Angara Abello Concepcion Regala & Cruz Law Offices (ACCRALaw)

The firm: Founded in 1972 by Senator Edgardo J Angara, Attys. Manuel G Abello, Teodoro D Regala, Jose C Concepcion and Avelino V Cruz, ACCRALAW is a cohesive multi-disciplinary team of legal professionals with in-depth knowledge of specialized legal fields.  Backed by almost fifty (50) years of experience in Philippine law, the firm has grown to a prestigious service organization of 170 lawyers and 178 non-legal personnel.

A top-tier institutional firm, ACCRALAW is based at the ACCRALAW Tower in the Bonifacio Global City, Metro Manila, and has full-service branches in Cebu City and Davao City – thriving commercial and business centers in the southern islands of the Philippines. The firm is linked to a global network of correspondent lawyers, law firms and Bar associations.

To enhance the delivery of services to clients, the firm has computerized its operations since the early 1980s. It was the first law firm in the Philippines to utilize a widely used, comprehensive and integrated computer system for law offices.

Areas of practice: The firm has a track record in handling diverse, significant and complex business projects and joint ventures involving multinational clients, and has handled a great number of landmark litigation cases.

ACCRALAW’s clientele represents the full spectrum of business and industry, as well as professional organizations and individuals. Serving the firm’s clients are seven practice departments and its two branches that offer timely, creative and strategic legal solutions alongside cost-effective administration and expert handling of clients’ requirements.

The retainer department provides legal services required by the firm’s general retainer clients in the ordinary course of business, such as consultation and advice on simple operational issues, preparation of ordinary contracts and legal documents and their rendition of ordinary legal opinions.

The intellectual property department represents clients in all aspects of IP protection, including registration and post-registration, enforcement of IP rights and in prosecuting or defending any litigation matter involving IP issues.

The corporate and special projects department performs legal services in connection with the establishment of business enterprises, mergers and acquisitions, banking and finance (including project finance), securities issues, public/private partnership projects, and energy/utilities projects, among others.

The labour and employment department renders assistance in the formulation of employment policies, and in the handling of administrative cases including employees, the litigation of cases involving their dismissal and suspension, money claims and damages arising from employer-employee relations, petitions for certification elections, intra- and inter-union disputes, negotiations for collective bargaining agreements, unfair labour practice, preventive mediation/conciliation of labour disputes, strikes and walkouts, grievance handling and labour arbitration, labour-related cases and other related matters.

The litigation and dispute resolution department supervises and monitors all litigation matters before regular courts of law, administrative agencies, quasi-judicial tribunals and arbitral bodies (both international and domestic).

The tax department offers services covering the entire field of national and local taxation, customs and anti-dumping laws.

The immigration department represents clients before government agencies involved in defining the terms and conditions of a non-resident’s authorized stay in the Philippines.

The firm’s managing partner is Emerico O De Guzman, and the co-managing partner is Salvador L. Peña.