Rosalia S. Bartolome-Alejo
Partner | Co-Head, Banking and Finance | Head, Mergers & Acquisitions | Co-Head, Tax | Head, Business Formation and Foreign Investment | Head, Real Estate and Construction
ROSALIA S. BARTOLOME-ALEJO
Key Practice
Qualifications
Rosalia heads the Mergers & Acquisitions and Business Formation & Foreign Investment practice groups. She also co-heads the Banking & Finance and Real Estate and Construction practice groups of the Firm.
Rosalia’s experience in Banking and Finance is attributed to her extensive exposure in the banking and financial sector, having advised a number of banks and financial institutions, including one of the largest global bank, from 1997 to present across various banking law practice areas, including debt restructuring, consumer banking, foreign exchange transactions, credit card operations and credit and security transactions. She has likewise advised a major finance sector organization in the formulation of policies and regulations involving the credit card business.
Rosalia has extensive experience in corporate M&A, corporate reorganization, joint ventures and dissolution. She has handled joint ventures and mergers and acquisitions involving a broad spectrum of industries, including the acquisition of a number of toll roads, real estate, food and manufacturing businesses. She is currently handling acquisitions involving renewable energy and local water treatment and distribution projects. She has likewise recently lectured on the Philippine competition law and regulations under a mandatory continuing legal education (MCLE) requirement for lawyers in the Philippines.
In the field of Banking and Finance, Rosalia has over 20 years of experience in acting as counsel to both borrowers and creditors comprising local and foreign banks and financial institutions for financing projects, including loan syndications, project finance, debt restructuring, note issuance and secured financing. She has also extensive experience in consumer financing and related transactions, and has acted for other financial institutions, such as financing companies, investment houses and remittance agents. Rosalia is ranked as a Leading Individual by the Legal 500 in the area of Banking and Finance.
Her recent projects include counselling to a syndicate of local banks for the restructuring and top-up of a Php11.0 billion loan for a toll road project in Northern Philippines, the top-up of the existing Php8.0 Billion syndicated loan financing of the computerization of the land registration system in the Philippines, and as counsel to Therma South, Inc. in its Php24 Billion refinancing facility for its coal-fired plants in Davao. She is currently working on several banking & finance project, including the US$76 million project financing for the construction of tower assets across the country.
Rosalia has been a partner at Martinez Vergara & Gonzalez Sociedad since 2006. Prior to that, she was a partner at Picazo Buyco Tan Fider & Santos. She also acted as the Internal Legal Counsel of Calenergy International Services, Inc. from 2001 to 2002, and was an associate lawyer of Carpio Villaraza & Cruz from 1996 to 1997.
Rosalia is a bar topnotcher ranking 8th Place in the 1996 Bar Examinations. She obtained her Bachelor of Laws degree at the University of the Philippines in 1996. She graduated cum laude at the University of the Philippines in 1992 with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science. She is a trained commercial law arbitrator of the Philippine Dispute Resolutions Center, Inc. (PDRCI), and a member of the Tax Management Association of the Philippines (TMAP).
Banking & Finance
- Acted as counsel to the syndicate of lenders in the grant of loan facilities, including subsequent top-up arrangements, to fund the construction and development of a two-tower, 233-room four-star hotel and casino complex located in Clark Freeport Zone, Clark, Pampanga, Philippines.
- 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 GMR Megawide Cebu Airport Corporation (GMCAC) in the Philippine peso and U.S. dollar term loan and bridge loan facilities provided by a syndicate of Philippine banks and the Asian Development Bank for the purpose of financing the rehabilitation and modernization of the Mactan-Cebu International Airport
- Acted as counsel to a Philippine petroleum company in the financing of the construction of its depots, rehabilitation of acquired gas stations, and construction of new gas stations
- Acted as counsel to a Philippine bank in the grant of a term loan facility for the development, construction, operation, management and maintenance of an integrated coconut processing facility located in Palawan, Philippines.
Mergers & Acquisitions
- Acting as lead counsel to the buyer group on the on-going divestment by one of the largest Philippine conglomerates of its food and feeds manufacturing business.
Real Estate
- Acted as counsel to real estate developer on various issues involving the operations and regulatory compliance relating to an IT park located in Imus, Cavite, Philippines.
- Acting as counsel to real estate developer on regulatory, tax and corporate matters relating to the development and construction of commercial and residential condominium buildings, including the setting up of condominium corporations.
Tax
- Acting as counsel for estate planning and settlement of estates of individual clients.
- Acting as counsel to a manufacturing company listed with the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE), in connection with a share-swap transaction, qualifying as a tax-free exchange under the Philippine Tax Code.
The Asia Pacific Legal 500
- Banking & Finance – Leading Individual (2023); Recommended Lawyer (2014-2023)
- Real Estate and Construction – Recommended Lawyer (2021, 2023)
Corporate and M&A – Recommended Lawyer (2021-2023) - Tax – Recommended Lawyer (2021-2023)
- Projects and Energy – Recommended Lawyer (2019, 2021)
‘People of MVGS think out of the box, providing solutions to deals/transaction. Special mention to Rosalia Bartolome-Alejo for this’.
‘Rosalia S. Bartolome-Alejo is a genius. Her ability to dissect issues and provide precise and practical solutions are key to the successful outcomes of our projects’.
‘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’
‘Atty. Rosalia Alejo is very focused and sincerely cares about finding out the best solutions for our concerns. Its more than a job for her and her team.’
‘The way she provides opinion and contracts covers not only the legal aspect but also the commercial side.’
‘Led by Rosalia Bartolome-Alejo, Martinez Vergara Gonzalez & Serrano’s tax practice handles tax planning and disputes involving national and local authorities. The practice additionally acts cross-departmentally to handle the tax aspects of transactions. The team is also increasingly active in estate planning.’
IFLR 1000: The Guide to the World’s Leading Financial Law Firms
‘They are the best in the industry, are very innovative, and receptive to the needs of their client.’
- Member, Integrated Bar of the Philippines
- Member, Tax Management Association of the Philippines (TMAP)
- Trained Arbitrator, Philippine Dispute Resolution Center, Inc. (PDRCI)
- Co-contributor, “Protecting Minority Investors in Philippines”, World Bank Group, Doing Business 2021 edition.
- Co-author, “LexisNexis Foreign Investment Law Guide: Philippines Chapter” (2017-2018 edition).