PANEL OF JUDGES

We are honored to present our distinguished panel of judges, whose expertise and dedication have been pivotal in ensuring the highest standards of evaluation. Their commitment to fairness and excellence is deeply appreciated, and we are grateful for their invaluable contributions. Thank you for your unwavering support and for helping us celebrate the best in our field.

Anjuli Sivaramakrishnan
Counsel, Asian Development Bank

With over two decades of expertise in advising clients on debt and equity financing, Anjuli brings a wealth of experience across a broad spectrum of banking products and modalities. Her extensive background includes providing strategic counsel to multinational clients on the legal and regulatory frameworks governing acquisitions, joint ventures, debt and equity investments.

In 2022, Anjuli moved from private practice into an in-house role with the Asian Development Bank in the Philippines and has since had the opportunities to work on corporate finance, direct equity and investment fund transactions across Asia. As a development partner to the private sector in each the developing member countries, the financing ADB provides’ aims to bridge the gap between the sources of available finance. The end use of funds is to achieve different development outcomes aligned with country partnership strategies.

In transactional work, Anjuli provides advice on structuring debt and equity transactions, documenting the rights and obligations of parties and protection of the interest of ADB as a lender or investor. She has also worked on various policy initiatives, such as the OGC climate law program and the ADB corporate results framework.

Arthur Autea
President, Philippine Institute of Construction Arbitrators and Mediators

Mr. Autea graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science (cum laude) and a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of the Philippines.

Mr. Autea has been in the practice of litigation for more than 35 years since his admission to the Philippine Bar and he has been practicing arbitration for almost 30 years after he joined a global firm, where he became a partner, before subsequently joining the government as Deputy Executive Secretary at the Office of the President of the Philippines. At present, he is running his own law firm specializing in commercial and construction arbitration, either as an advocate or as an arbitrator, under various arbitration rules in different jurisdictions. 

Barney Almazar
Director, Gulf Law

Barney Almazar was the Philippines' first recipient of the Asian Legal Business (ALB) Young Lawyer of the Year award in 2016 and was later named Young Lawyer of the Year for Southeast Asia in 2017. Recognized by Thomson Reuters as one of Asia's 40 Under 40 and a MENA Super 50 Lawyer, Atty. Almazar stands out as a leading figure in the legal field across multiple regions. Atty. Almazar heads the commercial practice of Gulf Law, representing clients in the Philippines, UAE, UK, and Portugal.

He is currently representing an American conglomerate in a high-stakes tender process involving USD 2.4 billion in military contracts across Southeast Asia. Atty. Almazar has been honored as one of The Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) of the Philippines for law, in recognition for his contributions to the Filipino community. He was also commended by the Philippine Senate for his dedication to protecting the rights and interests of over 3 million Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) worldwide.

Bernard Malibiran
General Counsel and Vice President for Legal, Compliance & Security, Republic Cement

Bong Malibiran is currently the General Counsel and Vice President for Legal, Compliance & Security of Republic Cement—a joint venture between global building materials leader, CRH plc, and Aboitiz Equity Ventures, a regional conglomerate engaged in power, banking, and many other businesses.

As General Counsel of Republic Cement, he is a member of its Management Committee, managing the legal & compliance strategies and requirements of the group, responsible for vetting and selecting different law firms that fit the group’s requirements. He is recognized by the Legal500 as among the top General Counsels in the 2023 GC Powerlist Philippines and 2024 GC Powerlist Elite Philippines.

In his years of practice, Bong has extensive experience in the various facets of law, particularly in corporate and commercial law, financing and corporate structuring, securities transactions, mergers and acquisitions, contracts, labor and dispute resolution, energy, construction, banking, intellectual property, competition law, data privacy, and compliance among others.

In managing the legal risks of Republic Cement, Bong is a very solutions-oriented and progressive lawyer, who believes that the value of lawyering is not limited to the sound legal advice given, but extends to understanding the needs and goals of businesses and clients and crafting a way forward for them.

Cecilia Agatep
AVP – Legal, Asian Terminals Inc.

Since 2016, Cecil Agatep has been heading the legal department of Asian Terminals Inc (ATI), a publicly-listed Philippine seaport terminal operator. Her expertise include port concessions, commercial contracts, corporate structuring, and business development, supporting both the port operator and its affiliates in navigating regulatory and commercial landscapes.

