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Norma Margarita B. Patacsil
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(632) 8894-0377 to 79; (632) 8894-4931 to 32; (632) 8552-1977;

Norma Margarita (Norge) is a founding partner at C&G Law handling principally mergers and acquisitions and other corporate/commercial work, as well as competition law matters.

In 2018 and 2019, Asia Business Law Journal named Norge among the Top 100 Lawyers of the Philippines.  Norge is also a Chambers-ranked (Band 3) lawyer for Corporate M&A in 2018 and 2019, for both the Asia-Pacific and Global editions.

Qualifications

  • University of the Philippines College of Law, Bachelor of Laws (Class of 1998; cum laude and salutatorian of her class); University of the Philippines School of Economics, Bachelor of Science in Economics (Class of 1994; magna cum laude).
  • Admitted to the Philippine Bar in 1999 (Second place, 1998 Bar examinations).
  • Member, Integrated Bar of the Philippines.

Experience

Mergers and Acquisitions; Joint Ventures; Investments

Norge advises on share and property acquisitions and foreign and local investments, including joint ventures.  She also conducts due diligence and other activities in connection with such acquisitions and investments.  She is a ranked lawyer (Band 3) for Corporate M&A in the Chambers Asia-Pacific 2018 and 2019 editions.  According to Chambers: “Clients praise the quality of her advice, appreciating that she does not ‘just provide dry legal advice, but takes into consideration practical concerns as well.’”  Norge was also ranked in the Global edition.

Norge is also ranked in the Chambers Asia-Pacific and Global 2019 editions.  The latter states: “A client notes that Norma Margarita Patacsil is ‘always on top of everything and manages to help.’  She lends her expertise to acquisition, investment and competition matters, and is adroit at advising on competition law.”

  • Advising on the Holcim Philippines, Inc. divestment.
  • Assisted in the merger of two publicly-listed companies.
  • Advised Holcim Philippines, Inc. in relation to the shareholders agreement governing Holcim Mining and Development Corporation (HMDC, a mining and landholding corporation), where the other parties are the Holcim Philippines, Inc. Retirement Fund, HMDC, and Holcim Philippines Manufacturing Corporation.
  • Advised a major conglomerate in its acquisition of a drug store chain, and conducted due diligence for it.
  • Advised a Zalora affiliate, Brillant 1257 GmbH & Co. Vierte Verwaltungs Kg, in respect of the structuring and other aspects of its investment in the joint venture with Ayala Corporation relating to a logistics/courier company.
  • Acted for Cargill Philippines in its investment/joint venture with Jollibee Foods Corporation relating to a poultry production and related facilities, as well as a landholding company.
  • Advised Midea, a leading global appliance manufacturer, in its joint venture/shareholders agreement with the Concepcion group (a Philippine pioneer in appliance manufacturing).
  • Advised a Japanese company, and conducted legal due diligence for it, in its investment in a Philippine food distribution company. The team conducted due diligence, prepared acquisition/transaction documents, and closed the transaction.
  • Assisting a Bangkok-based company in the legal due diligence and investment in an advertising entity. The team conducted due diligence and prepared acquisition/ transaction documents.
  • Acted for a Philippine investor (Mabalacat Solar Philippines, Inc.) in its acquisition of shares/further investment, and joint venture with a Singapore renewable energy company (the Sindicatum group), in a solar energy company based in central Luzon. Mabalacat entered into a joint venture with the Sindicatum Group to construct and operate a US$40 million, 22.325-MW solar power plant in the Clark Freeport.
  • Assisted Aboitiz One in acquiring Scanasia, the Philippines’ leading importer of premium dairy products.
  • Led the C&G Law due diligence team for, the proposed acquisition of the Philippines’ largest food conglomerate.
  • Represented the Project Quest group in their acquisition of EIB Savings Bank, Inc. (now named Sun Savings Bank, Inc.) and acted as the bank’s corporate secretary. Has also assisted in the due diligence and potential acquisition of another bank.

Competition and Anti-trust

Norge also advises on competition law concerns and assists clients with filings, investigations, and appearances before the Philippine Competition Commission (PCC).  Her efforts have led to C&G Law’s practice being recommended in 2016 by Asialaw for Competition & Antitrust.  C&G Law has also been recognized in Asia Business Law Journal’s 2018 Philippines Law Firm Awards for Competition & Antitrust.

