Mark O. Vergara

Mark is a recognized Philippine expert in the field of Banking and Finance, with more than 27 years of experience in acting as counsel to private and government banks and financial institutions, local and foreign, for financing projects, including loan syndications, project finance, debt restructuring, note issuance, bond issuance and secured financing.

His expertise in project finance began with his early involvement in the Build Operate Transfer (BOT) and Build Own Operate (BOO) concessions of the government. This exposure resulted in extensive legal advisories on project finance transactions covering the first wave of power sector infrastructure projects under the original iteration of the Philippine BOT Law. Counselling the lenders on the financing of the nationwide computerisation projects of the Land Transportation Office and the Land Registration Authority likewise under BOT and BOO concessions followed. Project finance work continues under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) projects in the framework of the Amended Philippine BOT Law.

Other recent projects include acting as lead counsel to local lenders in the loan syndications for the construction and operation of the expressway in north Luzon and the redevelopment of the harbor port for the domestic passenger terminal in Manila, both priority projects of the government.

Mark has been recognised by The Asia Pacific Legal 500 in the field of Banking and Finance, and in Capital Markets.

He is also involved in Martinez Vergara & Gonzalez Sociedad's Mergers & Acquisition (M&A) practice, having counselled and advised on the consolidation of the expressways in south Luzon. In addition, as part of the Firm's Business Formation and Foreign Investments practice, Mark provides dedicated advice to our international relationship firms on global corporate solutions for multinational corporate clients on cross-border issues, particularly on equity compensation.

Prior to co-founding the Firm in 2007, Mark was a partner at Picazo Law Office.