Press Releases

SyCipLaw has been named Philippine Law Firm of the Year at the Chambers Asia Pacific and Greater China Region Honours 2026, marking the Firm’s seventh consecutive win and 12th overall award since the distinction was established in 2012.Senior Partner and Head of the Employment and Immigration Department Leslie C. Dy accepted the award on behalf of the Firm during the awards ceremony on May 27, 2026 at The Murray in Hong Kong ...

SyCipLaw has been shortlisted for Philippine Law Firm of the Year at the upcoming Chambers Asia Pacific and Greater China Region Honours 2026. In 2025, the Firm earned the same recognition for the sixth consecutive year, marking its 11th citation since the award’s inception in 2012 ...

SyCipLaw maintained its top-tier rankings in all the categories covered by the Benchmark Litigation Asia Pacific 2026 guide:Tier 1Commercial and transactionsIntellectual propertyLabor and employmentHighly recommendedTaxRecommendedGovernment and regulatoryInternational arbitrationSyCipLaw is also recognized as an Active firm for white collar crime practice, a newly introduced category in this year’s guide ...

SyCipLaw has been shortlisted for Philippine Firm of the Year in the Benchmark Litigation Asia Pacific Awards 2026. The Firm previously received the same recognition in 2021, 2023, and 2024.SyCipLaw Senior Partners Carlos Roberto Z. Lopez and Ramon G. Songco have also been shortlisted for the Philippine Lawyer of the Year award ...

SyCipLaw won the Philippine Law Firm of the Year Award in the Legal 500 Southeast Asia Awards 2026. The Firm took home the same award in 2023 and was cited as the Antitrust & Competition Team of the Year in 2020. Partner Arlene M. Maneja accepted the award on behalf of the Firm at the awards ceremony on April 30, 2026, at the JW Marriott Hotel in Singapore ...

SyCipLaw, through its Intellectual Property (IP) and Technology, Media, and Telecommunications (TMT) practice groups, presented a panel discussion titled “You Prompt It, You Own It? Intellectual Property in the AI Era” at The Legal 500 GC Summit 2026, held on March 26, 2026, at the New World Makati Hotel ...

SyCipLaw’s Litigation and Arbitration Department recently held its Kapihan sa SyCipLaw titled “Dispute Resolution Management” at The Aurora Subic Hotel, Subic Bay Freeport Zone, Olongapo City. The event brought together over 60 business leaders, legal and HR professionals, and senior executives involved in dispute management and strategic decision-making in their respective organizations.Partner and Head of the Subic Branch Emmar Benjoe B ...

SyCipLaw recently held its annual hiring cocktails at the SyCipLaw Center in Makati City, welcoming over 50 top law school seniors from across the Philippines for an evening of meaningful dialogue and engagement.Partner and Hiring Committee Head John Regalado welcomed the attendees and emphasized the importance of pursuing impactful work in the legal profession, and how SyCipLaw can guide them in achieving that goal.In his remarks, Managing Partner Hector M. de Leon, Jr ...

SyCipLaw maintained its Band 1 rankings in the Chambers Global 2026 guide for the following practice areas: Banking & Finance, Corporate/M&A, and Projects, Infrastructure & Energy. The Firm also retained its Spotlight ranking in Banking & Finance: Capital Markets.The following partners were also recognized in this year’s guide:Hector M. de Leon, Jr., Eminent Practitioner in Projects, Infrastructure & EnergyRose Marie M ...

Global research publication WTR1000 has given SyCipLaw a Gold ranking in the 2026 edition of its directory, a ranking the Firm has held since 2021. The WTR1000 research focuses on legal trademark expertise.This year’s edition also names the following SyCipLaw lawyers as Recommended Individuals:Silver ranking:Anthony W ...

SyCipLaw announces the extension of the term of Partner John Christian Joy A. Regalado as Head of the Firm’s Davao branch and the appointment of Partner Emmar Benjoe B. Panahon as Head of the Firm’s Subic Branch, both effective February 1, 2026.John is a member of the Firm’s Litigation department and has extensive experience in arbitral proceedings, product liability, consumer protection, and tax disputes ...

SyCipLaw announces the appointment of retired Senior Partner Imelda A. Manguiat as Of Counsel to the Firm, effective February 1, 2026.In her 38-year career with the Firm, Imelda (or Imee) built an impressive practice focused on corporate and commercial law, spanning a range of industries and areas such as energy, infrastructure, and real estate. During this time, she led numerous high-value projects and represented key clients of the Firm ...

