PHILIPPINES Law and Practice Contributed by: Patricia A O Bunye, Anica Angela G Gomez, Angel Rae N Balbin and Bianca Marie J Angela M Rañola, Cruz Marcelo & Tenefrancia
Cruz Marcelo & Tenefrancia is a top-tier full-service law firm with a strong track record of providing ex - ceptional legal services across various industries. With recognised expertise in intellectual property (IP), among other areas, the firm advises both local and foreign clients throughout the entire IP life cycle, from creation to protection, enforcement and commerciali - sation, to ensure that maximum value is derived. Cruz Marcelo & Tenefrancia provides comprehensive legal
and business-oriented advice to clients to promote innovation and address the complexities of all types of IP commercialisation agreements, including, but not limited to, licensing and franchising agreements. The lawyers are attuned to the business objectives of their clients, tailoring their advice and strategies to maximise the value of IP towards sustainable busi - ness growth.
Authors
Patricia A O Bunye is the managing partner at Cruz Marcelo & Tenefrancia. She is an expert on IP commercialisation, including licensing and franchising, and was president of the Licensing Executives Society
Angel Rae N Balbin specialises in IP, handling IP registration, protection and enforcement, litigation, regulatory matters and commercialisation. Her commercialisation practice involves drafting and reviewing franchising,
International (2016–17), the first Filipino and Southeast Asian to hold this position. In 2020, Patricia received LESI’s Peter K. Hess Award of Achievement (conferred on LESI members who have made lasting contributions to the licensing profession). She wrote the Philippines chapter of International Licensing and Technology Transfer: Practice and the Law. Patricia has been recognised as being among the top 100 lawyers in the Philippines by a major legal directory since 2018, and cited by various international law research publications.
licensing and distributorship agreements, technology transfers, confidentiality and IP-related clauses in commercial contracts, including the registration of such agreements with the IPOPHL. She has provided legal advice on the expansion and development of local and international franchise businesses, and assisted clients in the drafting and review of their organisations’ IP policy. She has also rendered legal opinions on commercial agreements to ensure their compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
Anica Angela G Gomez specialises in litigation and the commercialisation of IP owned by local and foreign compa - nies and individuals. Her commerciali - sation practice includes providing practical and business-focused legal
Bianca Marie J Angela M Rañola is an associate in Cruz Marcelo & Tenefrancia’s IP department with experience in IP commercialisation and litigation, trade mark and patent prosecution, and patent drafting and
advice to clients from various industries, such as food, cosmetics, technology and gaming, among others. Anica has actively assisted in the negotiation, prepa - ration, drafting, review and implementation of various agreements; the conduct of due diligence; the licens - ing and franchising of IP, including the registration of technology transfer agreements with the Philippine Intellectual Property Office (IPOPHL); and regulatory matters. She is a member of the Licensing Executives Society Philippines.
prior art searches, among other things. She has worked with local and international clients to ensure the enforceability of their franchising, licensing and research collaboration agreements, and has provided counsel on regulatory and compliance matters in the Philippines. She also liaises with foreign correspondents on various IP requirements across different industries.
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