  • Since 2011, has advised a Philippine affiliate of a global leader in building materials in competition law, anti-bribery and corruption, and various corporate matters. Norge has conducted training sessions for its employees on those matters.
  • Has led C&G Law teams that for several years now have conducted an audit/review of a client’s compliance with Philippine competition law and international best practices as regards to competition law.
  • C&G Law assisted Ayala Land, Inc. and Royal Asia Land, Inc. in notifying the PCC of their proposed joint venture for the development of a 936-hectare property in Cavite, Philippines and in obtaining PCC approval for the transaction.
  • Advised leading Swedish conglomerate Altor and its Scandinavian counsel Mannheimer Swartling on a merger filing with the PCC. Clearance for the transaction was obtained.
  • Assisted a leading online fashion retailer on its successful merger filing with the PCC relating to its joint venture with a leading conglomerate.
  • Confirmed with the PCC the non-coverage, from the PCC’s mandatory filing requirements, of a merger of related entities.
  • Assists a client in an ongoing PCC investigation.
  • Assisted two American NASDAQ-listed semiconductor/electronics manufacturing companies with the PCC notification and approval of their merger.
  • Assisted a leading Chinese-European aircraft leasing company obtain PCC clearance for an investment by an affiliate of a global Japanese financial services company.
  • Advised a leading building materials multinational company on Philippine competition law in relation to its global merger with another building materials company.
  • Conducts competition law training sessions for clients’ employees.

Other Corporate/Commercial work

Norge is also experienced in various capital market, contract-based, land, mining and natural resources, anti-bribery and corruption, and regulatory issues.  She handles the incorporation of companies and other investment vehicles and also serves or has served as director and corporate secretary of several corporations.

  • Advised Baiyin International Investment Ltd (BII) in its US$20 million loan to Ipilan Nickel Corporation (INC) and related agreements with INC affiliates. BII is a subsidiary of a Chinese state-owned company, Baiyin Nonferrous Group Co. Ltd, and INC is an affiliate of the publicly-listed mining holdings company Global Ferronickel Holdings, Inc. (GFNI).  The related agreements included security arrangements and an acquisition of shares in GFNI.
  • Worked on the Light Rail Transit Line 2 Operation and Maintenance Project and Davao Sasa Modernization Project since 2015, both of which are public-private partnership (PPP) projects, as counsel to the Government grantors’ transaction advisors.
  • Advising a Norwegian international subsea operating company in its Philippine investments relating to its agreement with a leading oil and gas company.
  • Currently a director and the Corporate Secretary of two Philippine affiliates of Stellar, a leading Australian contact center solutions provider/BPO.
  • Currently the Resident Agent of the Philippine branch offices of DOF Subsea Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., an international subsea company; and Solarwinds Software Asia Pte. Ltd., a Singapore-based information technology/software company.
  • Acted as a director at the company behind e-commerce fashion retailer Zalora Philippines.
  • Advised a leading land development company on land reclamation issues.
  • While at SyCip Salazar Hernandez & Gatmaitan (where Norge started her legal career; she was an underbar/junior associate there from December 1998 to February 2004; and a senior associate from February 2004 until C&G Law was formed in February 2007), worked on the initial pubic offerings of SM Investments Corporation and PNOC-Energy Development Corporation. Her work in the latter earned her a citation in the Chambers & Partners Asia-Pacific 2008 publication as an up-and-coming commercial and corporate lawyer.  She was also cited in its 2009 edition.

Regulatory/Litigation

On the litigation/regulatory side, Norge has handled for various clients across several industries a broad range of cases involving anti-graft and corrupt practices and plunder criminal charges, agrarian reform, contract disputes, corporate restructuring and rehabilitation, intra-corporate controversies, local-government imposed taxes, mining and real property claims, and public utilities.

  • Regularly assists and acts for a leading Japanese-owned independent power producer in proceedings before the Philippines’ Energy Regulatory Commission and other bodies and on various contractual and regulatory issues.
  • Acts for hydro-power companies in proceedings before the Supreme Court, where various cause-oriented groups and lawmakers have challenged the validity of certain laws and regulations relating to (a) the automatic adjustment mechanism for collecting electricity generation charges, (b) offering generation capacity to the electricity spot market, (c) the gross pool concept adopted by the electricity spot market, (d) the characterization of generation companies as non-public utilities, (e) cross-ownership restrictions in the power sector, and (f) alleged anti-competitive behavior. She also represented such companies in proceedings before the Department of Justice’s Office for Competition relating to alleged anti-competitive behavior.
  • Since 2008, has been advising the Philippine subsidiary of an Australian mining company on various regulatory, right-of-way, and litigation concerns relating to is mining contract with the Philippine Government.

Recent Publications

  • “Philippines: Overview” for the Asia-Pacific Antitrust Review (published by Global Competition Review); 2014, 2015, and 2016 editions.
  • “Philippines: Capital Restructuring” for the International Financial Law Review (December 2012).