Biography
Miguel Antonio Galvez is the head of Quisumbing Torres’ Immigration Practice Group and a member of the Dispute Resolution Practice Group. He heads the Firm's Compliance and Investigations Focus Group. He is also a member of the Technology, Media & Telecommunications and Healthcare & Life Sciences Industry Groups. He is a member of Baker McKenzie International's Global Immigration and Mobility Steering Committee, where he represents the Asia Pacific region. He is also a member of Baker McKenzie International's Regional Immigration and Mobility Steering Committee. Under his leadership, Quisumbing Torres won the inaugural Immigration Law Firm of the Year (Philippines) 2017, 2019 to 2020 awards from Asia Legal Business. He is a member and an accredited arbitrator of the Philippine Dispute Resolution Center, Inc. He is also a member of the Immigration Lawyers Association of the Philippines.
Miguel has been recognized as a Leading Individual in Immigration by The Legal 500 Asia Pacific, 2017 to 2024.
Practice Focus
Miguel's practice includes immigration, commercial, criminal and administrative litigation, arbitration, anti-bribery and anti-corruption compliance. With 21 years of experience, he has represented and advised various global and local clients in these areas. He has given various lectures on the subject of immigration law, remedial law, and anti-bribery and anti-corruption compliance.
Representative Legal Matters
- Advise and conduct an internal investigation for a subsidiary of a global food manufacturer in the Philippines on compliance laws and potential liabilities with respect to both foreign and local anti-bribery laws and applicable fines and penalties to violators in relation to improper payments allegedly made by the client's agents/representatives to Philippine government agencies and officials.
- Advise and represent a global technology company in connection with a criminal complaint for cyber libel in relation to a video posted on a social media platform. The complaint alleged that the video was libelous because it branded the complainant as being connected to a criminal syndicate in the Philippines. The criminal complaint has been initially dismissed by the prosecutor, and is currently pending appeal.
- Represent a French multinational pharmaceutical company in three administrative proceedings before the Philippine Food and Drug Administration (FDA), all of which target one of client's key products, a dengue vaccine.
- Advise and represent a Spanish multinational company engaged in oil and gas exploration and production, in a suit filed by an international environmental non-government agency before the Commission on Human Rights.
- Advise and represent a leading manufacturer of construction equipment as lead counsel, in connection with its finance lease agreements, securities agreements, and claims against customers arising from such agreements.
- Defend the local entity of a global outsourcing company in an investigation by government agencies involving fraudulent work visa applications that were filed under the client's name, by persons who were not the client's employees.
- Assist and represent the Philippines-based call center subsidiary of a US-based international apparel company in reporting and initiating an investigation with the Bureau of Immigration, regarding the filing of fraudulent and falsified immigration applications under the name of the client.
- Assist an American money transfer and payment services provider in several criminal cases involving fraud, data privacy and identity theft.
Professional Honors
Leading Individual for Immigration, The Legal 500 Asia Pacific, 2017 to 2024
Band 3 for Employment, Chambers Asia Pacific, 2024
Legal 500 Private Practice Arbitration Powerlist - South East Asia Region, 2022
Professional Associations and Memberships
Integrated Bar of the Philippines - Member
Philippine Dispute Resolution Center, Inc. - Member and Accredited Arbitrator
Immigration Lawyers Association of the Philippines - Member
International Bar Association - Member
Admissions
Philippines (2002)
Education
Ateneo de Manila University (JD Second Honors) (2001)
Ateneo de Manila University (AB Philosophy) (1997)
Languages
English
Filipino