Julius A. Cervantes

Biography

Julius Cervantes is a partner in Quisumbing Torres’ Corporate & Commercial/M&A Practice Group and heads the Real Estate Focus Group. He is likewise a member of the Restructuring & Insolvency Focus Group, as well as the Industrial, Manufacturing & Telecommunications and Consumer Goods & Retail Industry Groups. He has been engaged in corporate and commercial law practice for over 17 years, and is experienced in mergers and acquisitions, real estate transactions, joint ventures, corporate restructuring, structuring of foreign direct investments, commercial agreements and contracts, construction law, and regulatory matters.

He is a private sector representative to the Sub-Task Force on Registering Property of the Ease of the Philippine government’s Doing Business and Anti-Red Tape Advisory Council. He likewise has in-house counsel experience, having acted as Asia-Pacific regional commercial counsel for one of the business lines of a US-headquartered multinational conglomerate, from 2010 to 2012.

Julius is cited as Outstanding Lawyer for Client Service Excellence in Corporate and M&A by asialaw 2020.

Practice Focus

Julius mainly handles foreign investment regulation and doing business concerns, and routinely advises domestic and foreign businesses on investment structures, equity restrictions, joint ventures, corporate reorganizations, divestitures, M&A, real estate transactions, and government contracts. He has worked with clients from a wide range of industries, including industrials, manufacturing, construction, automotive, transportation, gaming, information technology, and consumer goods, as well as non-profit entities.

Representative Legal Matters

• Advise a Japanese real estate developer on the procedure and requirements for undertaking a residential development project in the Philippines, including the formation of an incorporated joint venture to acquire the land, acquisition of the land, development and construction, and pertinent regulatory approvals.
• Advise and assist an American public company engaged in the sale and manufacture of construction products on legal matters in relation to the Philippine aspects of the restructuring of its business operations, and the sale of one of its business lines to a third party purchaser.
• Advise a subsidiary of a Thailand-based digital services and e-commerce company in connection with the proposed acquisition of full equity ownership in a Philippine e-payment company.
• Assist an industry-leading US-based company , which is engaged in the sale and marketing of therapeutic grade essential oils and other related products through a direct selling model, in connection with the establishment of its operations in the Philippines.
• Advise a Japanese manufacturer of commercial vehicles and diesel engines on its acquisition of a controlling interest in a company engaged in the assembly and sale of commercial vehicles in the Philippines.
• Advise a world-leading, publicly traded engineering and project management company on its Philippine-incorporated joint venture with a multinational metal fabrication company; advise on regulatory aspects (including structuring and nationality restrictions) of local EPC / EPCM projects.
• Conduct legal due diligence for a European transportation infrastructure company’s potential joint venture, for one of the Philippine government’s largest public-private partnership (PPP) railway projects; advise on the regulatory framework for operation of public utilities and PPP projects.
• Advise a European road infrastructure company on its proposed joint venture with a local privately-owned construction company, to carry out the construction of all civil works components and other ancillary works for the hydropower projects of a joint venture energy company. Assist and advise in drafting the Shareholder’s Agreement and other relevant allied agreements for the transaction.
• Assist an Indonesian bread products company on the formation of its Philippine-incorporated joint venture that will engage in the manufacture and distribution of bread and other food products.
• Advise and assist a leading manufacturer and distributor of skin care, hair care, cosmetics, fragrances, beauty supplements and other personal care products, and beauty services in the formation of its Philippine joint venture with a company engaged in the business of beauty and luxury lifestyle brand distribution, retail, and e-commerce in the Asia Pacific region.

Professional Honors

Professional Associations and Memberships

Integrated Bar of the Philippines

International Bar Association

Admissions

Philippines (2003)

Education

University of the Philippines (LLB) (2002)

Ateneo de Manila University (BS Legal Management) (1996)

Languages

English

Filipino