014, she was appointed as Associate Justice of the Sandiganbayan.   She currently chairs the Seventh Division.  

She is a Professorial Lecturer II of the  Philippine Judicial Academy and is actively engaged in the training workshops for the Rules on Expedited Procedure in the First Level Courts (REP) and the Code of Professional Responsibility and Accountability (CPRA). She is a member of the Judicial Conduct and Ethics Department (JCED) of PHILJA.     She is an MCLE lecturer of the UP Institute for the Administration of Justice College of Law, UP-Diliman.    

Areas of Specialization/Interest:

  • Criminal Procedure

  • Legal and Judicial Ethics

  • Appellate Practice

  • Provisional Remedies

Professional Affiliation & Recognition:

  • Member, Integrated Bar of the Philippines (Pampanga Chapter)

  • Member, Philippine Women Judges Association

Courses Taught:

  • Appellate Practice

  • Practice Court I and II

  • Legal and Judicial Ethics

Education:

  • Bachelor of Arts, Major in Political Science, De La Salle University, 1983 cum laude;  Gold Medalist for Excellence in Political Science

  • Bachelor of Laws, Ateneo de Manila University School of Law, 1990

GONZALES V, Francisco B.

Email:

  • fgonzales@ateneo.edu

  • kikogonzalesphp@me.com

Biography:

Francisco B. Gonzalez V is a tax professor in the Ateneo Law School, handling Tax I and Tax II subjects. In 1989, he graduated from the De La Salle University - Bachelor of Science in Commerce Major in Accounting. He became a Certified Public Accountant in 1990. Thereafter, he proceeded to take up the Juris Doctor program of the Ateneo Law School which he completed in 1993.

While studying law, he was also a faculty member of the De La Salle University Accountancy Department from 1990 to 1991. He successfully passed the November 1993 Bar Examinations. He initially worked for the Balmeo, Baga and Penasales Law Offices doing tax and corporate work until 1996. He did independent law practice for several years until he joined the office of Ong, Meneses, Gonzalez and Gupit Law Office. In 1997, he became a faculty member of the Ateneo Law School until the present. Since 2010, he also teaches tax law review in the Lyceum of the Philippines.

Atty Gonzalez also served as the Executive Director of the Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants, which is the Accredited Professional Organization of Certified Public Accountants in the Philippines from the year 2006 to 2010.

Areas of Specialization/Interest:

  • Taxation Law

  • Corporation Law

  • Labor and Employment Relations

  • Real Estate Transactions

Professional Affiliation & Recognition:

  • Member, Integrated Bar of the Philippines

  • Member, Philippine Institute oof Certified Public Accountants

Courses Taught:

  • Tax Law I

  • Tax Law II

  • Tax Law Review (Lyceum of the Philippines)

Education:

  • Bachelor of Science, Major in Accountancy, 1989;

  • Juris Doctor, Ateneo de Manila University School of Law 1993

atty guerra-termulo

GUERRA-TERMULO, Blesscille 

Email:

  • btermulo@ateneo.edu

Biography:
Bless obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology degree from the University of the Philippines-Diliman in 2008 and her Juris Doctor degree from the Ateneo Law School in 2012. After she took the 2012 Bar Examinations, she worked for the Ateneo Human Rights Center as a Program Assistant. Thereafter, she joined Gerodias Suchianco Estrella Law Firm in 2013 as a member of the Litigation and Labor Department until 2017. After her stint with the firm, Bless started her research work on the topics of human rights, disaster law, and gender. In 202o, she was conferred her Master of Arts in Pastoral Counseling (with honors) from the Asian Theological Seminary (ATS), where she serves as a Visiting Faculty. In 2022, Bless secured her license as a registered guidance counselor. She currently works as a legal consultant for an international human rights organization. 

Areas of Specialization/Interest:

  • Human rights 

  • Labor 

  • Development work 

  • Counseling/Mental Health 

Professional Affiliation & Recognition:

  • Member, Integrated Bar of the Philippines

  • Member, Philippine Guidance and Counseling Association

Courses Taught:

  • Human Rights and Comparative International Disaster Law

  • Evolving Norms of Business Responsibilities for Human Rights 

  • Legal Research and Writing II

Education:

  • Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, University of the Philippines-Diliman (2008)

  • Juris Doctor, Ateneo De Manila School of Law (2012) 

  • Master of Arts in Pastoral Counseling, Asian Theological Seminary (2020)

atty hofilena

HOFILEÑA, Hector L. 

Email:

  • hlh123029@gmail.com

Contact No. :

  • (+632) 522 5331

Biography:

Justice Hector L. Hofileña earned his Bachelor of Arts degree, magna cum laude, and his Bachelor of Laws degree, cum laude, at the Ateneo de Manila in 1951 and 1954, respectively. He was admitted to the practice of law in 1955.
 
He started teaching law in 1957 and was Registrar of the Ateneo College of Law from 1958 to 1994 when he was appointed Associate Justice of the Court of Appeals. He retired from the bench in 1999. He was appointed by the Supreme Court as Bar Examiner for Civil Law in the 1996, 2000 and 2001 Bar Examinations.
 
He is the Vice-Chairman of the Department of Judicial Ethics of the Philippine Judicial Academy and was a contributor to the Benchbook for Philippine Judges and the annotation of the New Code of Judicial Conduct for the Philippine Judiciary. He is a lecturer in Mandatory Continuing Legal Education seminars and gives Pre-Bar and Pre-Week lectures in Property, Legal & Judicial Ethics, and Practical Exercises.

He is currently the Dean of the Graduate School of Law of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila.

Alongside his private law practice, he was a director of San Miguel Corporation in 2002 to 2004 and 2007-2011. He is presently a director of San Miguel Properties, Inc. and San Miguel Foods, Inc..

