Crisela L. Bernardino

Ms. Bernardino advises domestic and foreign clients in structuring, negotiating, documenting and implementing cross-border investments, equity and debt issuances, mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, corporate restructuring and project financing. She also renders legal advice on public-private partnerships for infrastructure projects, public bidding, public utilities, corporate and regulatory compliance, and anti-trust and competition law.

Ms. Bernardino has experience in trial and appellate practice, having litigated on various cases involving civil law, criminal law, labor, anti-money laundering, anti-trust and competition law, securities, and intra-corporate disputes before all levels of courts, quasi-judicial bodies, and other government agencies.

Prior to joining the Firm, Ms. Bernardino received training as an underbar from various government and non-government institutions including the Institute of Judicial Administration and Institute of International Legal Studies of the UP Law Center, International Committee of the Red Cross, and Office of the Solicitor General. Together with her UP Law team, she won the national championship of the 2013 Philip C. Jessup International Moot Court Competition, and represented the Philippines in the international rounds in Washington, D.C. She was also a runner-up best oralist in the 2011 National Moot Court Competition on International Humanitarian Law.

Currently, Ms. Bernardino is a Senior Lecturer at the College of Law of the University of the Philippines, where she teaches subjects under Civil Law and Legal Research and Philosophy (Legal Method).