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Bar Admission
  • Republic of the Philippines

Representative MatterS
  • Represented foreign corporate investors in multiple cross-border acquisitions of shares and assets in business process outsourcing companies in the Philippines, from transaction structuring through market entry and regulatory clearance.

  • Advised foreign investors on the Philippine corporate and regulatory law aspects of a share sale in connection with the acquisition of a Canadian business process outsourcing company.

  • Assisted in the sale of equity in a U.S.-based inside sales optimization firm, structuring arrangements for the retention of key personnel and advising on the Philippine law considerations affecting the transaction.

  • Advised on the financing and security arrangements for Philippine energy and steam supply projects, including the structuring of collateral to meet applicable regulatory requirements.

  • Handled multiple land development joint venture projects across the Philippines, from deal structuring and asset contribution arrangements through regulatory compliance.

  • Advises multinational and local companies on corporate governance, including board and shareholder governance structures and adherence to Philippine corporate disclosure requirements.

  • Supports companies across various industries with regulatory compliance, securing and maintaining the government registrations, licenses, and permits needed for their Philippine operations.

  • Provides strategic tax advice on corporate transactions and ongoing operations, spanning tax structuring, tax due diligence, and compliance with national and local tax regulations.

  • Resolved multiple multi-million Peso tax assessments issued by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), securing favorable outcomes in tax audit matters.

  • Advises clients on intellectual property matters across multiple jurisdictions, including trademark, copyright, and patent protection strategies, IP due diligence in corporate transactions, and enforcement of IP rights.

Education
  • Columbia Law School (Master of Laws, Honors, 2026)

  • Ateneo de Manila University School of Law (Juris Doctor, 2020)

  • Ateneo de Manila University (A.B. Management Economics, 2016)

Practice Areas
  • Corporate and Commercial Law

  • Mergers and Acquisitions

  • Corporate Reorganizations and Joint Ventures

  • Project Development and Finance

  • Taxation

  • Corporate Governance and Regulatory Compliance

  • Intellectual Property

  • Labor Law

Joaquin Jerome A. Paras

PARTNER

Joaquin Jerome A. Paras is a Partner at Puno & Partners, where he specializes in corporate and commercial law, mergers and acquisitions, corporate reorganizations and joint ventures, project development and finance, and taxation. Joaquin has advised domestic and multinational clients on a wide range of mergers and acquisitions and joint venture transactions, including business process outsourcing acquisitions and land development joint ventures, guiding clients through complex deals. He brings to his practice a combination of extensive transactional experience and advanced academic training, having completed his Master of Laws at Columbia Law School with Honors, where he focused on corporate mergers and acquisitions, finance, cross-border transactions, and the emerging intersection of artificial intelligence and law.

 

Beyond his transactional practice, Joaquin advises clients on corporate governance and regulatory compliance, and provides broader corporate advisory support spanning tax, intellectual property, and labor matters.

 

Prior to joining the Firm, Joaquin was a Senior Associate at Vasig Abarquez Lumauig Abarquez Puno Law Offices, where he was accelerated and given a broader role, supervising junior associates and managing workstreams across multiple concurrent transactions. He is highly regarded by clients and colleagues alike for being proactive, anticipating issues before they surface.

 

Joaquin earned his Juris Doctor degree from Ateneo de Manila University School of Law under its Corporate and Business Law Track with an Intellectual Property Law Stream, and was admitted to the Philippine Bar in 2022 with Exemplary Performance.

 

His academic and professional grounding in both corporate transactional work and emerging technology law positions him to advise clients in navigating an increasingly complex and cross-border commercial landscape.

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