Jose A. Linsangan

Mr. Linsangan is a Senior Partner and Head of the Firm’s Litigation, Arbitration and other modes of Alternative Dispute Resolution Practice. He is a seasoned litigator with over a decade of extensive legal experience in complex commercial, civil, tax, criminal and administrative litigation before all levels of courts, various tribunals and government agencies.

He graduated from Ateneo de Manila University (A.B. Major in Political Science, Minor in Philosophy, With Honors) in 2003, and from Ateneo de Manila School of Law (Juris Doctor, Dean’s Lister, Dean’s Awardee for Best Thesis) in 2007. Mr. Linsangan proudly represented the Philippines and garnered numerous local and international awards, including in the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition (U.S.A.), Jean Pictet Competition on International Humanitarian Law (France) and International Committee of the Red Cross Moot Court Competition (Hong Kong).

Mr. Linsangan developed his extensive litigation experience before two (2) of the biggest and most prestigious law firms in the country. He was an Associate at Angara Abelo Concepcion Regala and Cruz Law Office (ACCRA Law). He thereafter joined Puno and Puno Law Office (Puno Law), where he rose to the ranks of a Partner prior to joining the Firm.

Throughout his legal career, Mr. Linsangan has successfully represented numerous clients spanning a wide range of key industries, including top conglomerates and industry leaders in real estate and construction, banking and finance, mining, telecommunications, media, retail, health care, energy and infrastructure, among others. He has also represented various high-net-worth individuals, politicians and high-profile personalities.

Among others, Mr. Linsangan has represented the country’s largest retail and real estate developer before the Supreme Court in a complex commercial case involving a Swiss Challenge and Unsolicited Proposal on infrastructure projects worth several billions of pesos. He has represented one of the country’s largest financial institutions in complex corporate rehabilitation proceedings involving several billions of pesos. He has represented a Philippine Senator and other key public personalities before the Supreme Court in a case involving landmark legislation. He has led the successful prosecution of one the largest private white collar crimes in Philippine banking history. He acted as counsel for several high net-worth individuals and families involved in multiple, complex, and inter-related proceedings involving family law, civil, administrative, criminal, and commercial litigation, including custody, annulment, and other related cases and matters. He has also acted as counsel for several high net-worth individuals and families in relation to various transactions and complex litigation proceedings relating to the settlement of estates, including in Extra-Judicial Settlements, partition of properties, land issues, probate of last will and testaments, and other related proceedings. He has represented one of the country’s top real estate developers in cases involving novel intellectual property and data privacy issues. He was also involved in several complex litigation before the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) involving various competing shareholders. He has also represented clients in the energy sector and has appeared before the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC).

His tax litigation practice includes litigating tax incentive claims of renewable energy plants in various jurisdictions across the Philippines worth several billions of pesos. Mr. Linsangan currently represents an Australian mineral company engaged in the exploration of precious and base metal projects (Gold-Silver-Copper) in relation to its mining project. Mr. Linsangan also currently assists a UK company in relation to its project generation and exploration activities in Cotabato, Philippines.

Mr. Linsangan has also recently led the Firm in conducting a comprehensive Due Diligence Review of all the regulatory compliance requirements involving an ROHQ of one of the country’s biggest insurance companies and one of the world’s leading global financial services company offering a broad range of insurance, retirement and investment products and services to meet the diverse needs of both individual and corporate clients around the world. The Due Diligence review covers the ROHQ’s key business and operating functions, including its Finance and Operations - Administration, Data Privacy, Occupational Safety and Health, Tax, Human Resources - Employee Relations, Compensation and Benefits, and Legal departments. The comprehensive Due Diligence review involved a detailed and comprehensive review and analysis of various legal requirements by, as well as key legal issues involving the SEC, Board of Investments (BOI), Local Government Unit of Taguig City, Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), PhilHealth, Social Security System (SSS), Pag-ibig Fund, National Privacy Commission (NPC) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (“DENR”).

Mr. Linsangan currently leads the Firm and acts as labor, litigation and immigration law counsel to an ROHQ of one of the country’s biggest insurance companies. The Firm currently represents its client in various labor law cases and disputes before both the Single Entry Approach (SEnA) and the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC) on various legal issues. Further, as the ROHQ’s lead external counsel for its litigation, labor and immigration law concerns, the Firm provides, on a regular basis, various legal advice and strategies for the client, including on the following significant legal issues: (a) application of various labor and employment laws; (b) application and interpretation of international law on Asylum (such as the United Nations Conventions Relating to Status of Refugees and Stateless Persons) in relation to the legal requirements for its technical personnel; (c) application and interpretation of various Philippine laws on Alien Employment Permits, Authority to Employ and Special Working Permit; (d) application and interpretation of various rulings of the Bureau of Internal Revenue on the tax treatment of the premium payments for the Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs” for dependents of employees, in relation to the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Act (TRAIN Act) and related issuances of the BIR; (e) application and interpretation of various laws such as the Guidelines for the Implementation of Mental Health Workplace Policies and Programs for the Private Sector and Republic Act No. 11165 or the Telecommuting Act; (f) analysis and application of various laws on contracting and sub-contracting, including the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Order No. 174, Series of 2017; and (g) other related matters.

Mr. Linsangan is also a professor and thesis adviser at the Ateneo de Manila School of Law.

On his free time, if any, Mr. Linsangan is usually invited (or gladly volunteers) to sing at his friends’ special events. He likes experimenting on HIIT workouts, reading Haruki Murakami and Milan Kundera, and listening to SG Lewis and The 1975, but is usually unable to binge watch on Netflix for lack of material time.