SyCipLaw is pleased to announce the appointment of Benedicto “Benny” P. Panigbatan as the new Head of the Firm’s Corporate Services Department, effective February 1, 2026.Benny, who has been a Partner of the Firm since 2012, is a member of the Firm’s Corporate Services, Special Projects, Tax, and Banking, Finance & Securities practice groups ...

SyCipLaw is pleased to announce the promotion of Roman George P. Castillo, Joachim Alfonso P. Dompor, and Keisha Trina M. Guangko to Senior Associates, effective January 1, 2026.Roman is a tax and commercial lawyer and a CPA with extensive experience in tax disputes, corporate tax restructuring, and regulatory compliance ...

The Philippine Supreme Court released the results of the 2025 Bar Examinations today, January 7, 2026. A total of 5,594 out of 11,420 examinees passed last year’s examinations, for a passing rate of 48.98%.Among the successful 2025 Bar examinees are all of the 31 newest SyCipLaw associates, with Chinzen T. Viernes placing 19th among the top 20.The oath-taking and roll signing ceremonies for the successful bar examinees will take place on February 6, 2026, in the Philippine Arena ...

SyCipLaw has been ranked Tier 1 in all practice areas covered by The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2026 ...

Chambers and Partners, one of the leading and most trusted legal directories, released its Chambers Asia Pacific 2026 Guide ...

SyCipLaw recently conducted a legal seminar and legal aid clinic for the benefit of indigent residents of Pasig City, in partnership with the Office of Pasig City Representative Roman T. Romulo. The initiative forms part of the Unified Legal Aid Service (ULAS) program of the Philippine Supreme Court, which mandates covered lawyers to provide legal assistance to underprivileged and indigent individuals ...

SyCipLaw was named Philippine Law Firm of the Year at the asialaw Awards 2025 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, marking the fourth time the Firm has received the award (it was also cited in 2020, 2022, and 2023). Partner Arlene M. Maneja accepted the award on behalf of the Firm. She was also shortlisted in three categories: Corporate and M&A Lawyer of the Year, Energy Lawyer of the Year, and Philippine Female Lawyer of the Year.The Coca-Cola Philippines US$1 ...

SyCipLaw, in collaboration with the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) and Subic Bay Workforce Foundation, recently held its Kapihan sa SyCipLaw: Updates on Taxation and Employment and Immigration Laws at The Aurora Subic Hotel, Subic Bay Freeport, Olongapo City. The event brought together business owners, in-house counsel, legal and HR professionals, compliance officers, and senior executives involved in regulatory compliance and business operations from SBMA and Manila ...

SyCipLaw maintains its “Outstanding” rankings across all industry sector and practice area categories covered by the asialaw 2025 research ...

SyCipLaw has been recognized as a Tier 1 firm in Tax Controversy in the recently released 2026 edition of the International Tax Review (ITR) World Tax directory. Additionally, the Firm earned a Tier 3 ranking in general corporate tax, which encompasses all tax advisory matters not specifically categorized in a jurisdiction. The Firm has retained these rankings since 2023.Individual lawyers were also recognized by the guide. SyCipLaw Partner and Head of Tax Department Carina C ...

SyCipLaw celebrated its 80th anniversary with an appreciation night on October 3, 2025 at The Fifth at Rockwell. Highlighting the theme and the Firm’s commitment, “Excellence with Purpose,” the event brought together clients, friends, alumni, as well as lawyers and staff of the Firm to honor a legacy of principled practice and client-centric service.The evening opened with welcome remarks from Managing Partner Hector M. de Leon, Jr ...

Saint-Gobain’s acquisition of Fosroc was awarded the Impact Deal of the Year in the International Tax Review (ITR) Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) Awards 2025.SyCipLaw through Partner Camille Angela M. Espeleta-Castillo acted as Philippine counsel to Saint-Gobain on its USD1.025 billion acquisition of Fosroc, a global manufacturer and supplier of high-performance chemicals for the construction industry ...

The Philippine Institute of Arbitrators (PIArb) recently held a seminar entitled “Commercial Mediation: An Introduction”, which was held at the SyCipLaw Center in Makati City. More than 60 legal practitioners, business professionals, government employees, and law students attended the event.In her keynote message, Solicitor General Darlene Marie B ...