Our Lawyers
Partners, Associates, and Of Counsel with credentials across trial advocacy, arbitration, corporate leadership, and regulatory practice
Our Lawyers
Partners, Associates, and Of Counsel with credentials across trial advocacy, arbitration, corporate leadership, and regulatory practice
Managing Partner
Demetrio C. Custodio Jr.
Atty. Custodio obtained his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Philosophy from the University of the Philippines in 1977. He obtained his Bachelor of Laws Degree from the same university in 1984 and was admitted into the Philippine Bar in 1985. He attended Harvard University on a special program in 1999. In 2002, he obtained his Master's Degree in Business Administration from Ateneo De Manila University.
In 2002, right after finishing his MBA, Atty. Custodio was invited to join the Ateneo Graduate School of Business as faculty where he taught for many years. He has continued with his teaching career and is presently teaching at the College of Law of the University of the Philippines, the Tañada-Diokno School of Law of De La Salle University, where he is presently Chair of the Remedial Law Department, and the College of Law of the Lyceum of the Philippines University.
Atty. Custodio's field of practice is in civil and criminal litigation as well as arbitration.
Partner
Zenaida Ongkiko-Acorda
Atty. Acorda obtained her Masters in Public Administration degree from Harvard University in 2004, where she specialized in Alternative Dispute Resolution (Negotiation, Mediation and Arbitration). She obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science, Magna cum Laude, from the University of the Philippines in 1983 and earned her law degree from the same University in 1987. She later obtained her Executive MBA degree at the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) in 2002.
Her areas of practice are litigation, Alternative Dispute Resolution (negotiation, mediation and arbitration) and legal counselling. She was one of the lawyers who secured a favorable acquittal before the Supreme Court in the criminal case entitled "People vs. Hubert Webb, et al." She was also one of the lawyers who handled the libel case filed by former President Corazon Aquino against a leading journalist. She is a member of the international honor societies of Pi Gamma Mu and Phi Kappa Phi. She was formerly an Adjunct Professor at the Asian Institute of Management (AIM). She is also a Supreme-Court accredited Appeals Court Mediator and an accredited Arbitrator of the Intellectual Property Office (IPO), the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) and the Construction Industry Arbitration Commission (CIAC).
Partner
Eloysa G. Sicam
Atty. Sicam obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in Economics (cum laude) from the University of the Philippines in 1993. She earned her Bachelor of Laws from the same university in 1997 and was admitted to the Philippine Bar in 1998. In 2006, she attended a special workshop on negotiation at Harvard Law School. Her areas of practice are civil and criminal litigation, special proceedings, and administrative cases. She also handles arbitration cases.
Partner
Raymond C. De Castro
Atty. De Castro obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Science, major in Area Studies, from the University of the Philippines-Manila in 1992. He took up law at the Ateneo de Manila University, where he earned his Juris Doctor in 1996, graduating with Second Honors and ranking 14th in his batch. He was admitted to the Philippine Bar in 1997. After graduation, he worked as an associate at the Quisumbing Torres Law Firm from 1996 to 2000. He was also a professor at the University of the East College of Law, where he taught from 2000 to 2008. He joined the Firm in 2000 and was promoted to Senior Associate the following year. In 2003, he was admitted to the Partnership. His areas of practice are criminal and civil litigation, before the trial and appellate courts, as well as before the Sandiganbayan and Court of Tax Appeals. Raymond also handles administrative cases before the Professional Regulation Commission specializing in medical malpractice cases.
Partner
Love Joy Cecilia C. Brillantes
Atty. Brillantes obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Administration from the University of the Philippines in 2003. She earned her Bachelor of Laws from the University of Santo Tomas, faculty of Civil Law, in 2007. In law school , she was a member of the UST Law Review ad was Case Law Editor during the academic year 2006-2007. She was admitted to the Philippine Bar in 2008. She joined the Firm in April 2008 and was admitted to the Partnership on October 1, 2013.
She specializes in litigation, handling criminal cases, civil disputes, family law cases, and administrative cases. She is also involved in arbitration.
