ACCRALAW head assumes top PBA post

MANILA, Philippines - Emerico O. De Guzman, managing partner of the country’s leading law firm – the Angara Abello Concepcion Regala and Cruz Law Offices (ACCRALAW), will be installed as the 48th president of the Philippine Bar Association Inc. (PBA), the oldest and biggest voluntary association of lawyers in the country, on Sept. 30 at the Grand Ballroom, Hotel Intercontinental Manila at 7 p.m. Senate President Franklin M. Drilon, , is the guest of honor and speaker and inducting officer.

De Guzman is known in local and global legal circles as a leading lawyer for labor and employment practice, as consistently cited in the Asia Pacific Legal 500 and Chambers Asia Pacific publications. He was the head of ACCRALAW labor and employment department from 2008 until his election as managing partner in February 2014.

His expertise includes employment law litigation before the National Labor Relations Commission and the Appellate Courts and general legal advisory work. He advises some of the top multinational corporations in a variety of industries with their labor and employment concerns and issues.

He has been assisting clients with their contracting arrangements as well as the conduct of compliance audits and the resolution of disciplinary cases and termination disputes. De Guzman also actively gives seminars and lectures on current employment law issues. He has authored several publications on labor and employment published internationally.

De Guzman has held key positions in various local and international professional associations, namely: Inter-Pacific Bar Association; Philippine Bar Association; Integrated Bar Association of the Philippines; People Management Association of the Philippines. In 2011, President Aquino appointed him a member of the National Tripartite Industrial Peace Council, representing employers.