Areas of Specialization:

  • Legal and Judicial Ethics

  • Property

  • Persons and Family Relations

  • Administrative Law

  • Conflict of Laws

Professional Association & Recognition:

  • Member, Integrated Bar of the Philippines (since 1955 and was its General Counsel in 2007)

Courses Taught

  • Civil Law

  • Legal and Judicial Ethics

Education:

  • Bachelor of Laws, Ateneo de Manila University, 1954;

  • Bachelor of Arts, Ateneo de Manila University, 1951

dean joey

HOFILEÑA, Jose Maria G.

Email:

  • jmhofilena@ateneo.edu

Contact No. :

  • (+632) 899-7691 ext. 2410

Biography:

Joey Hofileña is the current Dean of the Ateneo Law School. He obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree (with honors) from the Ateneo de Manila in 1983 and proceeded to the Ateneo Law School where he completed his Bachelor of Laws degree in 1987 as Class Valedictorian and recipient of the Evelio Javier Leadership Award.

In 1990, he was conferred a Master of Laws degree by Harvard Law School. One month after taking the November 1987 Bar Examinations (where he ranked 10th out of all successful examinees), Joey joined SyCip Salazar Hernandez & Gatmaitan and was a partner thereat from 1996 through 2012, practicing within the firm’s Corporate department. He has also had stints as a foreign attorney at Johnson & Gibbs in Dallas, Texas and at McDermott, Will & Emery in New York City.   

Aside from teaching full-time in ALS, Joey is a Visiting Professor for Commercial Law at Ateneo de Zamboanga University's College of Law. He is also currently a Trustee of the Philippine Association of Law Schools and a member of the Corps of Professors of the Supreme Court's Philippine Judicial Academy.

Areas of Specialization:

  • Corporation Law

  • Banking

  • Finance and Securities

  • Infrastructure

Professional Association & Recognition:

  • Member, Integrated Bar of the Philippines

Courses Taught

  • Corporation Law

  • Banking Law

  • Foreign Investments and Investment Incentives Law

  • Insurance Law

  • Commercial Law Review

Education:

  • Bachelor of Arts, Ateneo de Manila University College of Arts and Sciences, 1983; 

  • Bachelor of Laws, Ateneo de Manila University School of Law, 1987;

  • Master of Laws, Harvard University Law School, 1990

atty jacinto-barrientos

JACINTO-BARRIENTOS, Regina Stella

Email:

  • rpjacinto@pjslaw.com; 

  • rbarrientos@ateneo.edu

Biography:
Regina Jacinto-Barrientos is the CEO of PJS Law. She has grown the full-service law firm from a firm of 3 lawyers to a market leader and an international player with its combination with Dentons, the world’s largest global law firm. She heads the firm’s Corporate and Commercial practice and Trust, Estates and Wealth Preservation practice. With her more than 20 years in practice clients have sought her for her M&A, Corporate, Private Equity, Technology, Energy, and Infrastructure expertise. Regina also acts as CEO of UNAWA, an inclusive startup company that uses digital solutions that impact doing business with environmental, social, and governance contributions.

To date, she has received the “Woman Lawyer of the Year” and “Managing Partner of the Year” awards in 2017 and 2018 respectively, and is consistently cited for her exceptional work by Chambers & Partners Global and Asia Pacific, Legal500, and asiaLaw Profiles.

She enjoys mentoring lawyers to grow in their leadership roles, technical and practical skills and advance in the profession confident in their uniqueness.  She is an athlete and loves running, golf, diving and skiing. Her favorite role is being a wife and mother of two gentlemen.

Areas of Specialization/Interest:

  • Trust, Estates and Wealth Preservation

  • Mergers & Acquisitions

  • Energy

  • Corporate & Commercial Law

Professional Affiliation & Recognition:

  • Member, Integrated Bar of the Philippines

  • Fellow, Institute of Corporate Directors 

  • Member, Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry

  • Member, Makati Business Club

  • Member, Makati Business Club - Philippine Singapore Business Council

Courses Taught:

  • Global Legal Practice

Education:

  • CFA Review Course, Level 1 Asian Institute of Management 2004

  • Juris Doctor (J.D.) Ateneo de Manila University, School of Law 1991-1995

  • Bachelor of Science, Legal Management, Ateneo de Manila University 1986-1991

atty javier

JAVIER, Filemon Ray Javier L.

Email:

  • FilemonRay.Javier@gmail.com

Biography:
Filray Javier teaches Labor law subjects in Ateneo Law School. In 2010, he obtained his Juris Doctor degree from the Ateneo de Manila, ranking 3rd in class. In the same year, he took his bar examinations, where he placed 2nd.

He worked as an associate in the Labor Practice Group of Quisumbing Torres Law Office (a member firm of Baker & Mckenzie) and a senior associate in the Litigation and Dispute Resolution of ACCRALAW. 

Prior to establishing his own law firm (the Tolosa Javier Lim & Chua Law Firm), Filray was an in-house counsel in the Philippine affiliate of Philip Morris International.

Filray is a two-time Philippine lawyer of the Year from the Asialaw Profiles (2021 and 2023), a consistent Recommended Lawyer for litigation, labor, and energy in Legal 500, awarded as the Young Lawyer of the Year (Philippines) (2021), chosen as one of the Top 15 rising lawyers in Asia (2021) and one of the Top 40 lawyers under the age of 40 in Asia by the Asian Legal Business (2020).

He is a lecturer in the bar review and Mandatory Continuing Legal Education.

He is a member of Mensa International.

