Atty. Eduardo A. Martinez, Senior Partner and Head of the Firm’s Dispute Resolution Practice Group, was named as one of the Top 100 Lawyers in the Philippines in Asia Business Law Journal’s The A-List: The Philippines Top Lawyers 2024. This recognition is a testament to his expertise, leadership, and unwavering dedication to delivering outstanding results in the field of dispute resolution. Atty. Martinez assists clients in civil, criminal and commercial litigation, both in the original and appellate levels. He has extensive experience in domestic relations and succession law practices. Atty. Martinez is an Appeals Court Mediator accredited by the Philippine Judicial Academy.
The awardees were selected based on the nominations from in-house counsel across the Philippines and abroad, as well as international law firms with a focus on the region. View the A-List here.
MVGS proudly announces its remarkable achievements in the IFLR1000 2024 rankings. The Firm has been recognized as a Tier 1 firm in Capital Markets: Debt and Capital Markets: Equity. It has also been identified as a Tier 3 firm in Banking, M&A, Project Finance, Project Development and Restructuring and Insolvency.
Three MVGS lawyers were identified as Highly Regarded in their respective practice areas:
Manuel Z. Gonzalez for Project Finance, Capital Markets: Debt and Capital Markets: Equity
Rosalia S. Bartolome-Alejo for Project Finance, Banking and Finance
Erika B. Paulino for Banking and Finance
Mark O. Vergara and Gwyneth S. Ong were identified as Notable Practitioners, while Janice L. Co was recognized as a Rising Star in Capital Markets: Equity.
IFLR1000’s annual rankings identify the top law firms and lawyers in financial and corporate law globally, based on transactional evidence and client feedback. This recognition reflects the Firm’s commitment to excellence and its ability to deliver client satisfaction in complex legal challenges.
The Firm is proud to announce that it has maintained its status as a ranked law firm in the 2024 edition of Asialaw’s Law Firm Rankings.
The Firm was distinguished as a Highly Recommended Firm in Capital Markets, a Recommended Firm in Banking and Finance, and Corporate and M&A, and a Notable Firm in Competition and Antitrust, Intellectual Property, Tax, Construction, Dispute Resolution, and Labor and Employment.
In addition, AsiaLaw’s latest rankings, released earlier this month, recognized two of the Firm’s partners as leading practitioners in their respective fields. Managing Partner Atty. Manuel Z. Gonzalez was named a Notable Practitioner in Capital Markets, while Partner Atty. Shirley F. Alinea was honored for her expertise in Dispute Resolution.
The Firm extends its gratitude to its clients and industry partners for their continued trust and support.
Three MVGS lawyers were recognized in the 33rd edition of the International Financial Law Review 1000 (IFLR1000). They were recognized as lawyers who have track records of advising on significant deals in the context of their market and practice areas.
Manuel Z. Gonzalez (Capital Markets: Equity; M&A)
Rosalia S. Bartolome-Alejo (Banking and Finance; M&A)
Erika B. Paulino (Banking and Finance)
IFLR1000 also gave outstanding recognitions to the Firm’s colleagues in the Drew Network Asia (DNA). 18 lawyers from Drew & Napier, 6 lawyers from Makarim & Taira S., and 9 nnie from Shearn Delamore & Co. were recognized as leading lawyers in their respective practice areas.
The IFLR1000 rankings are focused on corporate and finance practices. The lawyer ranking categories are primarily based on transaction evidence, client and peer feedback.
Drew Network Asia (DNA), a network of blue-chip law firms, expanded on 26 September 2023 to a total of nine countries and 824 fee earners in Southeast Asia (SEA) with the addition of leading Bangkok-headquartered law firm Tilleke & Gibbins.
Formed in March 2020, DNA brings together some of the most influential and well-established law firms in SEA, namely Drew & Napier from Singapore, Makarim & Taira S. from Indonesia, Shearn Delamore & Co. from Malaysia, and Martinez Vergara & Gonzalez Sociedad (MVGS) from the Philippines. The network’s latest addition, Tilleke & Gibbins, brings offices in five other Southeast Asian countries to DNA.
The addition of Tilleke & Gibbins further expands the network’s regional footprint in SEA, which now boasts a total headcount of over 1,600 in Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam.
Tilleke & Gibbins is a renowned full-service law firm founded in Bangkok in 1890. The firm is the largest independent law firm in Thailand, with over 230 lawyers and consultants practicing in various offices across SEA. Known for their strong commercial focus, local knowledge and extraordinary service, Tilleke & Gibbins provides exceptional legal solutions to top investors and high-growth companies that drive economic expansion in Asia.
“We are delighted to become a part of DNA,” said Tiziana Sucharitkul, Managing Partner of Tilleke & Gibbins, “because being part of this network provides a platform for our clients to access the top lawyers in the region who will facilitate their legal needs and strategic ambitions in SEA. For over 130 years, Tilleke & Gibbins has been helping enterprises around the world achieve their business goals in SEA, and we are excited to continue our commitment to serving our clients as part of this network. We look forward to working hand in hand with the best lawyers in the region to enable this and to deliver the finest seamless legal advice and representation to our clients.”
