Acquisition and project financing, securities listings and issuances, and corporate notes and refinancings are all areas of expertise for SyCip Salazar Hernandez & Gatmaitan‘s practice. The team has experience acting for foreign and local lenders and financial institutions, as well as borrowers and issuers. Philbert E. Varona helms the group and is experienced in handling transactional and regulatory work in relation to banking, finance and securities. Arlene M. Maneja and Franco Aristotle Larcina are both key practitioners who are considered ’very professional and intelligent’ by clients. Joan Mae To-Conejos is also notable.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • ‘SyCip Salazar Hernandes & Gatmaitan not only provides traditional legal services but helps the client explore more possibilities when the regulations are unclear and not straightforward.’

  • ‘I worked with Arlene M. Maneja and Franco Aristotle Larcina. They are both very professional and intelligent. The compliance system in this team is very rigorous. Communication and repeated explanations of legal requirements can help the client get a full understanding of the business.'

  • 'Arlene and Franco will attend meetings with the government themselves to solve problems for clients.’

Key clients

  • Bank of the Philippine Islands
  • Asian Development Bank
  • SB Capital Investment Corporation
  • PNB Capital and Investment Corporation
  • UBS AG
  • Standard Chartered Bank
  • JP Morgan Chase Bank N.A.
  • Linklaters Singapore Ltd Ltd.
  • Bank of America
  • OceanaGold (Philippines), Inc.
  • China Bank Capital Corporation
  • ANZ Bank
  • Aboitiz Power Corporation
  • Frontier Tower Associates Philippines, Inc.
  • San Miguel Corporation
  • BDO Capital & Investment Corporation
  • Metro Pacific Investment Corporation
  • PH Global Jet Express, Inc.
  • Philippine Commercial Capital, Inc.
  • CLSA Exchange Capital, Inc.

Work highlights

  • Acted as Philippine counsel to Southeast Asia’s largest fast delivery company on its listing on the Main Board of Hong Kong Stock Exchange and global offering, where it raised $451m by issuing shares at HK$12 apiece.
  • Acted as counsel to China Bank Capital Corporation along with Bank of Commerce, Philippine Commercial Capital, Inc., PNB Capital and Investment Corporation, and SB Capital and Investments Corporation, in their capacities as Joint Lead Underwriters and Joint Bookrunners for the shelf registration and the offer and sale by Petron Corporation.
  • Acted as legal counsel to China Bank Capital Corporation in the IPO of Repower Energy Development Corporation, the hydropower arm of Pure Energy Holdings Corporation.

Lawyers

Next Generation Partners
Junior partners with significant recognition from clients and peers in the market and key roles on multiple matters.

Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

Philbert E. Varona

Other key lawyers

Arlene M. Maneja, Franco Aristotle Larcina, Vicente Gerochi IV, Mark Xavier Oyales, Joan Mae To-Conejos, Aaron Roi B. Riturban, Melyjane G. Bertillo-Ancheta, Bhong Paulo A. Macasaet