Areas of Specialization/Interest:

  • Labor Law

  • Litigation

  • Energy

Professional Affiliation & Recognition:

  • Member, Integrated Bar of the Philippines

Courses Taught:

  • Statutory Construction

  • Obligations and Contract

  • Labor Law 1

  • Labor Law 2

  • Labor Law Review

Education:

  • Bachelor of Arts, University of the Philippines, College of Arts and Sciences, 2005

  • Juris Doctor, Ateneo de Manila University School of Law, 2010. 

atty la vina

LA VIÑA, Antonio Gabriel

Email:

  • tonylavs@gmail.com

Biography:
Dean Antonio Gabriel La Viña is at present Associate Director of Manila Observatory and a professor of law, philosophy, politics and governance in several universities in the Philippines. Dean Tony is currently the Chair of the Jurisprudence and Legal Philosophy Department of the Philippine Judicial Academy, and President of the Movement Against Disinformation.

Dean Tony is the former Dean of the Ateneo de Manila University School of Government, co-founder of Ashoka Philippines and the Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center, and a former environmental undersecretary of the Philippines. He placed third in the 1989 bar exams and was a political law examiner in the 2020-2022 bar examinations.

Areas of Specialization/Interest:

  • Constitutional Law

  • Legal Philosophy

  • Environmental law (domestic and international)

  • Human rights

  • Public International Law

Professional Affiliation & Recognition:

  • Member, Integrated Bar of the Philippines

Courses Taught:

  • Philosophy of Law

  • Natural Resources and Environmental Law

  • Constitutional Litigation

  • International Environmental Practice

Education:

  • AB Philosophy degree, Ateneo de Manila University (1980)

  • JD degree, University of the Philippines (1989)

  • Masters of Law (LLM), Yale Law School (1992)

  • Doctorate in the Science of Law (JSD), Yale Law School (1995)

atty lerma

LERMA, Benjamin Z.

Email:

  • Benjamin.Lerma@Romulo.com

  • lblerma@ateneo.edu

Biography:
Benjamin Z. Lerma is a partner at the law firm of Romulo Mabanta Buenaventura Sayoc & de los Angeles.  He is the vice chair of the Intellectual Property department and his practice focuses on intellectual property, corporate law, competition law, and real estate.
 
Benjie handles various patent and trademark applications in the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines for various multinational companies. He enforces intellectual property rights and manages intellectual property portfolios. He also provides advice regarding intellectual property laws that affect the products or services of a client.
 
Benjie advises domestic and foreign corporations on general corporate matters, particularly in identifying the proper corporate vehicle and ownership structure to set up and operate in the Philippines and drafting the necessary documents for the proper operation of the business. He also assists in major real estate transactions as well as the enforcement of Philippine environmental laws, rules, and regulations.
 
Benjie was involved in various mergers and acquisitions, representing either the acquiring entity or the target entity. He was responsible for assisting the client on formulating the project structure, drafting documentation, and negotiating with the other contracting party. He has participated as well in various loan transactions as counsel for the borrower, lender, financial adviser, or arranger. He has advised clients in major infrastructure and natural resource projects.
 
Benjie has been a faculty member of the Ateneo de Manila University School of Law since 2001. He was a consultant of the Asian Development Bank from 2001-2007.

Areas of Specialization/Interest:

  • Intellectual Property

  • Corporate Law

  • Competition Law, and Real Estate.

Professional Affiliation & Recognition:

  • Intellectual Property Association of the Philippines

  • International Trademarks Association

  • Asian Patent Attorneys Association

  • Lex Mundi

Courses Taught:

  • Security Transactions

  • Legal Writing

  •  Legal Profession

  • Statutory Construction

Education:

  • Bachelor of Arts, Major in Economics and Bachelor of Science, Major in Legal Management, De la Salle University, 1992

  • Juris Doctor, Ateneo de Manila University School of Law, 1996  

atty leyretana

LEYRETANA, Robert Nomar V.

Email:

  • bobley.edu777@gmail.com

Biography:
He started his career in the government as a Legal Officer in the Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor (PCUP), Office of the President, while still studying at the Ateneo Law School. After passing the bar in 1993, he went out of the government service to join Robles, Ricafrente, Aguirre Law Offices. In 1997, he went on solo practice focusing on land registration and other land cases. In 2003, he re-joined the government as the youngest Chief of the Legal Division of the Land Registration Authority. From there, he rose through the bureaucratic ladder, until his present position, as Deputy Administrator, with CESO, Rank II.  In the years 2016 and 2022, he was twice designated as OIC- Administrator. 

As a prolific member of the academe, he is a law professor since 2008, in the subject of Property and Land Titles and Deeds  in Ateneo School of Law,  De La Salle School of Law, UST Faculty of Civil Law and New Era University College of Law. He is likewise a prolific Bar Reviewer in various laws schools in Metro Manila and outside of Metro Manila. As a subject matter expert in land registration laws, he is frequently tapped as an MCLE Lecturer in almost all of the various MCLE providers in the country and also an International Lecturer who annually give lecture in the World Bank Annual Conference on Land Governance and Poverty Alleviation. 

He was a Bar Examiner in the 2022 Bar Examination in the subject of Civil Law 2.

He is a product of public school, finishing his elementary at SPED Class, Iloilo City and high school at Iloilo City High School at the top of his class. He thereafter earned his AB Political Science Degree from UST and his Juris Doctor from the Ateneo de Manila University School of Law, both as university scholar. He is a proud member of the Fraternal Order of Utopia.

Areas of Specialization/Interest:

  • Land Registration Laws 

  • Property Laws

  • Laws on Real Estate 

  • MCLE Lecturer

Professional Affiliation & Recognition:

  • Integrated Bar of the of the Philippines, Iloilo City Chapter 

  • Fraternal Order of Utopia 

  • Knights of Columbus, UST Campus Council 

Courses Taught:

  • Land Registration Laws 

  • Property Laws

  • Laws on Real Estate 

Education:

  • Juris Doctor, Ateneo De Manila University

  • AB Political Science, University of Santo Tomas

  • High School, Iloilo City High School 

  • Elementary, SPED Class, Iloilo City 

atty lopez, m

LOPEZ, Ponce Miguel D. 