In 2023, Cecil took on a concurrent role as General Counsel for DP World in Southeast Asia, and has been overseeing legal matters and transactions related to ports & terminals and logistics across this sub-region. She holds a law degree from the University of the Philippines, and held previous in-house role in a life insurance company and associate for two Makati-based law firms.  Her comprehensive background uniquely positions her to address the challenges of the Southeast Asian market while supporting Asian Terminals’ and DP World’s growth plans in the region.

Fernando S. Penarroyo
Chairperson, Professional Regulatory Board of Geology

FERNANDO S. PEÑARROYO is currently the Chairperson, Professional Regulatory Board of Geology at Professional Regulation Commission. He is also the Managing Partner at the Peñarroyo and Palanca Law Offices. Having worked for government, private sector (both locally and internationally), and academe, he acquired the legal, financial, and technical educational background and experience in the resources, energy, and infrastructure industries.

Atty. Penarroyo has received formal recognition from his peers and industry by being involved in arbitration proceedings as member of Panel of Arbitrators in high-value and impact cases. He was the former President of the Geological Society of the Philippines and is the current Vice President of the Philippine Mining and Exploration Association. He was also former Presidential Adviser for Energy of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines. He lectured at the Asian Institute of Technology, MBA-JD Program of the De La Salle-FEU Institute of Law, and the University of the Philippines National Institute of Geological Sciences.

He obtained his Bachelor of Science in Geology and Bachelor of Laws from UP, and Master of Laws from the University of Melbourne. This year he was the recipient of the prestigious Distinguished Alumnus Award for Geoscience given by the UP Alumni Association. 

Geraldine Meneses-Terrible
General Counsel, Jones Lang Lasalle

Geraldine Meneses-Terrible is an accomplished legal professional serving as the General Counsel for South East Asia at Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL). Leading a team of 6 lawyers, she provides invaluable strategic legal advice to executive leadership and regional management, bolstering business objectives and navigating legal complexities across all business lines in South East Asia.

Geraldine plays a pivotal role in corporate restructuring initiatives and the acquisition of new businesses in the region. She has worked on developing and implementing legal policies, guidelines, and contracts to ensure steadfast compliance with local laws and regulations. With a remarkable legal career spanning over 15 years, Geraldine brings substantial expertise to the table, offering guidance on a broad spectrum of corporate matters, including contract negotiations, compliance, and risk management.

She works closely with cross-functional teams to ensure legal compliance within business operations and effectively supports corporate initiatives. Geraldine's contributions have been instrumental in navigating legal complexities and fostering favorable outcomes for JLL in the South East Asia market.

Ma. Donna Mendoza
General Counsel, Pru Life UK

Donna Mendoza has over ten years of experience as in-house counsel, having honed expertise in insurance, financial services, and corporate governance aside from general legal practice. Currently serving as Vice President for Legal and Corporate Secretary of a leading insurance company, Donna provides strategic legal support across a variety of business functions, including regulatory compliance, labor and employment, and commercial contracts.

Donna holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of the Philippines and studied Economics at the Ateneo de Manila University.

Maria Lourdes Dino
Senior Legal Counsel – Anti-Corruption/Anti-Money Laundering for Asia, Shell
As a Subject Matter Expert (“SME”), Lou provides specialist legal advice to Shell entities across Asia Pacific on ABC/AML legal matters and other economic crimes, with particular focus on US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”) and UK Bribery Act (“UKBA”). Her scope cuts across Shell’s various operations including downstream, upstream, integrated gas, and new energies businesses. Cross-border M&A deals and investigations remain prominent in her portfolio.

Lou joined Shell in 2012 as business counsel for Downstream Philippines supporting Manufacturing, Lubricants Supply Chain, and various corporate matters as Assistant Corporate Secretary. In said role, she led various Philippine deals as local counsel including the LPG Terminal divestment, refinery upgrade, Php18B rights issue and initial public offering of the Shell Philippine entity. She then moved to the global Shell Ethics & Compliance Office in 2017 as Ethics & Compliance Manager (“ECM”) for The Philippines & Thailand. As first point of contact and adviser on internal interpretation and implementation of ABC/AML, data privacy, anti-trust, sanctions, and information management policies, Lou sat in the Philippine and Thailand Country Coordination Teams, directly supporting Country Chairpersons and organizational Vice-Presidents.

