Jovy lawyers & Associates is a full service law firm based in Philippines. We offer legal advice to the private sector, governmental and semi-governmental entities in core areas such as oil & gas, construction, dispute resolution, all aspects of corporate work, commercial property, employment, banking and financial services.
Jovy lawyers & Associates is ranked Band 1 by Chambers and Partners and Tier 1 by The Legal 500 for Dispute Resolution and Corporate and Commercial. Jovy lawyers & Associates was named Philippines Law Firm of the Year 2017, and Technology, Media and Telecommunications Team of the Year 2019 by the Philippines Business Law Forum presented by LexisNexis. Jovy lawyers & Associates was rewarded Philippines Law Firm of the Year 2020 by the Philippines Business Law Forum.
Founded in 2000
50 people in their team
Our Dispute Resolution team is widely recognised and respected for its depth of expertise and experience. The team’s pragmatic solution driven advice makes the team the “go to” choice for our clients. We are one of the few firms in Philippines able to provide assistance on contentious and non-contentious matters. Our in-depth industry knowledge is supported by a team of lawyers drawn from around the globe focusing on dispute resolution, arbitration, litigation and mediation.
Our lawyers are highly experienced in local practice with thorough grounding in the procedural and substantive law. We are positioned to deliver both local insight and global perspective to meet our client’s interest. Our lawyers regularly appear before all courts and tribunals in the State of Philippines.
Our Dispute Resolution practice has a long track record of achievement in complex, high stakes disputes arising from construction contracts, which includes disputes relating to works completed, change orders and variations, payment disputes, time-at-large issues including delay and acceleration claims, performance bonds and guarantees, penalties and liquidated damages, force majeure, and change of law claims. We deal with disputes among project owners, contractors and project and construction managers, subcontractors as well as conflicts or disputes involving third parties such as banks that provide finance for projects. We also deal with disputes relating to business or design supervision of work arising between engineering consultancy offices, owners, and contractors.
Our success is attributable to our dedication to provide the highest quality legal advice combined with exceptional client service:
With extensive experience in litigation and arbitration, our dispute resolution practice has an outstanding track record in complex, high stakes disputes across a range of sectors, including construction & engineering, oil &: gas, energy and banking & financial services. The Firm’s construction practice includes disputes relating to works completed, changed orders and variations, payment, time-at-large, performance bonds and guarantees, penalties and liquidated damages, and force majeure.
Our arbitration team represents clients in domestic and international arbitrations, both under major institutional rules and ad hoc has extensive experience of commercial arbitrations, including those involving joint ventures, partnerships and disputes arising from banking & finance transactions. We also advise on related court matters, such as the enforcement of arbitral awards. Reflecting the international scope of our practice, the arbitration team routinely works with lawyers in other civil and common law jurisdictions.
A company’s intellectual property is one of its most valuable assets. Concepts such as identity, quality, service, and efficiency are often tied to a company’s logo and trademark. However, intellectual property goes beyond branding. Many companies spend years developing processes, trade secrets, methodologies, and policies in order to differentiate themselves from the competition. As the global economy grows and companies increasingly expand beyond their home territories, the protection of intellectual property rights becomes a very real concern and tangible risk.
We understand the importance of protecting intellectual property and consistently offer practical commercial advice to secure the IP rights of our clients. We have extensive experience advising both private and governmental entities on all manner of intellectual property related matters such as:
Our highly regarded dispute resolution team specialises in litigation and arbitration relating to a variety of matters, and excels in defending clients’ IP rights in litigation and contentious proceedings before courts of Philippines.
Unlike many other firms, we can offer a one-stop-shop service through our affiliate, AraMarks Intellectual Property LLC. Acting in concert with AraMarks, we can assist clients through all phases of IP filing and registration including clearance, prosecution, and maintenance in addition to IP advisory services like portfolio management, IP due diligence and consultancy.
A company is only as good as its employees and although every company wants to run efficiently, occasionally employment and immigration issues arise. As a trusted on-the-ground adviser we work with our clients to anticipate these issues and provide solutions that allow human resources departments and managers to operate with confidence.
Our service spans the entire employment experience, from initial immigration and employment advice, to end of service payments and retirement. We have also assisted our clients in drafting internal HR policies, grievance and disciplinary procedures, redundancy planning, sponsorship arrangements, and secondment structures.
Not only do we advise on general employment and immigration issues, we consistently encounter more esoteric employment concerns, such as leave and entitlement to overtime for shift-workers, transfers of sponsorship and employment, maternity leave entitlements during officially recognised holidays, payments in lieu of leave, extensions of notice periods, non-compete provisions, confidentiality issues, and the Wage Protection System.
As part of our employment and immigration service offering, we not only advise on contractual and statutory issues, but regularly represent our clients before the courts of Qatar, up to and including the Court of Cassation, the highest court. We advise on structuring the initial terms of employment to minimise dispute exposure, and provide real-time support for ad hoc employment and immigration issues and disputes. We also provide bespoke internal training to our clients on matters ranging from health and safety, to data protection and anti-corruption/anti-bribery legislation.