Cavinder Bull SC, CEO, Drew & Napier said, “We are excited to have Tilleke & Gibbins join the network. DNA was created to enable pillar firms to service their clients’ multijurisdictional needs. With DNA covering almost the whole of SEA, we now have the capability to provide clients with seamless and integrated legal services of the highest quality throughout the region.”
“With the addition of Tilleke & Gibbins, we have significantly amplified our regional presence. I believe that DNA will become a formidable option for multijurisdictional legal work in the region.” said Dhinesh Bhaskaran, Managing Partner of Shearn Delamore & Co.
Maria Sagrado, Managing Partner, Makarim & Taira S. said, “The addition of Tilleke & Gibbins to the DNA family marks a significant milestone for our network, and underscores our unwavering pursuit of excellence. Together, we will leverage on our combined strengths to drive positive change to the legal industry.”
“We welcome Tilleke & Gibbins into our dynamic network which now has presence in almost the whole of SEA. By uniting our expertise and resources in DNA, we are poised to meet the needs of our clients more effectively and gain a competitive edge over other networks.” said Manuel Z. Gonzalez, Managing Partner of MVGS.
DNA is a cross-border ‘firm of firms’ that operates as a united collective, bringing both international perspectives and local expertise to the table. DNA operates as a one-stop shop in handling complex and time sensitive multi-jurisdictional transactions or disputes.
Each DNA firm upholds a stellar reputation that is built on consistently delivering premium legal advice alongside a world-class service experience. This unwavering commitment is recognised by clients and peers and has earned DNA firms top rankings in the world’s most prestigious legal publications.
About our DNA Member Firms
Martinez Vergara & Gonzalez Sociedad (MVGS) Martinez Vergara & Gonzalez Sociedad (MVGS) is a leading full-service law firm in the Philippines established in 2007 by recognised elite lawyers Eduardo A. Martinez, Mark O. Vergara and Manuel Z. Gonzalez. With the combined experience of the firm’s partners, MVGS has established itself as a highly- respected and leading law firm, providing a full range of excellent legal services in the areas of Banking & Finance, Capital Markets, Mergers & Acquisitions, Projects & Energy, Tax, Intellectual Property, Litigation and Alternative Dispute Resolution, Labour and Employment and Immigration.
T: +63 2 8687 1195 E: info@mvgslaw.com
Drew & Napier LLC Drew & Napier, established since 1889, is one of the largest and most established, full-service law firms in Singapore, with a history spanning more than 130 years. Our Dispute Resolution practice is consistently singled out as unparalleled, achieving top tier rankings in prestigious international publications for over a decade. Our International Arbitration Practice has been similarly identified among the world’s top 100 practices by the Global Arbitration Review since 2010. We are pre-eminent in Competition & Antitrust, Corporate Insolvency & Restructuring, Intellectual Property (Patents and Trademarks), Tax and Telecommunications, Media & Technology, and have market leading practices in Mergers & Acquisitions, Banking & Finance, and Capital Markets.
T: +65 6535 0733 E: mail@drewnapier.com
Makarim & Taira S. Founded in 1980 by two Harvard graduates, Makarim & Taira S. is one of Indonesia’s leading full-service law firms. We are a leader in both the traditional practice areas of Corporate services, Banking, Finance, Foreign Investment, Litigation, Infrastructure, and Employment, as well as emerging growth areas such as Anti-Trust/Competition, Power and Energy, Intellectual Property, Technology, Media & Telecommunications, and Fintech. To better serve our clients, we also have an international reach to prominent firms recognised globally as leading experts in the industry through the World Law Group (WLG).
T: +6221 5080 8300, 252 1272 E: info@makarim.com
Shearn Delamore & Co. Shearn Delamore & Co. is one of the oldest and largest full-service law firms in Malaysia, providing comprehensive services to domestic and international clients since 1905. The firm’s Dispute Resolution, Corporate & M&A, Intellectual Property, Employment, Tax, Competition & Antitrust, Banking & Finance, Technology, Media & Telco, Infrastructure & Projects, Construction, Regulatory Compliance & Enforcement, Real Estate and Shipping practice groups have been repeatedly recognised as market leaders, with the firm being a 5-time recipient of Chambers Asia Pacific’s Malaysia Law Firm of the Year award. The firm maintains extensive global links with legal and multilateral agencies, including the World Law Group (WLG), the World Services Group (WSG), and the Employment Law Alliance (ELA).
T: +603 2027 2727 E: info@shearndelamore.com
Tilleke & Gibbins Tilleke & Gibbins is a leading Southeast Asian regional law firm with over 230 lawyers and consultants practicing in Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam. We provide full-service legal solutions to the top investors and high-growth companies that drive economic expansion in Asia. Established in Bangkok in 1890, we have since grown into the largest independent law firm in Thailand and a leading international firm across Southeast Asia due to our commercial focus, local knowledge, and extraordinary service.