Lou successfully completed her Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (“CAMS”) Testing Certification in 2022, demonstrating her proficiency and commitment in her current area of practice. She completed her Bachelor’s degree in Political Science at the University of the Philippines – Diliman graduating Cum Laude in 2001 and her Juris Doctor degree at the Ateneo School of Law in 2005. She was admitted to the Philippine bar in 2006.

Maria Lourdes Lim
Tax Managing Partner, PwC Philippines

Malou leads the tax practice of the Philippine office. She has more than 26 years of professional and extensive experience in providing tax services for various multinational and local companies of different industries such as Financial Services, Real Estate, Consumer & Industrial Products and Services (CIPS), Business Process Outsourcing, Energy, Oil & Gas.

Her core experience includes corporate structuring and taxation, with emphasis on in-bound and out-bound investment planning; cross-border acquisitions; advisory on the application and interpretation of domestic laws on tax, investment, corporate and securities regulations; restructuring/reorganization; mergers & acquisitions; tax due diligence/tax health check review; tax assessments and refund claims. From April 2001 to December 2002, Malou joined the government upon invitation of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue as Technical Consultant for Legal and Operations. Prior to joining the firm, her other professional experience includes working as an accountant and as a financial analyst.

She earned her degree in Bachelor of Laws from San Beda University, Manila. Prior to law, she finished Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) at the Philippine School of Business Administration. She has completed the Comparative Tax Policy and Administration Program at the Harvard Kennedy School, Cambridge, Massachusetts, the Asia Leadership Program at INSEAD Singapore and attended various PwC training & conferences.   

Nathan Marasigan
Partner, Mage Partners

Nathan J. Marasigan is a lawyer with a passion for technology and innovation. He authored “Opening the Archipelago: the Story of Blockchain in the Philippines”, the first book focusing on live use cases and blockchain projects founded and/or flourished by Filipinos.

He is a founding partner at MLaw, focusing on the innovation group which handles several projects in the tech, fintech, blockchain, and web3 space. Atty. Marasigan was formerly General Counsel of UBX, the corporate venture studio and fintech subsidiary of UnionBank of the Philippines; providing support for the company’s venture capital fund, its different ventures (payments, embedded banking, lending platform, open finance, tech), and pioneering initiatives (open finance, cryptocurrency staking pool) among others. He also previously headed UnionBank Fintech Group’s legal unit, advising and preparing the documentation for its novel initiatives such as the virtual currency ATM, token custody and escrow services, stablecoin, remittances through blockchain, and bond tokenization.He was Chief of Staff to the Chairman of the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC), pushing for novel competitive selection processes in the procurement of energy, as well as retail competition and open access. He would later on serve as the ERC’s Head of Legal.

Atty. Marasigan started his career at the prestigious Angara Abello Concepcion Regala & Cruz (ACCRA) Law Office. He obtained his Juris Doctor and Bachelor of Arts in Political Science degrees from the University of the Philippines in Diliman, where he also served as an Editor and, later, Chairman of the Philippine Law Journal Editorial Board.

Renante Rodrigo
Head of Legal and Compliance, Boehringer Ingelheim (Philippines)

Atty. Renante Rodrigo is currently the Head of Legal and Compliance of Boehringer Ingelheim (Philippines), Inc. Boehringer Ingelheim is a biopharmaceutical company active in both human and animal health.

He leads the Legal & Compliance team covering 3 legal entities in Philippines. Prior to joining Boehringer Ingelheim, he worked with Abbott, Novo Nordisk, and Johnson & Johnson.

Rodel Taton, LLM., DCL
Dean, Graduate School of Law of San Sebastian College- Recoletos

He is now the Dean of the Graduate School of Law of San Sebastian College- Recoletos (SSC-R), Manila. He has degrees in BA Political Science, Juris Doctor, Master of Laws and Doctor of Civil Law. He trained for international arbitration at the Grotius Centre for International Legal Studies at the Universitat Leiden in partnership with the Permanent Court for Arbitration at the Hague, Netherlands. He is also an alumnus of the Hague Academy of International Law where he had his Basic and Directed Studies on Public International Law, Netherlands.