Email:

  • pmlopez@ateneo.edu

Biography:
Ponce obtained his Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences degree from the University of the Philippines Baguio. He thereafter received his Juris Doctor degree from the Ateneo de Manila University School of Law in 2016 where he was a scholar and graduated with 2nd honors. Ponce was also an intern at the Ateneo Human Rights Center. 

His practice primarily focuses on dispute resolution (Litigation and Arbitration) and he was an Associate at Romulo Mabanta Buenaventura Sayoc and de los Angeles. He is currently in government service where he focuses on administrative, local government, and procurement law.

Areas of Specialization/Interest:

  • Litigation

  • Arbitration

  • Local Government Law

  • Administrative Law

  • Procurement Law

Professional Affiliation & Recognition:

  • Member, Integrated Bar of the Philippines

Courses Taught:

  • Legal Profession

  • Legal Technique and Advocacy

Education:

  • Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences, University of the Philippines Baguio, 2011

  • Juris Doctor, Ateneo de Manila University School of Law, 2016

atty mascenon

MASCENON, Ernesto S.

Email:

  • ernestomascenonlaw@gmail.com

Contract Number:

  • 09189100001

Biography:
Atty. Ernie S. Mascenon graduated Second Honors at the Ateneo Law School in 1983 as a working student and placed 17th in the 1983 Bar Exams.  He retired from Nestle Philippines in 2020 as Head of Corporate Affairs and Communication where he specialized in mergers and acquisitions, public policy advocacy in both the legislative and executive branches of the government in the areas of tax, environment, agriculture and food regulation.  He sat in the Board of Nestle Philippines and its other operating companies and co-chaired the company’s compliance commitee. He started teaching at the Ateneo Law School and San Sebastian College of Law in the 1980’s. He currently teaches at the Ateneo Law School and University of Asia and Pacific Institute of Law.  Atty. Ernie is now engaged in private legal practice, litigation  and business consulting.

Areas of Specialization/Interest:

  • Environment and Sustainability

  • Corporation and Commercial Law

  • Mergers and Acquisitions

  • Trial Practice

Professional Affiliation & Recognition:

  • Integrated Bar of the Philippines

  • Swiss Chamber of the Philippines

  • European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines

  • German-Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry

  • American Chamber of Commerce Philippines

Courses Taught:

  • Legal Writing

  • Sales

  • Conflict of Laws

Education:

  • AB Economics, Lia Honors Program, DLSU, cum laude, 1978

  • Ateneo Law School, Second Honors, 1983

  • IMD, Laussane, Switzerland, Program for Executive Development, 1995

  • London Business School, Leadership Course, 2005

MELO, Jorge Alfonso C.

Email:

  • jmelo@ateneo.edu

Biography:

Coby Melo graduated with honors from the Ateneo de Manila University School of Law Juris Doctor program and was admitted to the Bar in 1998. As a law student, he was Editor-in-Chief of the Ateneo Law Journal and a Facilitator/Intern of the Ateneo Human Rights Center. Prior to entering law school, he finished his Bachelor of Science degree, major in Legal Management also at the Ateneo.

After graduating from law school, Coby joined SyCip Salazar Hernandez and Gatmaitan, then later Castillo Zamora and Poblador Law Offices until 2009. He was Legal Staff Head of the Independent Commission to Address Media and Activists Killings from 2006 to 2007. He was Legal Consultant to the Commission on Elections under the Office of the Chairman from 2008 until 2010.

Coby is currently a senior partner at the Gruba Caganda Advincula Melo and Dela Fuente Law Offices in Makati where he specializes in dispute resolution, mergers and acquisitions, banking and special projects. In the area of litigation, he has handled acquisition and significant court litigation and international arbitrations involving large government and asset privatization projects, infrastructure projects, public interest cases, tax litigation, and large-scale fraud cases.

Areas of Specialization/Interest:

  • Dispute Resolution

  • Mergers and Acquisitions

  • Banking

  • Professional Affiliation:

  • Member, Integrated Bar of the Philippines

Courses Taught:

  • Civil Procedure

  • Provisional Remedies

  • Special Civil Actions

  • Mergers and Acquisitions

Education:

  • Bachelor of Arts- Ateneo de Manila University, College of Arts and Sciences (1993)

  • Juris Doctor - Ateneo de Manila University, School of Law (1997)

MESINA-ALVAERA, Rita Marie L.

Email:

  • rmesia.alvaera@ateneo.edu

  • ritamarie.mesina@gmail.com

Contact Number:

  • 09178485708

Biography:

Atty. Rita Marie L. Mesina-Alvaera is a Litigation Partner at Castillo Laman Tan Pantaleon & San Jose, with key focus on commercial disputes, intellectual property law, and family law. Before rejoining the firm in 2013, she was an Executive Office Counsel at the Philippine Amusement Gaming Corporation where she assisted on procurement, licensing, and regulatory matters. Rita was also a Legal Staff Consultant at the Office of the General Counsel of the Asian Development Bank, where she delivered legal research and legal writing support for various knowledge and capacity building programs for environmental justice and sustainable infrastructure governance issues.

Rita obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology, cum laude, from the University of the Philippines Diliman in 2005 and her Juris Doctor degree from the Ateneo Law School in 2009, where she was the recipient of the Silver Medal for Best Graduation Thesis and the Roberto A. Gana Service Award. Rita was also a member of the Board of Editors of the Ateneo Law Journal and served in its Executive Committee from 2008-2009.

Areas of Specialization/Interest:

  • Commercial Litigation and General Dispute Resolution

  • Family Law

  • Intellectual Property, Technology Transfer, and Brand Protection

  • Licensing, Regulatory, and Compliance

Personal Affiliation & Recognition:

  • Lifetime Member, Integrated Bar of the Philippines (Quezon City Chapter)

  • Member, Philippine Dispute Resolution Center, Inc.

