What are the most significant cases or transactions that your legal team has recently been involved in?

The recent significant transaction which I handled was EMI’s secondary listing by way of introduction on the mainboard of the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Limited (SGX-ST). EMI is the first Philippine company primarily listed in the PSE that is secondarily listed in a foreign exchange. The project was completed on July 14, 2022 (listing date in SGX-ST).

Since this is the first transaction of its kind in the Philippines, we need to hurdle several issues due to the lack of applicable Philippine laws or regulations to address issues relating to secondary listing in a foreign exchange. Hopefully, this transaction can pave the way for other PSE listed companies to secondarily list in another exchange.

Why are in-house lawyers well-placed to drive change in their organisations?

In-house counsel, by the nature of their work, are exposed to almost all facets of the organisation’s operations. Having familiarity with and exposure to the issues faced by the organisation helps improve the capability of the in-house counsel to provide well-rounded advice and opinions.

Knowing the organisation’s plans and prospects also impacts how the in-house counsel decides and resolves current legal issues that may impact those plans and prospects. Moreover, their knowledge about the law and any probable changes in the regulatory landscape helps in-house lawyers navigate legal issues and problems.

For instance, I decide on legal issues or provide legal advice based on the following: facts, applicable law (and any pending bills or government plans on regulatory change), and my level of knowledge about the organisation’s operations and plans at the time I was confronted about the legal issue or problem. I want to make a positive impact on the organisation and contribute to the realisation of its targets and aspirations.