Villaraza & Angangco (V&A Law)

Intellectual Property Department

IP Department Head, Partner

Atty. Somera heads the Firm’s IP Department. He is well-recognized as an IP authority in the Philippines, consistently ranked in the top tiers of the World Trademark Review, Legal 500 Asia-Pacific Guide, and Chambers & Partners Asia Pacific Ranking for Intellectual Property. With over thirty (30) years of experience, Atty. Somera has expertise in handling all facets of intellectual property law, from prosecution to enforcement, litigation and commercialization of traditional as well a novel intellectual property matters. Following the end of his term as the Firm’s Managing Partner in 2015, Atty. Somera has since focused his efforts on broadening the already diverse patent and trademark portfolio of the Firm. He has devoted particular attention to sharpening the IP Department’s expertise in specific practice areas of IP law, particularly, patent and trademark litigation and copyright protection which have served to distinguish the Firm from its counterparts in the Philippines. Atty. Somera has held and continues to occupy key positions in local and international IP organizations as well as in the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (“IBP”), attesting to his strong devotion to the development of the field of intellectual property and his stature in the Philippine legal profession.

English, Filipino

Local - Intellectual Property Association of the Philippines (“IPAP”) - Licensing Executives Society (“LES”) - Philippine Bar Association (“PBA”) - Integrated Bar of the Philippines (“IBP”) - Sigma Rho Council

International - Asian Patent Attorneys Association (“APAA”) - Asean Intellectual Property Association (“AIPA”) - International Trademark Association (“INTA”) - International Association for the Protection of Industrial Property (“AIPPI”)

Atty. Somera, graduated from the College of Law of the University of the Philippines in 1985. He also holds a degree in B.S. Business Economics, which he obtained in 1981 from the same University.