  • Member, International Trademark Association

  • Member, Board of Editors (2006-2009) and Executive Committee (2008-2009), Ateneo Law Journal

  • Member, The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi

  • Member, Pi Gamma Mu International Honor Society in Social Sciences

Education:

  • Juris Doctor, Ateneo de Manila University School of Law (2009)

  • Bachelor of Arts (Psychology), Cum Laude, University of the Philippines Diliman (2005)

atty mison

MISON, Siegfred Bueno

Email:

  • smison@ateneo.edu

Contact Number:

  • 09178858777

Biography:
Siegfred was a government scholar representing the Philippines as its sole representative to the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, USA in 1987. He graduated from the Dean’s List. While still in the Army, he took up law in Ateneo Law School and made it to the Dean’s List. He earned a master’s degree in law at the University of Southern California (USC), Los Angeles, USA. Educated in and licensed to practice law in the Philippines and California, Siegfred has been teaching law for more than 20 years. He served as the Commissioner of the Bureau of Immigration (4.5 years) and worked as a Senior Vice President in Philippine Airlines (3.5 years) and in SM Prime Holdings Inc. (1.5 years). He is a book author, a radio host and a newspaper columnist with a mission to spread the Good News. Siegfred is a sports enthusiast and a loving father to three wonderful children - Regina Victoria, J. Siegfred Salvador, and Regina Elena

Areas of Specialization/Interest:

  • Business and Investments Law

  • Estate Settlements

  • Contract Law

  • Corporate Law

Professional Affiliation & Recognition:

  • Integrated Bar of the Philippines

  • State Bar of California

Courses Taught:

  • Wills and Succession

  • Obligations and Contracts

  • Statutory Construction

  • Partnership and Agency

  • Land Titles and Deeds

  • Sales

Education:

  • USMA at West Point, NY, USA

  • Ateneo Law School, Makati, Philippines

  • University of Southern California, LA, CA, USA

MONTERO, Michael N.

Email:

  • mmontero@ateneo. edu

Biography:

Mike Montero has been a member of the Ateneo Law School Faculty for more than 20 years. He obtained his undergraduate Bachelor of Science degree from the Ateneo de Manila in 1991 and proceeded to the Ateneo Law School where he completed his Juris Doctor degree in 1996. He joined SGV & Co. in 1996 and stayed there for 9 years, after which he joined the BPO industry serving as in-house counsel for s company which is the countrys largest employer with over one hundred thousand direct employees. He has taught Tax Law for more than 20 years and has also taught Legal Profession. He has likewise been a Bar lecturer for more than 10 years.

Areas of Specialization/Interest:

  • Tax Law

  • Data Privacy

Professional Affiliation:

  • Member, Integrated Bar of the Philippines

Courses Taught:

  • Tax 1 & 2, Tax Law Review

  • Legal Profession

Education:

  • Bachelor of Science, Ateneo De Manila University 1991

  • Juris Doctor, Ateneo Law School - 1996

Atty noche

NOCHE, Maria Concepcion S.

Email:

  • mariaconcepcionnocche@gmail.com

Contract Number:

  • 09189100001

Biography:
Girlie Noche is a litigator, law professor, author of law books, and a staunch advocate for family and life. She was the Dean of the Institute of Law of the University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P) from 2017 - March 2023. Under her deanship, UA&P achieved a consistent 100% passing rate in the Bar examinations for four consecutive years, and was recognized by the Legal Education Board as a top law school in the country in 2022. She is a Member of the Corps of Professors at the Philippine Judicial Academy of the Supreme Court, and is the ViceChairperson of its Special Areas of Concern Department, and a Member of its Remedial Law Department. She was a title partner at the Feria Lugtu La O’ Noche Law Firm from 1983 until 2001. At the start of her career, she worked at the Office of the President as a presidential staff legal officer and at the Department of Finance as a legal consultant. Civil Procedure Annotated (Volumes 1 and 2, 2001 edition), which she co-authored with the late Associate Justice of the Supreme Court Jose Y. Feria, received the Centenary Book Award from the Supreme Court for being a "scholarly reference in the field of law." She has since updated and written other law books, and her books, Provisional Remedies and Special Civil Actions (Reviewer-Primer) and Civil Procedure Explained with 2019 Amendments and Up-to-date Jurisprudence, were published in 2019 and 2021, respectively.

She is the president of Alliance for the Family Foundation Philippines, Inc., an organization that seeks to promote and protect family and life. She was the first woman and to have been conferred by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) with its highest award – the Bishop Jorge Barlin Golden Cross Award - for “genuine and outstanding service” to the Catholic Church.

Areas of Specialization/Interest:

  • Remedial Law

  • Bioethics

Professional Affiliation & Recognition:

  • Member, Integrated Bar of the Philippines

Courses Taught:

  • Civil Procedure

  • Criminal Procedure

  • Special Proceedings

  • Legal Profession

Education:
She obtained her Bachelor of Science in Biology degree from the Ateneo de Manila University and her Bachelor of Laws degree, second honors, from the Ateneo Law School. She took further legal studies and training in international law, international business transactions, and arbitration and negotiation at the Harvard Law School and at the Academy of American and International Law Center in Dallas, Texas, and obtained her Master of Laws degree in Comparative and International Law from the Southern Methodist University School of Law in Dallas, Texas. She also worked as a foreign lawyer in Winstead, Sechrest, Minick, a law firm in Dallas, Texas.

atty patdu

PATDU, Ivy D.