As advocate and ADR practitioner, he founded the newest Philippine Institute of Dispute Resolution and  Arbitration (PIDRA) together with some educators and practitioners-advocates that seeks to bridge peace, expertise, technology and development. Formerly, he was national consultant of UN FAO on ADR. As certified neutral and assessor for arbitration and mediation by the OADR, he is active in the ADR scene in the country and the ASEAN-EU connect.

He runs a program called Consumers Desk  previously at IBC 13 and now online, advocating for consumer rights and protection. 

Roel Refran
Executive Vice-President & Chief Operating Officer, Philippine Stock Exchange, Inc. (PSE)

Atty. Roel Arco Refran is the Executive Vice-President & Chief Operating Officer of The Philippine Stock Exchange, Inc. (PSE). Early on in his career, he was an associate at SyCip Salazar Hernandez and Gatmaitan and thereafter joined public service as chief of staff of Sen. Ralph G. Recto who chaired the Senate Ways & Means Committee. He also worked at ACCRALAW before joining PSE.

Roel passionately leads the sustainability initiatives of the PSE. In 2023, he was a speaker at the UN Climate Change Conference, Conference of the Parties (COP 28), in Dubai to share perspectives on how the capital markets can be an enabler for national programs for corporates to transition to a more sustainable business for the benefit of all stakeholders and help achieve the nationally determined contributions (NDCs) for the Philippines. He served as chair of the Capital Markets Development Committee of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), and he is presently the President and Chairman of the Philippine Fulbright Scholars Association. Roel is a member of the Commercial Law Department of the Philippine Judicial Academy (PHILJA) and he serves as a Professorial Lecturer 1 in the PHILJA Corps of Professors.
Roel has been in the academe for more than two decades. He is a Professor of Law at Ateneo Law School and a Professorial Lecturer at the University of the Philippines Virata School of Business. He is an Adjunct Faculty at the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) for its MBA and Master in International Business Law (MIBL) programs. Roel is a certified public accountant and lawyer, having earned his accountancy degree from the University of the Philippines (Diliman) and his Juris Doctor degree from the Ateneo Law School. He later on pursued his MBA as a Fulbright Scholar at the Emory University Goizueta Business School in Atlanta, GA, USA.

UP Virata School of Business recognized Roel in 2014 as a Distinguished Alumni Awardee. Just recently, Roel was conferred the 2024 Ateneo Law Distinguished Alumnus Award in recognition of his contributions to the academe and the development of the Philippine capital market 

Rosa Margarita A. De Guzman
General Counsel, McDonald’s Philippines (Golden Arches Development Corporation)

Atty. Rosa Margarita A. De Guzman joined the McDonald’s Philippines (Golden Arches Development Corporation) in 2017, bringing her dedication and unique perspective to the company as General Counsel. As General Counsel, she provides strategic legal and business advice to the Board of Directors, Executive Committee, and Management Committee.

She concurrently holds positions of Corporate Secretary, Compliance Officer, and Data Protection Officer (DPO) of McDonald’s Philippines. Board of Trustee and Corporate Secretary, Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Philippines, Inc. (RMHC). Corporate Secretary, Galenica Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Corporate Secretary, Lejal Laboratories, Inc. And as a representative of the Retail Sector in the Data Privacy Council of the National Privacy Commission (2024)

She finished her Juris Doctor at the University of the Philippines College of Law (Order of the Purple Feather, Honor Society) and B.S. Management, major in Legal Management, minor in Marketing in the Ateneo De Manila University.

Ryan Espiritu
Regional Data Protection Officer and Legal Counsel - APAC and the Middle East, 
Western Union

Ryan N. Espiritu is currently the Regional Data Protection Officer and Legal Counsel of Western Union supporting APAC and the Middle East. He is an IAPP Certified Information Privacy Professional for Asia (CIPP/Asia) and one of the pioneer privacy practitioners in the Philippines.

Prior to joining Western Union, he was the General Legal Counsel & Global GSC Privacy Counsel of 3M Global Service Center – Philippines and the Legal Affairs Manager & Data Protection Officer of Emerson Electric Asia, Ltd. – ROHQ.  His areas of practice include data privacy, labor & employment, litigation, and intellectual property.

