SERRANO LAW

Serrano Law was founded by legal expert Elmer B. Serrano in 2022. Its main practice areas include corporate, contracts, intellectual property, startups, dispute resolution and general business. 

M&A is a top specialisation of the firm. The corporate team regularly acts as counsel on acquisitions involving both equity purchase and asset sale in the shipping, logistics, real estate, energy and retail sectors. 

Highlights  

In the debt capital market space, the firm advised BDO Unibank and BDO Capital & Investments on its second ASEAN Sustainability Bonds. This marks BDO’s largest single issuance and first issuance of peso-denominated Sustainability Bonds. It was also the largest single corporate bond issuance in the country at the time.   

In M&A, the firm advised the Philippines’ largest bank BDO Unibank on its acquisition of the entire equity interest in SM Keppel Land. The deal is one of the most challenging and complex combination of banking, real estate, M&A, equity market transactions, which may be the first of its kind in the Philippines, tackling a novel undertaking by a bank acquiring full ownership in the real estate industry from a foreign partner.    

Another eye-catching M&A mandate saw the firm advising Industry Holdings and Development Corporation (IHDC) in its acquisition of a substantial stake in EEI Corporation (EEI). The deal marks the cessation of control of the Yuchengco group, one of the largest family-owned business conglomerates in the Philippines, from the construction business. This deal also involves a significant change in control of one of the leading construction firms in the Philippines which has a marked presence abroad, more notably in the Middle East. 

Testimonials    

“Very efficient.” (Debt Capital Market client) 

“Creative approach to justifying our request for expanded authority.” (M&A client) 

“The legal solutions provided based on Philippines legal structure, shows their vast experience.” (M&A client) 

“Serrano Law had vast experience on banking relations including interpretation of provisions of loan documents and litigation involving unpaid claims and others.” (Project finance client) 

Key clients 

Unioil, BDO Unibank, Philippine Veterans Bank, Gratia Capital, Armstrong Capital, SM Investments, 2GO Group, Chelsea Logistics and Infrastructure, Premium Leisure, Belle, Dominion