Email:

  • IDP_Office@pm.me

Biography:
Ivy D. Patdu is a physician, lawyer and privacy advocate. She served as Deputy Commissioner of the National Privacy Commission, and member of the National Health Data Privacy Experts Group of the National eHealth Program. She also practices medico-legal, handling risk management for healthcare providers and serving as lawyer for doctors and hospitals. She has been a member of the academe since 2011, teaching Legal Medicine and Data Privacy.

She graduated with honors from the Philippine Science High School before obtaining her Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of the Philippines College of Medicine under the Integrated Liberal Arts and Medicine Program. She then obtained her Juris Doctor degree from the Ateneo de Manila School of Law, where she graduated with Scholastic Second Honors, ranking 10th in her graduating class. She completed her Masters in Hospital Administration from the University of the Philippines College of Public Health in 2018. She also passed the Certification Exam of the International Association of Privacy Professionals (Certified Information Privacy Professional-CIPP/E) in 2020. 

Areas of Specialization/Interest:

  • Health Law

  • Data Privacy

Professional Affiliation & Recognition:

  • Member, Integrated Bar of the Philippines

  • Member, Philippine Medical Association

Courses Taught:

  • Legal Medicine

  • Data Privacy

Education:

  • Doctor of Medicine, University of the Philippines, College of Medicine, 2002

  • Juris Doctor, Ateneo de Manila School of Law, 2009

  • Master of Hospital Administration, University of the Philippines, College of Public Health, 2018.

atty robles

ROBLES, Eduardo R. 

Email:

  • attorneyrobles@yahoo.com

Biography:
Atty. Eduardo R. Robles is a highly experienced attorney with a distinguished career spanning several decades. He began his legal journey as an associate attorney at Sycip Salazar Feliciano Hernandez & Castillo Law Office from 1974 to 1980. Following this, he became a partner at Del Valle & Robles Law Office from 1980 to 1989. Since 1989, he has been serving as the principal at E.R. Robles Law Office.

Atty. Robles is a respected member of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines in Bulacan Chapter. He has also served as a commissioner at the Commission on Bar Discipline, Integrated Bar of the Philippines for four years, showcasing his commitment to upholding professional ethics within the legal community.

Atty. Robles has also made significant contributions to legal education throughout his career. He has taught at various esteemed institutions, including: College of Business Administration at the Philippine Christian University for 3 years, College of Business Administration at the University of the Philippines for 23 years, College of Law at Arellano University for 3 years, College of Law at the University of the Philippines for 7 years, Institute of Law at the University of Asia and the Pacific for 4 years, and School of Law at the Ateneo de Manila University for 30 years. Additionally, Atty. Robles has served as a pre-bar Law reviewer in Civil law at both the Arellano Law Foundation and Ateneo de Manila University, further showcasing his dedication to shaping the next generation of legal professionals.

Courses Taught:

  • Property

Education:

  • Elementary: Attended Immaculate Academy of Malolos from 1955 to 1961, where he graduated with first honors.

  • Secondary: Continued his education at Immaculate Academy of Malolos from 1961 to 1965, where he graduated as valedictorian.

  • Collegiate: Pursued his undergraduate studies at the University of the Philippines College of Business Administration from 1965 to 1969.

  • Law School: Enrolled at the University of the Philippines College of Law from 1969 to 1973, where he graduated with honors, earning the distinction of Cum Laude.

atty jill

ROBLES, Jill Marie Lopez 

Email:

  • jblopez@ateneo.edu

Biography:
Jill obtained her Bachelor of Science degree (cum laude) from the Ateneo de Manila in 1999 and her Juris Doctor degree (with honors) from the Ateneo de Manila Law School in 2003.

In 2007, she was conferred with European Master in Law and Economics degree by Università di Bologna, Universität Hamburg, and The University of Manchester.

Jill joined Villaraza and Angangco Law from 2003 to 2007, practicing within the firm’s Corporate and Natural Resources departments. She then joined T/A Trade Advisory Services with practice areas in trade law, competition law and corporation law.  She then moved to Manulife Philippines within the Legal and Compliance department. Jill joined AXA Philippines from 2012 to 2021, with a stint at AXA Group in New York City, eventually leading the AXA Philippines Legal and Compliance team.

Jill currently sits as Independent Director of AON Philippines and manages her family’s business.

Areas of Specialization/Interest:

  • Corporation Law

  • Insurance Law

  • Competition Law

  • Financial Crimes

  • Data Privacy

Professional Affiliation & Recognition:

  • Member, Integrated Bar of the Philippines

Courses Taught:

  • Insurance Law

  • Thesis Writing and Legal Research

  • Fundamentals of European Union

  • ASEAN Law

  • International Economic Law

Education:

  • Bachelor of Science, Ateneo de Manila University School of Arts and Sciences, 1999

  • Juris Doctor, Ateneo de Manila University School of Law, 2023

  • European Master in Law and Economics, Università di Bologna, Faculty of Economics, Universität Hamburg, Faculty of Law, The University of Manchester, Faculty of Law, 2007. 

Atty Serafin

SERAFIN Jr., Salvador U.

Email:

  • SUSalvador@salvadorlaw.com

Contract Number:

  • (+632) 88112500

Biography:
After heading the Tax Division of the largest professional services firm in the Philippines, Serafin U. Salvador, Jr. headed SLB to be one of the leading commercial law firms in the country. Currently with the world’s largest independent tax organization providing quality integrated tax advice worldwide, SLB can be considered as one of the highlights of Mr. Salvador’s illustrious career in taxation.
Mr. Salvador’s knowledge of taxation has provided local and international clients with advice instrumental to firmly establishing their businesses in their respective industries. His insight has helped small to medium-sized enterprises and multinational corporations to effectively deal with complex issues and rapid changes in a highly competitive global market.