He started his legal career with Chan Robles & Associates Law Firm. He finished his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Nueva Caceres School of Law and undergraduate degree in BS Legal Management from the Ateneo de Naga University.

Ryan Jeremiah Donato Quan
Full-time Faculty & Graduate Legal Studies Institute Coordinator, Ateneo Law School

Ryan Jeremiah Donato Quan is a full-time labor law and human rights professor at the Ateneo de Manila University School of Law (ALS). He is concurrently the Program Officer of the Graduate Legal Studies Institute, the ALS unit in charge of the Master of Laws (LL.M.) program, academic linkages, and internalization efforts. He is also the Research Coordinator of the ALS, and sits as a member of the Thesis Committee. Ryan’s areas of teaching and research include international human rights law, women’s rights and gender issues, labor and employment law, child rights, business and human rights, human rights education, and environmental issues in the context of human rights. He has articles and book chapters on these themes published locally and internationally. Among his publications are Human Rights and Gender Dynamics of Climate Change (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2019), The Best Interests of the Child and Parental Authority in Philippine Family Law (Routledge, 2021), and Beyond Resilience: Protecting the Rights of Internally Displaced Persons in Dulag, Leyte, in the Wake of Super Typhoon Haiyan (Routledge, 2020). Beyond Resilience was recognized as the Outstanding Scholarly Work with Most Social Impact Award during the Ateneo de Manila University Scholarly Work Awards 2021. He is the author of Not to BeLABOR the Point, a case book series containing briefs of Labor Law jurisprudence published by Rex Book Store.

Ryan completed his undergraduate degrees in Development Studies and Legal Management at De La Salle University – Manila in 2004. He then obtained his Juris Doctor degree from Ateneo in 2008, and was admitted to the Philippine Bar in 2009. In 2015, he was conferred a Master of Laws in International Human Rights Law degree, summa cum laude, by the University of Notre Dame du lac (Indiana, USA), where he was a scholar of its Klau Institute for Civil and Human Rights 

Walter Mactal
SVP & Chief Legal and Administrative Officer, Newport World Resorts – Philippines

Atty. Walter L. Mactal is a Senior Vice President & the Chief Legal and Administrative Officer of Newport World Resorts, Philippines. With more than 12 years of relevant experience in the gaming industry, he has acquired an in-depth understanding of the integrated resort landscape and its various facets including gaming, entertainment, hotel, and F&B. As a lawyer, he has broad experience in litigation, corporate and regulatory compliance, labor relations, and contract drafting and negotiation. He started his career at the Poblador Bautista & Reyes Law Offices after he was admitted to the bar. He was recognized in 2023 as one of the top Philippine in-house lawyers in the Legal 500’s GC Powerlist and the Newport World Resorts’ Legal Department was recognized and included in the GC Powerlist Philippines Teams 2024.

Winnie R. Lardizabal-Morales 
Deputy General Counsel, ENGIE Asia, Middle East & Africa

Winnie is the Deputy General Counsel of ENGIE Asia-Pacific Middle East Africa (AMEA) Regional Hub and is currently based in Dubai, U.A.E.  ENGIE is a global leader in the fields of electricity generation and distribution, renewable energy, natural gas, and client solutions, headquartered in La Défense, Courbevoie, France. Winnie has been with ENGIE since 2015, starting with ENGIE Philippines as senior legal counsel, then transferring to ENGIE Asia-Pacific in Bangkok, Thailand and later on moving to Singapore where she held the role of Deputy General Counsel-Interim General Counsel of ENGIE Asia Pacific, before assuming her new role in the ENGIE Dubai office.  Prior to joining ENGIE, Winnie started as an associate/senior associate in various top tier law firms in the Philippines. She then became the head of legal and compliance of CalEnergy RHQ (now, Berkshire Hathaway Energy) and thereafter assumed the role of General Counsel of Enfinity Asia-Pacific RHQ, both of which were engaged in the management, operation, maintenance, acquisition, and development of renewable energy projects in Asia-Pacific. Winnie’s legal practice is primarily focused on corporate/commercial, tax, and power/energy law related matters.

And many more!