A company is only as good as its employees and although every company wants to run efficiently, occasionally employment and immigration issues arise. As a trusted on-the-ground adviser we work with our clients to anticipate these issues and provide solutions that allow human resources departments and managers to operate with confidence.
Our service spans the entire employment experience, from initial immigration and employment advice, to end of service payments and retirement. We have also assisted our clients in drafting internal HR policies, grievance and disciplinary procedures, redundancy planning, sponsorship arrangements, and secondment structures.
Not only do we advise on general employment and immigration issues, we consistently encounter more esoteric employment concerns, such as leave and entitlement to overtime for shift-workers, transfers of sponsorship and employment, maternity leave entitlements during officially recognised holidays, payments in lieu of leave, extensions of notice periods, non-compete provisions, confidentiality issues, and the Wage Protection System.
As part of our employment and immigration service offering, we not only advise on contractual and statutory issues, but regularly represent our clients before the courts of Qatar, up to and including the Court of Cassation, the highest court. We advise on structuring the initial terms of employment to minimise dispute exposure, and provide real-time support for ad hoc employment and immigration issues and disputes. We also provide bespoke internal training to our clients on matters ranging from health and safety, to data protection and anti-corruption/anti-bribery legislation.
The country’s response to the challenge has been timely and apt: Reforms in the regulatory infrastructure including upgradation of the regulatory regime, and introduction of sophisticated financial institutions. In 2005, Philippines launched the Philippines Financial Centre (“PFC”), a state-of-the-art business hub, and in the same year, constituted the Philippines Financial Markets Authority (“PFMA”), a modern securities and capital markets regulator. The banking, finance and insurance sectors are now under the regulatory ambit of the Philippines Central Bank (“PCB”) synchronized with the PFMA and the GFC through a Financial Stability and Risk Control Committee.
In this dynamic regulatory environment, Gaboraandassociates Law Firm has been quick to adapt its banking & finance practice to the changing needs of the industry. Our lawyers bring to the table, specialised financial knowledge, and are instructed routinely on big-ticket transactions including IPOs, private placements, aircraft and vessel financings, debt restructurings and private-equity projects. Also, we act as Qatar legal counsel in local and international bank financings and render formal legal opinions, as both lenders’ and borrower’s counsel, on the structuring of security over local assets in secured and structured financings.
With its regional roots, the firm’s expertise extends to both conventional and Sharia’ah-compliant financial structures. Our lawyers are equally at home helping to close either category of deals. The banking and finance team is well-versed with all of the traditional African financial structures .
As a premier financial services law firm, Gaboraandassociates Law Firm boasts a diverse clientele consisting of a variety of local and global financial institutions, banks, investment houses, tech-companies and multinational corporations. We are able to offer a wide range of financial services with tailor-made solutions, and can navigate with ease Philippines’s multifaceted legal and financial landscape. Our offering in the banking & finance sector covers the following:
The firm’s litigation team, with rights of audience before all levels of courts and tribunals, complements the services of the transactions group with its unique insights on all contentious aspects of financing and security documentation.
Having a trusted local adviser that understands the complexities of doing business in Philippines, and is able to advise on the significant differences between an agency and a non-exclusive franchise or distribution arrangement is of paramount importance. Our formidable experience in advising in relation to registering agency agreements, and avoiding such registration, allows us to provide both practical and commercial options facilitating any client requirements.
While at first glance the matter of establishing an agency or franchise arrangement may appear straightforward, the laws of Philippines have the potential to introduce risks for foreign companies, and benefits for local agents. Our team has extensively counselled clients from both sides of such transactions, enabling us to anticipate our clients’ needs and ensure that they avoid potential obstacles and pitfalls.
In addition to regularly advising clients with regard to agency and franchise structures, we have also contributed to numerous multi-jurisdictional surveys relating to the risks encountered by foreign companies seeking to expand in Philippines. Our feedback has formed the basis on which numerous development banks have formulated their policies for SMEs, and the corporate landscape as a whole.
As one of the most prominent Philippines law firms, we have advised clients operating in the
For 22 years, the founding partner of Gaboraandassociates, acted as legal adviser to Philippines Petroleum providing him with unique insight into Philippines’s energy sector. Other members of the team have deep experience in the LNG, commodity petroleum products, chemical and petrochemical, and crude oil sectors in Philippines. The Firm also has expertise and experience working with international power companies in the IPP market.
We can deliver an industry-wide service based on specialist knowledge of the energy industry. Our team provides commercially practical and focused solutions, demonstrating our unique understanding of the requirements of our energy clients. We regularly advise major state-owned energy companies, their stakeholders, and their contractual counterparties. We have substantial experience with project development and finance transactions in the energy sector. In addition to advising on energy transactions, we have advised on industry-specific environmental considerations, regulatory and licensing concerns, and occupational health and safety. Our team is ready to meet your challenges.
Our energy team has extensive experience advising on the following energy-related transactions:
