Atty. Mark M. Averilla
mmaverilla@sedalaw.com

Mr. Averilla obtained his Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of the Philippines, while he completed his Bachelor of Arts degree at the Bicol University in Legazpi City.

Immediately after taking the bar, Mr. Averilla joined the Angara Abello Concepcion Regala & Cruz Law offices (ACCRALAW), first as an Associate in the Special Projects Department (SPD) and later as an Associate in the Litigation Monitoring Department(LMD).

Under the supervision of able ACCRALAW partners, Mr. Averilla was exposed to general representation for corporations, partnerships and other business organizations ranging from major local companies and financial institutions to multi-national organizations. He assisted clients in entity formation and compliance, including non-profit formation and counseling, planning and consummation of major transactions for clients, such as public and private debt and equity financings, mergers and acquisitions, debtor-creditor transactions, reorganizations and debt securitization.

Mr. Averilla also handled matters including employment contracts, directorship duties, sales of stock or businesses, telecommunications, transportation and joint ventures.

Such diverse exposure acquainted Mr. Averilla with several ACCRALAW clients including, among others, Philippines Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT); Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC); San Miguel Corporation (SMC); Coca-Cola Bottlers Philippines, Inc. (CCBPI); Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corporation (Shell); Caltex Philippines, Inc. (CPI); DHL Phils. Corporation (DHL); Subic Bay Legend Resorts & Casinos; Prudential Life Plan, Inc. (PLPI); Philippine National Bank (PNB); Hongkong & Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC); 1st e-Bank; Citibank, N.A.; Petron Corporation; Procter & Gamble Phils., Inc.; Johnson & Johnson; Manila International Ariport Services Corporation (MIASCOR); ASB Group of Companies; Subic Water; Cathay Metal Corporation; Westmont Investments Corporation (WINCORP); Toyota Motors Philippines Corp. (TMPC); Nissan Motors Phils. (Nissan); Phil. Bank of Communications (PBCom); Consolidated Industrial Gases, Inc. (CIGI); Bechtel Overseas Corporation (BOC); and Far East Bank & Trust Corp. (FEBTC, now Bank of the Philippine Islands [BPI]).

Mr. Averilla whose exposure includes both government and non-government work was a legal officer of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Mines Adjudication Board (MAB). He also served as consultant to the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR).

Mr. Averilla is a member of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) and the Christian Lawyers' Association (CLASS).

Mr. Averilla, who hails from Donsol, Sorsogon, is fluent in Bicol, Filipino and English.

Atty. Jose Vicente B. Salazar
jbsalazar@sedalaw.com

Mr. Salazar finished his B.S. Electrical Engineering at the University of the Philippines, and his Juris Doctor degree, Second Honors (Silver Medalist), at the Ateneo de Manila University.

Prior to his career as a lawyer, Mr. Salazar served the government in various positions. He served as Chief of Staff of the Deputy Commissioner of National Telecommunications Commision (NTC). He also joined the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) as its liaison to the Philippine Senate and as consultant to the Undersecretary for Legal and Legislative Affairs.

He subsequently joined the Angara Abello Concepcion Regala and Cruz Law Offices (ACCRALAW) as a litigation associate with intellectual property as his secondary assignment. In ACCRALAW, Mr. Salazar was deply involved in the following fields: construction arbitration and alternative dispute resolution, estate planning, power gneration, telecommunications, environmental law, corporate special projects, and contract law.

Mr. Salazar handled such ACCRALAW clients as Philippine Bank of Communication (PBCom); Chowking Food Corporation (CFC); Pilipino Telephone Corporation (Piltel); International Flavours & Fragrances, Inc. (IFFI); Hongkong & Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC); Toyo Construction, Inc.; Kuok Philippines Properties, Inc.; Subic Telecommunications, Inc. (SubicTel); Citadel Holdings; United Coconut Planters Bank (UCPB); Columbian Motors; Caltex Philippines, Inc. (CPI); Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corporation (Shell); Philippines Long Distance Telephone Corporations (PLDT); DHL Philippines, Inc.; Procter & Gamble Philippines, Inc.; Standard Insurance; Coca-Coca Bottlers Philippines, Inc. (CCBPI); Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC); Megaworld Properties; Cathay Metal Corporation; Fuji-Haya Electric Corporation; SGS Phils, Inc.; and Red Ribbon Bakeshop, among others.

Mr. Salazar is the current Governor for Bicolandia Region of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP), the mandatory association of lawyers in the country. He is the youngest ever member of the Nine-Member Board of Governors, the policy making body of the IBP. He is also a member of the Philippine Bar Association (PBA), the oldest voluntary organization of lawyers in the Philippines.

Mr. Salazar attended the 2004 Academy of American and International Law in the United States of America (U.S.A.). He also attended the 15th Annual International Commercial Arbitration Workshop sponsored by the Institute of Transnational Arbitration (ITA) in June 2004.

Mr. Salazar was a Member of the Pollution Adjudication Board (PAB), and served as Consultant of the Contracts Review Committee of the National Power Corporation (NAPOCOR) and the Department of Environment and National Resources (DENR). He was also a legal consultant of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR).

Mr. Salazar is an Honorary Citizen of the City of Dallas, Texas, U.S.A., an honor conferred by its Mayor, Laura Miller.

Mr. Salazar, a former college lecturer, originates from Legazpi City. He is fluent in Bicol, Filipino and English.

Atty. Arthur R. Defensor
ardefensor@sedalaw.com

Mr. Defensor graduated from the University of the Philippines College of Social Sciences with a Bachelor of Arts degree, majoring in Philosophy. He obtained his Juris Doctor degree in law from the Ateneo de Manila University College of Law.

Mr. Defensor has extensive exposure in politics on account of his active participation in campus politics when he was in the University of the Philippines, and because of his family's involvement in national, as well as local, politics. Mr. Defensor was a former consultant to the public relations requirements of the Office of the President of the Republic of the Philippines.

After passing the Bar exam, Mr. Defensor joined the Angara Abello Concepcion Regala and Cruz Law Offices (ACCRALAW) as a litigation associate with Intellectual Property as his secondary specialization. In ACCRALAW, Mr. Defensor was exposed and trained in the fields of Election law, Corporate Special Projects, Corporate Litigation and Contract Law.

He handled various major ACCRALAW clients including, but not limited to, Bayer, A.G.; Aventis Group; Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT); Pilipinas Shell Corporation (Shell); Caltex Philippines, Inc. (CPI); Procter and Gamble Philippines, Inc.; Coca-Cola Bottlers Philippines, Inc. (CCBPI); A.M. Oreta & Co.; Pilipinas Bank; Landev Corporation; Toyota Motors Philippines, Inc. (TMPI); Manila Electric Company (MERALCO); Philippine Bank of Communication (PBCom); Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC); and Philippine Airlines (PAL) and Belle Corporation, among others. Mr. Defensor was a consultant to the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the House of Representatives. He is also an active lifetime member of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP).

Mr. Defensor, who is from the province of Iloilo, is fluent in Hiligaynon, Filipino and English.

Atty. William T. Enrile
seda@sedalaw.com

Mr. Enrile obtained his BS Commerce degree, major in Accounting from the Ateneo de Naga University and his Bachelor of Laws from the Ateneo de Manila University College of Law. He is both a Certified Public Accountant and a Lawyer, having passed the CPA Board in 1957 and the Bar exams in 1962.

An active player in the business industry, Mr. Enrile holds top posts in the Peñafrancia Sugar Mill, AW Fishing Corporation, Bicolandia Realty Development Corporation, and Peñafrancia College.

Mr. Enrile who hails from Naga City is fluent in English, Filipino and Fookien.

Atty. Edwin R. Enrile
seda@sedalaw.com

Mr. Enrile, who is one of the founders of the Firm, obtained his A.B. Management Economics from the Ateneo de Manila University graduating magna cum laude. He subsequently completed his Bachelors of Laws from Ateneo de Manila University College of Law as the class salutatorian.

Mr. Enrile obtained first place in the 1999 Bar examinations.

While waiting for the results of the Bar, he joined the Angara Abello Concepcion Regala & Cruz Law Offices (ACCRALAW) as a litigation associate. In order to gain exposure in special projects and commercial transactions, Mr. Enrile subsequently joined the Quisimbing and Torres Law Offices, a local affiliate of Baker & McKenzie international law firm.

Mr. Enrile hopes to re-join the Firm after his stint at the Office of the Executive Secretary in Malacañang Palace in which he currently works and for which reason he temporarily ceased from being a member of SEDALAW.

Mr. Enrile is fluent in English, Filipino and Fookien.