Mark O. Vergara
Senior Partner | Head, Banking and Finance
MARK O. VERGARA
Key Practice
Qualifications
Mark is a recognized Philippine expert in the field of Banking and Finance, with more than 30 years of experience in acting as counsel to private and government banks and financial institutions, local and foreign, for financing projects, including loan syndications, project finance, debt restructuring, bond issuance and secured financing.
Mark has been recognised by The Asia Pacific Legal 500 in the field of Banking and Finance, and in Capital Markets.
His expertise in project finance began with his early involvement in the Build Operate Transfer (BOT) and Build Own Operate (BOO) concessions of the government. This exposure resulted in extensive legal advisories on project finance transactions covering the first wave of power sector infrastructure projects under the original iteration of the Philippine BOT Law. Counselling the lenders on the financing of the nationwide computerisation projects of the Land Transportation Office and the Land Registration Authority likewise under BOT and BOO concessions followed. Project finance work continues under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) projects in the framework of the Amended Philippine BOT Law. Recent projects include acting as lead counsel to local lenders in the loan syndications for the construction and operation of the expressway in north Luzon and the redevelopment of the harbor port for the domestic passenger terminal in Manila, both priority projects of the government.
Mark is also involved in the Firm’s Mergers & Acquisition (M&A) practice, having counselled and advised on the consolidation of the expressways in south Luzon. He is also most sought for his expertise in private equity transactions, both onshore and offshore. In addition, as part of the Firm’s Business Formation and Foreign Investments practice, Mark provides dedicated advice to our international relationship firms on global corporate solutions for multinational corporate clients on cross-border issues, particularly on equity compensation.
Prior to co-founding the Firm in 2007, Atty. Vergara was a partner at Picazo Law Office.
- Advised local lenders in the loan syndications for the construction and operation of the expressway in north Luzon and the redevelopment of the harbor port for the domestic passenger terminal in Manila, both priority projects of the government.
- Acted as counsel to the syndicate of lenders in the grant of loan facilities, including top-up arrangements, to fund the construction, operation and maintenance of the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Toll Expressway, a priority infrastructure project under the Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) Program of the Philippine government.
- Acted as counsel to the syndicate of lenders, including subsequent top-up arrangement, to fund the LRA Modernization Project of the Philippine Land Registration Authority involving the nationwide data conversion of land titles into e-Titles.
Acted as counsel to the contractor on the consolidation project in South Luzon Expressways. - Acted as counsel to the syndicate of lenders under the Japan Bank for International Cooperation IT & Industry Support Loan (Untied Loan to DBP 5) Program (JBIC 5) of the Development Bank of the Philippines to fund the modernization of the Land Transportation Office (LTO).
- Acting as advisor to Citibank N.A. for Philippine-related matters for the past 27 years.
THE ASIA PACIFIC LEGAL 500
- Banking and Finance – Leading Individual (2018-2023), Recommended
- Lawyer (2017-2023)
- Capital Markets – Recommended Lawyer (2021-2023)
- Projects and Energy – Recommended Lawyer (2019, 2021-2023)
- Corporate and M&A – Recommended Lawyer (2021, 2023)
- Real Estate and Construction – Recommended Lawyer (2020-2023)
‘I would like to commend the following lawyers for their exceptional skill sets in drafting financing arrangements: Mark Vergara; Erika Paulino and Rosalia Bartolome-Alejo’.
‘Each partner has an in-depth knowledge and experience in the capital markets. All named partners Mark Vergara; Gwyneth Ong and Janice Co are easy to work with and has displayed the highest standards of professionalism and personal attention’.
- Member, Integrated Bar of the Philippines
- Member, Financial Executives of the Philippines