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Dr. Fortunato Gupit, Jr.
Partner | Fortunato.Gupit@Romulo.com
(02) 849.2219
Dr. Fortunato Gupit, Jr. is the Chairman, Litigation Department of RMBSA. He joined RMBSA in 1994. His legal work is mainly in litigation, particularly before the appellate courts, like the Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court. He also does corporate work.
Dr. Gupit, so addressed because of his doctorate in law, was admitted to the Philippine Bar in 1958.Practice
Dr. Gupit has been in the active practice of law since 1958, the year that he passed the bar, to the present. It spans a period of 47 years, three years short of fifty years. He combines trial and appellate work, though at present he is basically in appellate work but he goes to court every now and then. He has argued cases before the trial courts, the Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court. At the same time, he is also an academician, having been a law dean for eleven years, lecturing to lawyers and judges for years, producing case digests for newspapers and writing law books. Indulging in legal theory has helped him immensely in his law practice.
Dr. Gupit handled the legal aspects of the privatization of GSIS subsidiaries, such as Philippine Airlines, Philippine Plaza, Boston Bank, Hyatt Hotel and others.
He has done extensive deposition work for Philippine clients in the United States, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Bangkok. When he was the General Counsel of Philippine Airlines, he headed a Philippine team of lawyers for an arbitration in Geneva, Switzerland.
Dr. Gupit regularly advises Philippine and foreign clients on the course of action that should be taken basically on litigation matters. His work includes preparation of court pleadings and memoranda in the trial and appellate courts, formulation of legal opinions, drafting of contracts and all kinds of documents and research work related thereto. He acted as transaction counsel in the sale of a bank to another bank. He was counsel for an underwriter in the securitization of MRT III. In his practice and in his continuing exposure to legal theory, he has acquired experience in civil law, civil and criminal procedure, aviation law, special proceedings, legal research and legal writing. He attended various conferences and seminars abroad, such as on legal education in Washington, D.C., international commercial litigation in Singapore, on international arbitration in Hong Kong, on the Chicago Convention in Singapore, and also on securitization, also in Singapore.
He has often been a speaker at various seminars on such topics as legal writing, law teaching, foreclosure, torts and damages, civil and criminal procedure, and family law.
Professional Activities
Dr. Gupit had occupied academic positions: law dean and professor of law, acting university President, professorial lecturer, and a bar reviewer in several law schools and in review centers.
Dr. Gupit also held government committee positions, as in the Supreme Court Revision of the Rules Committee, Civil Code Revision Committee, Technical Panel on Legal Education and Criminology.
Dr. Gupit's editorial positions included being the managing editor of the Integrated Bar Journal; member, board of editors, Court Systems Journal of the Supreme Court; Board of Editorial Consultants, U.P. Law Center; and Editor, FELTAF Newsletter, publication of the Fellaws of the Asia Foundation.
Dr. Gupit headed professional associations, namely: President: Philippine Association of Law Schools in 1986; President: Philippine Association of Law Professors in 1985; Founder-Adviser: Legal Writing Association of the Philippines., Inc. (LEWAP), 1977; Secretary: Fellows of the Asia Foundation, 1988-1992; Life Member: Philippine Society of International Law; U.P. Law Alumni Association, Philippine Bar Association, International Law Association, Asia Pacific Lawyers' Association, Catholic Lawyers' Guild of the Philippines, Integrated Bar of the Philippines; and Associate, American Bar Association.
Dr. Gupit is also involved in civic, religious and other organizations, as President, Rotary Club of Manila (The First in Asia); President, Quezon City Sports Club; President: U.P. Dramatic Club; Legal Counsel, U.P. Beta Sigma Fraternity Alumni Association, Inc.; Grand Knight, Holy Spirit Council; District Deputy, State Warden, State Advocate, and Chairman, Historical Committee: Knights of Columbus in the Philippines.
He helped draft the Family Code (1988), the Revised Rules of Evidence (1985), and the 1988 Amendments to the Rules on Criminal Procedure, the Revised Rule on Summary Procedure (1991), and the 1997 Rules on Civil Procedure, and, partly, the 2000 Rules on Criminal Procedure. Dr. Gupit wrote the basic drafts of the current Policies and Standards on Legal Education and of the current revised law curriculum.
As of this time, Dr. Gupit has authored 27 books; contributed numerous articles in various journals and magazines; and delivered lectures and speeches before different audiences.
Education
Universidad de Madrid, Spain, 1964, Doctor en Derecho, sobresaliente
Doctoral Thesis: "La Colacion Hereditaria entre los Codigos Espanol y Filipino." Thesis Adviser: Sr. Don Antonio Hernandez-Gil, Catedratico y Presidente, Comision Codificadora, Spain.
Far Eastern University, 1961, Master of Laws
Masteral Thesis: "An Analysis of the Income Tax Treatment of Insurance Companies." Thesis Adviser: Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile.
University of the Philippines, 1957, Bachelor of Laws
University of the Philippines, 1958, Bachelor of Arts
University of the Philippines, 1953, Associate in Arts
Ateneo de Manila, 1951, High School
Far Eastern University, 1947, Elementary School |
