Partners

Kristine R. Bongcaron

Partner
Head, Intellectual Property
Co-Head, Commercial Arbitration and Alternative Dispute Resolution
Co-Head, Data Privacy and Security

Key Practices

Qualifications

  • University of the Philippines, Juris Doctor (2011)
  • University of the Philippines, B.A. Philosophy(2006)
  • Admission to Bar (2012)

Kristine is actively involved in a number of Martinez Vergara & Gonzalez Sociedad's practice groups: Dispute Resolution, Commercial Arbitration, Labour and Employment, Intellectual Property, and Data Privacy and Security. She Co-Heads the Commercial Arbitration and the Data Privacy and Security Practice Groups, and is the head of the Intellectual Property team.

Kristine’s Dispute Resolution practice is focused mainly on commercial litigation, debt restructuring (rehabilitation and insolvency), arbitration, and alternative dispute resolution. She represents clients in construction arbitrations before the Construction Industry Arbitration Center (CIAC) and in civil and criminal proceedings before trial courts. Kristine likewise handles cases on persons and family relations, as well as guardianship proceedings.

In the field of Labor and Employment, Kristine handles illegal dismissal cases, terminations due to redundancy and retrenchments, and labor relations disputes between companies and their respective unions.

In the field of Data Privacy, she represents clients in proceedings before the National Privacy Commission (NPC) and advises clients in various data privacy compliance requirements.

In the area of Intellectual Property, Kristine assists clients in trademark registration and maintenance and copyright concerns. She assists the Firm’s other practice groups in projects and transactions which require intellectual property due diligence.

Kristine is active in the Philippine Dispute Resolution Center, Inc. (PDRCI), the first arbitral institution in the Philippines, where she is a trained arbitrator, trained mediator, and accredited file counsel. Kristine also takes part in PDRCI training seminars as facilitator. She is a member of the committee tasked to revise and update the PDRCI’s current arbitration rules, and chairs its Data Privacy Committee.

Kristine is a trained arbitrator of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) and a trained tribunal secretary of the HongKong International Arbitration Center (HKIAC). She is a member of the Philippine Institute of Arbitrators (PiArb) and a member of the Dispute Resolution Board Foundation (DRBF).

Dispute Resolution

  • Acted as counsel to private companies in institutional and ad hoc arbitration proceedings against government instrumentalities and other private parties.
  • Acted as counsel to private companies arbitration proceeding before the Construction Industry Arbitration Center.

Debt Restructuring and Insolvency

  • Acted as counsel to a local creditor bank in the rehabilitation proceedings of a debtor company engaged in petroleum distribution in the Philippines.
  • Acted as counsel to a secured creditor private company in initiating a forced conversion of a rehabilitation proceeding to a liquidation proceeding, including the eventual liquidation and distribution of remaining assets of the insolvent debtor company.

Labor and Employment

  • Routinely advises companies across various industries on all employment matters, including the drafting or review of employee policies and manuals, human resource contracts, independent contractor arrangements, the conduct of disciplinary proceedings, implementing retrenchments and redundancy processes, including compliance with reportorial requirements of relevant regulatory agencies, and complying with regulatory compliances on safety and health standards.
  • Represents clients in various labor-related proceedings before the Department of Labor and Employment and the National Labor Relations Commission, including cases for illegal dismissal, suspension, and money claims.

Intellectual Property

  • Assists local and foreign clients in the registration and maintenance of marks in the Philippines and coordinates registration and maintenance of marks registered by local clients in foreign jurisdictions, as well as in the drafting of various licensing agreements entered into with foreign counterparts, and enforcement of copyright and other intellectual property rights.

Data Privacy and Security

  • Represents and assists clients in proceedings before the NPC, making mandatory breach reports, submitting other reportorial requirements, drafting and review of data privacy policies, data sharing agreements and contract clauses relating to data privacy compliance.

The Asia Pacific Legal 500

Dispute Resolution 2021 – Rising Star for 2 consecutive years

Intellectual Property 2021 – Recommended Lawyer

Labor and Employment 2017 – Recommended Lawyer

  • Member, Integrated Bar of the Philippines
  • Member, PDRCI Rules Revision Committee
  • Chair, PDRCI Data Privacy Committee
  • Trained Arbitrator, PDRCI
  • Trained Mediator, PDRCI
  • Accredited File Counsel, PDRCI
  • Member, U.P. Women Lawyers Circle
  • Member, Philippine Institute of Arbitrators
  • Member, Dispute Resolution Board Foundation