The Labor and Employment practice group has established expertise in providing legal advice to clients on matters involving employer-employee relationships including issues on employment benefits, labor standards, termination of employment and union activities. The Group has also successfully advised and assisted clients in meeting diverse economic conditions, by designing creative employment structure, providing advice on reorganization of personnel, labor cost-cutting measures, and outsourccing of work functions. The Firm also represents clients in labor cases involving claims of illegal termination and unpaid wages and benefits.

• Currently acting as legal counsel for leading multi-national companies and their respective Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) units located in the country, including Sykes Asia, Hewlett Packard, JP Morgan Chase, and Henkel. Work includes providing advice on various labor law and human resources issues such as employee wages and benefits, secondment of employees, work outsourcing, manpower reorganization, drafting and review of employment and service contracts, and providing representation before various government agencies, such as the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC) and various employer groups, such as the Employment Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP).

• Currently advising companies engaged in the power industry, including the following:

• SN Aboitiz Power, Inc. and its project companies on labor relations and human resource issues arising from the take-over and operations of the privatized Magat Hydro-Electric Power Plant and Ambuklao-Binga Hydro-Electric Power Plants. Work includes providing advice on hiring, manpower reorganization, work outsourcing, and labor standards and benefits, as well as drafting and review of employment and service contracts.

• AP Renewables, Inc. in regard to the labor and employment issues arising from its acquisition and take-over of operations of the 747MW Tiwi-MakBan Geothermal Power Plants.  We have advised  the client on various employment issues relating to the transition of employees and imposition of employment benefits. 

• STEAG State Power, Inc. in its operations of the 232MW Mindanao Coal-Fired Thermal Power Plant.  We have since advised the client on various employment guidelines benefits package and secondment/training programs with local schools.

• Currently acting as legal counsel for various companies engaged in renewable energy, co-generation technology and bioethanol production. Work includes drafting and review of employment contracts, employee manuals and handbooks, as well as providing advice on various labor law and human resources issues.

• Successfully implemented a program for manpower reorganization and downsizing of personnel of the Philippine Subsidiary of a multi-national financial institution.

• Successfully advised multi-national companies in union representation matters and assisted various companies in negotiations of Collective Bargaining Agreements.

• Acted as counsel to an international semiconductor company in closing business operations and laying-off all its employees.

• Currently representing various clients in labor litigation matters pending at the Labor Arbiter and Commission level of the NLRC.

• Conducted seminars with management on the legal requirements for the exercise of disciplinary actions against employees and performance improvement programs.

• Acted as member of administrative investigation panels for client companies in compliance with legal requirements for disciplinary actions against employees.