His experience and knowledge in the field of taxation has been recognized on a national level through his previous appointments as the president of the Tax Management Association of the Philippines and as a Bar Examiner in Taxation Law. An invaluable source of taxation expertise even among his peers in the global stage, Mr. Salvador was tapped to become a member of the United Nations Committee of experts on International Cooperation in Tax Matters.

Contributing to the education and training of the younger generation in the intricacies of taxation has always been Mr. Salvador’s passion. He teaches at the country’s top law schools, the UP College of Law, the Ateneo Law School and the University of Asia Pacific. He also taught at the De La Salle – FEU MBA-JD Program, St. Scholastica’s College of Commerce, the University Of Manila College Of Law, and the Philippine Women’s University College of Liberal Arts.

Mr. Salvador is a lecturer at the UP Law Center’s Mandatory Continuing Legal Education. He also served as a speaker and lecturer in SGV Management Tax Seminars, the Rotary Clubs of Makati, Quezon City, San Juan, and Pasig, and seminars sponsored by the Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Tax Management Association of the Philippines, and the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Mr. Salvador has written for the CCH Journal of Asia-Pacific Taxation, the SGV Tax Division’s “Tax Files” column in the Philippine Daily Inquirer, and several local publications, expanding the reach of his contribution to the field of Philippine taxation.

Areas of Specialization/Interest:

  • Tax Advisory and Advocacy

  • Estate Tax Planning

  • M/A Projects

Professional Affiliation & Recognition:

  • Integrated Bar of the Philippines

  • Tax Management Association of the Philippines

  • Management Association of the Philippines

  • Director, Bases Conversion and Development Authority (until 2016)

  • Director and Chairman, Habitat Philippines Inc. Board of Trustees (2010)

  • Managing Multinational Enterprises, INSEAD Fontainebleu, France

  • Senior Adviser, SGV & Co. (2002-2003)

  • Tax Partner and Tax Division Head, SGV & Co. (1982-2001)

Courses Taught:

  • Taxation

  • Local Govt. Tax Code & Tariff Code

  • Tax Law Review

Education:

  • Graduate Tax Program, New York University - Graduate School of Law

  • Master in Business Administration, Ateneo de Manila University

  • Bachelor of Laws, University of the Philippines Diliman

  • Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, Ateneo de Manila University

  • TOP Management Program, Asian Institute of Management

atty soriano

SORIANO, Rowena L.

Email:

  • rsoriano@ateneo.edu

Biography:
Rowena L. Soriano, obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree with the latin honors Magna cum Laude from the University of the Philippines Manila (2001), and completed her Juris Doctor degree (Second Honors) from the Ateneo de Manila University, School of Law. In 2016, she was conferred with Masters of Law degree in International Economic and Business Law from Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan, and in 2017, Masters of Law degree in International Economic Law from the Ateneo Law School, as recipient of the JASSO Scholarship under the Ateneo de Manila University - Kyushu University Double LL.M. Degree Program. Weng entered the academe right after taking the 2006 Bar Exam, and taught political science subjects in UP Manila. She was admitted to the Philippine Bar in 2007. After a year of private law practice, she joined the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas as legal officer and later on as assistant manager and assistant corporate secretary of the BSP Provident Fund. In 2009, she joined the roster of faculty of the Ateneo Law School. She is now a solo law practitioner and the Associate Dean of the FEU Institute of Law. 

Aside from teaching and law practice, Weng has had stints in radio and tv hosting. She also holds free legal lectures on women and children’s rights, empowering women as responsible right holders and duty bearers as well as promoting her personal advocacy to support local products and Filipino weavers and artisans.

Areas of Specialization/Interest:

  • Human Rights

  • Political. Law

  • Civil Law

Professional Affiliation & Recognition:

  • Member, Integrated Bar of the Philippines

Courses Taught:

  • Legal Research

  • Legal Writing

  • Fundamentals of Thesis Writing

  • Evolving Norms of Business Responsibilities for Human Rights

  • Seminar on Contemporary Developments in International Law

  • Human Rights

  • Children’s Rights Law

  • Constitutional Law

  • Conflict of Laws

  • Credit Transactions

  • Legal Profession

Education:

  • B.S. Business Economics (magna cum laude), University of the Philippines School of Economics, 2012

  • Juris Doctor (cum laude), University of the Philippines College of Law, 2016

  • Master of Laws, Yale Law School, 2022.

STA. MARIA, Amparita S.

Email:

  • astamaria@ateneo.edu

Biography:

Amparita Sta. Maria graduated with honors from the Ateneo de Manila University School of Law with a degree of Bachelor of Laws (LL. B. ) and obtained her Master of Laws degree (LL. M.) at the University of Toronto where she was awarded a Reproductive Health Fellowship as part of the Womens Rights and Reproductive Health Graduate Scholarships of the Faculty of Law, University of Toronto.

Since 1991, Amparita has been a member of the Ateneo de Manila University School of Law. Until 2021, she also held the directorship of the Urduja Womens desk of the Ateneo Human Rights Center. Presently, she is the director of the Graduate Legal Studies Institute of the law school.

In 2004, Amparita joined the Philippine Judicial Academy and is currently a member of its Corps of Professors, and its Humanitarian Law and Human Rights department. From 2004-2011, she served as a member of the Committee on Gender Responsiveness in the Judiciary of the Supreme Court of the Philippines. She was also one of the examiners in the 2022 Bar Examinations.

Areas of Specialization/Interest:

  • Family Law

  • Human Rights Law

  • Women's Rights

  • Gender Rights

  • Professional Affiliation & Recognition:

  • Member, Integrated Bar of the Philippines

Courses Taught:

  • Persons and Family Relations

  • Emerging Issues on Human Rights, Foundational Course on Womens Rights

  • Institutions and Mechanisms for Human Rights Promotion and Protection

  • Gender and the Law

Education:

  • AB Political Science, Ateneo de Manila University

  • LL. B. , Ateneo Law School

  • LL. M. , University of Toronto

STA MARIA, Patricia Anne S.

