All posts by Ink Elephant

Cynthia Roxas-Del Castillo (Senior Partner), is a member of the Executive Board and head of the Securities group. Her practice focuses on securities and corporate law.

Cynthia is responsible for projects of the firm involving securities law practice, capital market transactions, registration of securities, and offerings of securities to the public. She is also involved in major investment projects of foreign companies in the Philippines, organization and operation of mutual funds, acquisitions, joint ventures, mergers, and structuring and executing capital-raising activities.

Cynthia headed teams handling major projects involving the flotation of equity and debt securities and listings with The Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE). These projects involve domestic and international initial public offerings of leading Philippine-registered companies. She has advised major merger and acquisition transactions in the Philippines, including investments of foreign companies and start-up projects. She also contributed in the formulation of rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and PSE which affect the capital markets.

Cynthia became the Dean of the Ateneo de Manila University School of Law from 1990 to 2000; currently, she is distinguished as the youngest and only female dean. She is a professorial lecturer in Securities Regulations and Practice, Civil Law Review, Obligations and Contracts, and Credit Transactions. She was also a bar reviewer in Civil Law. Aside from her various awards in the fields of civil and commercial law, she is recognized as a Recommended Lawyer in various legal publications for capital market transactions, mergers and acquisitions, and commercial law.

Cynthia received her bachelor’s degree in Political Science, with honors, from the University of Santo Tomas. She then obtained her bachelor of laws degree, Valedictorian, from the Ateneo de Manila University in 1976 where she also received several gold medals and awards for academic excellence. She was admitted to the Philippine bar in 1977, placing 11th in the bar exam. She joined the law firm in the same year.

Jose F. Buenaventura (Senior Partner), is the vice-chairman of the Executive Board and the Chief Financial Officer of the firm. His practice focuses on corporate law.

Chito is President and Director of Consolidated Coconut Corporation. He sits as an Independent Director of Banco de Oro Universal Bank, and is a member of the board of BDO Securities Corporation. He is likewise a Director and Corporate Secretary of 2B3C Foundation, Inc. and Peter Paul Philippines Corporation.

Chito serves as director of Capital Managers & Advisors, Inc., Cebu Air, Inc., GROW, Inc., GROW Holdings, Inc., Hicap Properties Corporation, Himap Properties Corporation, La Concha Land Investment Corp., Melco Crown (Philippines) Resorts Corp., Philippine First Insurance Co., Inc., Philplans First, Inc., Techzone Philippines,Inc., The Country Club, Inc., Total Consolidated Asset Management, Inc. and Turner Entertainment Manila, Inc.

Chito holds the degrees of Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws from the Ateneo de Manila University. He has a master of laws degree from Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C.

Ricardo J. Romulo (Senior Partner), chairs the Executive Board. His practice focuses on corporate law.

Mr. Romulo was, from 1987 to 2006, Chairman of the Makati Business Club, which is composed of more than 400 of the top Philippine corporations. His Holiness Pope John Paul II conferred on him the Order of St. Gregory the Great with the rank of Knight in 1997. He was also appointed Consul General in 2002 by Her Majesty Queen Margethe II of Denmark, who conferred on him the Knight’s Cross of the Order of Dannebrog in 2010.

Mr. Romulo has worked on a number of commissions for the Philippine government, including the 1986 Constitutional Commission that drafted the 1987 Constitution and the Fact-Finding Commission that investigated the 1989 attempted coup d’etat. He also served in Committees established by the Supreme Court that dealt with Legal Education, Revision of the Judicial Code, and Revision of the Canons of Judicial Ethics, Small Claims, and Judicial Management. The Supreme Court appointed him Bar Examiner in taxation in 1974 and commercial law in 1992, and member of the Executive Committee for the Supreme Court’s Centenary Celebrations. He was also appointed by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as one of the five members of the Governance Advisory Council in 2001.

Mr. Romulo received his bachelor of laws degree from Harvard Law School in 1958 and his undergraduate degree from Georgetown University, graduating cum laude in 1955. He joined the law firm in 1960, the same year he was admitted to the Philippine bar.