Partner
Ma. Janine V. Pedernal
Atty. Pedernal obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree in Legal Management, cum laude, from the University of Santo Tomas in 2014, and earned her Juris Doctor degree from the same university in 2018. Recognized early for her academic excellence and potential in the legal profession, Atty. Pedernal was among the first scholars of the Foundation for Liberty and Prosperity established by Former Chief Justice Artemio V. Panganiban. In 2017, she likewise served as a legal intern at the Office of the Solicitor General, where she gained valuable exposure to government litigation and appellate advocacy.
After being admitted to the Philippine Bar in 2019, Atty. Pedernal began her legal career with Pacis & Reyes, Attorneys as an Associate Lawyer, where she developed experience in capital markets, corporate law and governance, and labor law. She later joined the Firm in 2020 and was admitted to the Partnership on February 1, 2026.
Atty. Pedernal's practice focuses on criminal prosecution and defense, civil litigation, including contractual disputes and debt and asset recovery, administrative proceedings, labor and employment matters, estate settlement, and corporate housekeeping and governance.
Associate
John Aris V. Reyes
Atty. Reyes is an associate lawyer with a broad practice encompassing labor and employment, corporate, commercial, and civil litigation. He has represented clients in proceedings before labor tribunals and ordinary courts, and has assisted in the handling of disputes involving employment termination, contractor engagements, corporate governance, consumer protection, and property-related controversies. Prior to joining the Firm, he worked for a full-service firm in Makati City where he developed skills in legal research and litigation strategy.
Atty. Reyes earned his Juris Doctor degree from the University of the Philippines - College of Law and was admitted to the bar in December 2023.
Associate
Zharina F. Matito
Atty. Matito is a dual-qualified professional, serving as both a lawyer and a Certified Public Accountant. She earned her Juris Doctor degree from Arellano University School of Law after successfully completing her bachelor's degree in accountancy and internal auditing from Far Eastern University Manila. Prior to her legal practice, she worked as an Associate Director in Sycip Gorres Velayo & Co. (Ernst & Young in Manila) – the largest professional services firm in the country, where she received a special award for business leadership in 2020.
Following her academic preparation, she was admitted to the Bar in 2026. Zharina has an extensive experience in handling tax controversy cases involving clients in pharmaceutical, manufacturing, and BPO industries, and in providing tax advisory services.
Associate
Quennie Razelle B. Sereño
Atty. Sereño is an associate lawyer who assists clients in navigating complex legal matters. She earned her Juris Doctor from San Beda College Alabang School of Law, where she served as a feature writer for The Red Chronicles and was recognized as a Dean's Lister. Her legal training was further enriched through her experience working in a U.S. immigration law firm and Australian migration agency. She was admitted to the Philippine Bar in 2026.
Of Counsel
Ria Villanueva-Dam
Atty. Villanueva-Dam is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and a seasoned Attorney-at-Law with a Master's degree in Business Administration. She is currently pursuing a Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree specializing in Cross-Border Practice, alongside certification as a Certified Finance Officer (CFO). She holds dual undergraduate degrees: a Bachelor of Arts in Behavioral Science and a Bachelor of Science in Accountancy.
Atty. Villanueva-Dam began her professional journey as an auditor with Joaquin Cunanan–PricewaterhouseCoopers. Upon passing the Philippine Bar Exam, she served as Court Attorney VI under the late Associate Justice Leonardo A. Quisumbing at the Supreme Court. Her combined expertise in finance and law eventually led her to a leadership role within the PLDT Group. Following her tenure at PLDT, Atty. Villanueva-Dam established her own law and consultancy practice.
Her areas of focus include corporate law, taxation, estate planning, land-related disputes and expropriation cases, and high-stakes negotiations. She has also served as Chairperson of the Accountancy Department at Assumption College and has worked as a legal and policy consultant for a wide range of clients, including Quezon City Hall, members of Congress, local government units in Negros Occidental and Mindanao, and the Employers Confederation of the Philippines—particularly in legislative, tax, and regulatory matters.
Practice coverage
Areas of specialization across the partnership
The combined expertise of the firm's partners and associates.
The firm
Two generations of trial advocacy. One unbroken standard.
From the founding practice of Mario E. Ongkiko to the present partnership — recognized across multiple editions of the Asia Pacific Legal 500.