Email:

  • Psta.maria@ateneo.edu

Biography:

Patty Sta. Maria is currently a State Solicitor with the Office of the Solicitor General of the Philippines. She obtained her degree in Political Science from the Ateneo de Manila University in 2015, graduating cum laude and Program Awardee of the Political Science department. She went on to obtain her Juris Doctor from the Ateneo de Manila Law School in 2015, graduating as Class Valedictorian and recipient of the Deans Gold Medal for Best Thesis. She joined the OSG in 2016, working first as an Executive Assistant to the Solicitor General, before being appointed as an Associate Solicitor after passing the 2015 Bar Examinations. In 2019, she graduated from Yale Law School with a Master of Laws, focusing primarily on Health Law and Policy, Constitutionalism, and Corruption studies.

Her practice includes litigation and arbitration, involving government interests in the areas of Administrative, Criminal, Election, Health, Tariff and Trade, Infrastructure, Banking, and Constitutional Law. She has published articles both domestically and internationally on Constitutional Law, Human Rights, and Access to Medicines. Atty. Sta. Maria also serves on the Board of Trustees of Lunas Collective, an online care space and help line for victims of gender based violence and those seeking resources for sexual and reproductive health.

Atty. Sta. Maria currently teaches subjects under the Political Law department, and has previously taught Legal Research and Writing.

Areas of Specialization/Interest:

  • Litigation

  • Constitutional Law

  • Health Law and Policy

  • Legal Writing and Research

Professional Affiliation & Recognition:

  • Member, Integrated Bar of the Philippines

Courses Taught:

  • Constitutional Law I & II

  • Law on Public Corporations

  • Rights Based Constitutional Law Review

Education:

  • A. B. Political Science, cum laude, Minor in English Literature, Ateneo de Manila University, 2011

  • Juris Doctor, Ateneo de Manila University School of Law, 2015

  • Master of Laws, Yale Law School, 2019

atty tamase

TAMASE, Paolo Emmanuel S.

Email:

  • ptamase@ateneo.edu

Biography:
Paolo Tamase is a lecturer in the Ateneo Law School.  He obtained his B.S. Business Economics, magna cum laude from the University of the Philippines (U.P.) School of Economics in 2012. He then earned his Juris Doctor, cum laude from the U.P. College of Law in 2016, graduating valedictorian and serving as Chair of the Philippine Law Journal. He received his Master of Laws from Yale Law School in 2022, researching and writing on comparative administrative law, comparative constitutional law, contemporary international law, and law and economics.

Aside from teaching in ALS, Paolo is a Senior Lecturer in the U.P. College of Law, where he has taught Constitutional Law, Local Governments, Electoral Process and Public Officers, Legal History, and Legal Theory since 2018. As of 2023, he is a visiting fellow with the Majority World Initiative of Yale Law School’s Information Society Project and a member of the Peer Review Network of Climate Litigation of Columbia Law School’s Sabin Center.

Paolo is a former Senior Associate of Cruz Marcelo & Tenefrancia for its natural resources, energy, litigation and arbitration, and trade practice areas.

Areas of Specialization/Interest:

  • Constitutional law (Philippine and comparative)

  • Administrative law (Philippine and comparative)

  • Contemporary international law

  • Law and economics

Professional Affiliation & Recognition:

  • Board of Editors, Integrated Bar of the Philippines Law Journal

Courses Taught:

  • Rights-Based Constitutional Review

Education:

  • B.S. Business Economics (magna cum laude), University of the Philippines School of Economics, 2012

  • Juris Doctor (cum laude), University of the Philippines College of Law, 2016

  • Master of Laws, Yale Law School, 2022.

Dean Vannie

VALLENTE, Giovanni F.

Email:

  • gvallente@ateneo.edu

  • gvallente@emsavvil.com

Biography:

Appointed in 2012, Vannie is Ateneo Law School’s Associate Dean for Student Affairs. Prior to this appointment, he was Co-Director of the Ateneo Law School Legal Services Center from 2004 to 2012, and also previously served as Assistant Litigation Director of the Ateneo Human Rights Center from 1991 to 1993.

Vannie joined Angara Abello Concepcion Regala and Cruz Law Offices (ACCRA Law) in 1993 as an associate and left in 1998 to become partner at the law offices of Escudero Marasigan Vallente & E. H. Villareal (Emsavvil Law). He is currently serving as Managing Partner of Emsavvil Law.

Vannie obtained his AB Economics degree from the Ateneo de Manila University in 1986 and his Juris Doctor degree from the same university in 1991. He later completed his Master of Laws at the University of Warwick in 1995.

He has been teaching at Ateneo Law since 1999, handling Clinical Legal Education, Criminal Law, Criminal Law Review and Criminal Procedure. 
In 2022, Vannie had the privilege of serving as examiner in Criminal Law in the 2022 Bar Examinations chaired by Justice Alfredo Benjamin S. Caguioa.

Master of Laws, University of Warwick, 1995; Juris Doctor, Ateneo de Manila University School of Law, 1991; Bachelor of Arts in Economics, Ateneo de Manila University College of Arts and Sciences, 1986

Areas of Specialization/Interest:

  • Immigration Law

  • Intellectual Property Law

  • Criminal, Civil and Commercial Law Litigation

Professional Affiliation & Recognition:

  • Member, Integrated Bar of the Philippines (since 1992)

Courses Taught:

  • Criminal Law

  • Criminal Law Review

  • Criminal Procedure

  • Clinical Legal Education

Education:

  • Master of Laws, University of Warwick, 1995;

  • Juris Doctor, Ateneo de Manila University School of Law, 1991;

  • Bachelor of Arts in Economics, Ateneo de Manila University College of Arts and Sciences, 1986

 

 

 

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