Legal Officer with rank of Senior Manager
Bank of the Philippine Islands
Total years of experience :19 years, 4 months
• Legal Risk Management Function (Risk Assessment)
1. Assists and/or coordinates with the Head of the Legal Services Division and/or departments in it by providing legal risk advice/opinion to management, and/or referring units or external counsel for issues or concerns which are not yet the subject matter of a litigation process.
2. Assists and/or coordinates with the Head of Legal Services Division, its departments, particularly the Litigation Department and/or referring units/external counsel, as the need arises, in the legal risk assessment of existing or pending litigated cases and determine whether a cessation of litigation will be for the benefit of the BPI Group by means of compromise or other alternative dispute resolutions as a tactical litigation approach with the end goal of reduction of unnecessary cost to the BPI Group.
3. Assists the Head of Legal and/or referring units including external counsel in implementing the tactical litigation procedures to maximize recovery or mitigate liability of the BPI Group.
4. Participates in discussions and coordinates with the other Legal departments or units of the BPI Group, as the need arises, to identify potential legal risks arising from enactment of new laws, revision/amendment of laws, issuances or amendments of implementing rules and regulations, company practices, queries, issues, concerns of the BPI Group with proposed corrective or mitigating measures to avoid or limit BPI Group’s exposure to liability.
5. Issues prompt, effective, timely and accessible (PETA) opinions for existing or pending litigated matters and for client complaints or pre-litigation stage concerns.
6. Attends meetings and issues legal advisories for the BPI Group of companies.
7. Drafts, reviews, and/or revises company policies and procedures, communications, templates, or clauses, upon request by referring units.
• Oversight Monitoring - External Counsel
1. Conducts legal risk assessment of cases handled by external counsel.
2. Rates or assists in the rating of the performance of engaged or retained external counsel including: (i) streamlining the accreditation process of external counsel and (ii) maintaining or terminating legal services of external counsel.
• Special Projects
1. Assists in the conceptualization, development and documentation of policies to increase efficiency of litigation and pre-litigation services of the Legal Services Division.
2. Assists in the implementation of the division's policies relating to external counsel.
3. Implements legal policies relating to internal Legal processes that seek to increase the effectivity and efficiency of the Legal Services Division.
• Attended court and administrative hearings for various cases
• Prepared pleadings and other documentation relative to each case portfolio
• Prepared and reviewed various types of contracts
• Participated in due diligence work
• Participated in the negotiation and preparation of requirements for different types of agreements
• Drafted legal opinions, memoranda, briefs, etc. for corporate clients
• Handled corporate registration matters and other requirements for doing business in the country as prescribed by the Securities and Exchange Commission and other government agencies
• Acted as corporate secretary for corporate clients
• Conducted liaison work with government agencies with respect to client concerns
• Supervised junior lawyers in handling cases
• Was active in the development of client portfolio of the firm for pharmaceutical companies
*LEGAL OFFICER/CORPORATE COUNSEL, LEGAL AFFAIRS,
HUMAN RESOURCES AND ADMINISTRATION (LAHRA)
• House counsel for all aspects of legal affairs, human resources and administrative corporate affairs
• Prepared various types of contracts
• Reviewed contractual terms and conditions to identify risks and rewards.
• Responsible for the schedule and coordination of contract and agreement review with internal departments.
• Developed draft changes to contracts and prepared necessary documents for effective presentation to management.
• Supervised the day to day activities of the department staff.
• Acted as the focal point and liaison officer to other government agencies, instrumentalities and other business partners.
• Processed, prepared, issued announcements, and launched packages for signed and executed agreements.
• Maintained and communicated contract schedule and terms to the department, and other business units such as sales and marketing, and logistics and supply chain
• Maintained schedule to track contact renewal and expiration dates.
• Assisted with the negotiations of agreements and sales opportunities with business partners.
• Prepared a variety of clear and concise written materials such as legal briefs, legal opinions, executive summaries, correspondences, reports, notices, announcements, etc.
• Prepared and consolidated board materials and dossiers (in behalf of the Corporate Secretary) for the Board of Directors
• Analyzed, developed, and implemented new procedures to improve service to customers, efficiency in the department and/or improvement of margins.
• Managed day-to-day corporate housekeeping
• Integral member of the Management Committee
OTHER DESIGNATIONS
HEAD, Secretariat, Philippine International Trading Corporation and PITC Pharma Inc. Inter-Agency Bids and Awards Committee (IABAC) (November 2007-October 2008)
HEAD, Secretariat, PITC Pharma Inc. Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) (June 2007-February 2008; May-June 2008)
MEMBER, Bids and Awards Committee (BAC)(February 2007- April 2007) (June 2008-October 2008)
• Reported directly to the managing partner with broad ranged responsibilities that encompassed timely and complex preparation of cases from discovery to trial phase
• Liaison between attorneys, clients, law firms and government agencies
• Performed computerized and law library research to obtain and gather case-relevant data and materials
• Prepared content-specific case files for attorneys reflecting supporting forms, documentation and photographs to use during client presentations
• Assisted the law office in legal research and in the preparation of legal forms and pleadings.
Rank: 24 out of 132
Graduated Salutatorian