Escalona and Fonacier Law Offices - Tarlac City, Philippines

ESCALONA & FONACIER LAW OFFICES

Coming from top law firms in the country, Atty. Leo Miguel A. Escalona and Atty. Karla Flor D. Fonacier founded EF LAW on September 2013, out of the shared vision of its founding partners to establish not only a competitive, versatile, cost-effective full-service law firm committed to deliver excellence but also a professional partnership which adhere to the high ethical standards of the legal profession.

Escalona & Fonacier was founded to provide effective, efficient, and creative legal services to meet the distinctive needs of the clients. EF LAW’s philosophy is to provide advice and representation that allow the firm’s clients to achieve their goals while minimizing legal risks. The firm’s goal as the client’s lawyers will be: to provide  

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effective legal services to the client efficiently and at reasonable cost.

Although recently established, the firm has quickly created a niche in in the areas of:

GENERAL COUNSELLING
The firm provides clients with timely advice to address their day to day concerns. As part of our retainer services, we provide general counselling on potential legal concerns, compliance matters, simple contract reviews to help our clients in their everyday business decisions. We screen our clientele so as to avoid any conflict of interest with our other clients. We carefully evaluate, assess, and develop each of our retainer agreements to fit the legal needs of our clients.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
The firm assists clients in complying with the regulatory requirements of the Intellectual Property Law in connection with the registration of copyright. Trademark and patent rights. The firm joins its clients in its anti-piracy objectives through the pursuit of judicial enforcement and commercial exploitation of intellectual property rights.

REAL PROPERTY/ REAL ESTATE
The firm provides its clients with relevant advice on land acquisition, as well as development projects. We assist our clients in real estate transactions and conducts due diligence searches on titles whenever necessary. Also, we handle land registration and land title transfers for our clients
The firm also represents real estate owners and developers on real estate disputes which include controversies in commercial lease, agent commission and ownership.

CORPORATE
The firm offers a variety of legal services to meet the diverse needs of our clients. The firm provides advisory measures to clients to ensure compliance with business laws and foreign investments law, including the determination of appropriate form of business presence, such as sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, regional headquarter, subsidiary, to name a few, initial public offerings, mergers and acquisitions, determination of appropriate investments in accordance with regulatory requirements and restrictions, and tax related issues.
Our corporate services include negotiation, draft and review of contracts and commercial agreements, capital restructuring and finance, registration and formation of business entities and their maintenance and filing of regular reports to the Securities and Exchange Commission and other regulatory bodies, due diligence and legal audit, legal advice and assistance on cross border and international transactions, including tax and customs advice, dissolution, receivership, bankruptcy and corporate rehabilitation.
The firm also assists clients in securing environmental and work permits, government approvals for Build Operate and transfer and Build Operate and Own projects and contracts. Also, the firm handles clients who are under contract with the Government, more particularly, infrastructure projects.

COMMERCIAL LITIGATION
The firm handles cases involving commercial litigation which includes suits involving enforcement of contracts, action for recovery of damages for breach of contracts and for torts, partnership disputes, (and) intra-corporate disputes between directors or shareholders and corporations, pursuit of judicial enforcement of intellectual property rights, employment disputes.

MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS
The firm provides effective representation in negotiated transactions including mergers, asset or stock acquisition, transactions involving change in corporate control. We also assist clients in acquiring financially troubled companies.

LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT
The firm represents both labor and capital and offers cost effective representation concerning all aspects of employment- related legal matters. We provide a wide range of legal services and consultancy and handle all labor and employment needs including collective bargaining agreements, contract enforcement, health care benefits, employee benefits, employment aspects of corporate transactions, non-competition, trade secret and confidentiality, and compliance with labor laws and regulations.
Furthermore, we assist and advise our clients in the formulation of their respective labor policies and constantly monitor significant employment practices and decisions. We also conduct seminars and conferences for clients on significant developments in labor related laws. As part of our retainer services to corporate clients, we provide legal advice and opinions as response to common employment issues encountered by our clients in their day to day operations, such as matters relating to labor standards, pretermination and termination disputes, employee discipline, retirement programs and preventive remedies in case of strikes and lockouts.

BANKING & FINANCE
The firm gives advice to a number of local banks and financial institutions. We provide a full range of legal advice and service to both lenders and borrowers on aspects of structuring, negotiating and drafting finance and loan agreements and documenting finance transactions. Upon request, the firm can render legal opinions on compliance with banking regulations and supervision, tax-related issues, as well as secured commercial lending. Furthermore, we also act as a liaison with key Philippine regulatory agencies such as the BSP, Register of Deeds and the SEC.

TAXATION
The firm provides standard tax advisory services and assists our clients in securing tax rulings and opinions with the BIR and other relevant agencies. Moreover, we represent our clients at every level of tax controversy which includes valuation controversies, disputed tax assessments, tax protests, tax refunds and tax credits. Moreover, we assure our clients’ compliance with tax laws, render opinions to effectively minimize tax implications, advise on tax treaty reliefs and provide estate planning services.

For free legal consultation by appointment, you may contact us at 09178360049.

BRANCH OFFICES: Las Pinas City and Makati City