Professional Experience
Managing Partner
Head, Banking Finance and Securities Practice Group
SyCip Salazar Hernandez & Gatmaitan
Education
Masters of Laws
University of Michigan (1978)
Bachelor of Laws
University of the Philippines (cum laude and Class Valedictorian, 1974)
Bachelor of Arts in Political Science
University of the Philippines (cum laude, 1970)
Qualifications
Admitted to the New York State Bar in 1986
Admitted to the Philippine Bar in 1975, ranking 4th place
Practice Areas
Commercial Law and Corporate Services
Banking, Finance and Securities
Trade, Investments, Mergers and Acquisitions
Tax
Regulatory and Compliance
Energy, Mining and Natural Resources
Telecommunications and Transportation
Mr. Morales is a renowned corporate law practitioner specializing in banking and financial law, project financing, M&A, securities transactions and contract law. He has had much recognition for his legal work, including citations in Euromoney Legal Media Group’s “Guide to the World’s Leading Banking Lawyers” and Asian Legal Business’ “List of 100 pre-eminent Asia-Pacific Lawyers.” He has been cited as a leading lawyer by IFLR1000, Legal 500, Chambers Asia Pacific, Asialaw Profiles and Who’s Who Legal. Chambers Asia Pacific considers him as an Eminent Practitioner in Banking and Finance.
Mr. Morales carries with him a wealth of experience gained not only from his legal work in the Phllippines, but also from stints abroad. He trained as a foreign attorney at Rosenman Colin Freund Lewis & Cohen in New York (1978-1979). He later on became a foreign attorney at Anderson Mori & Rabinowitz in Tokyo (1984-1986). He was also a visiting professor at the School of Law of La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia (Summer, 2007).
Mr. Morales was president of the Inter-Pacific Bar Association, an organization of lawyers from more than 65 jurisdictions and with interest in the Asia-Pacific region. He is a member of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, the Philippine Bar Association, the Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines, the New York State Bar Association and the American Bar Association.
He authored two books: The Philippine General Banking Law (Annotated) and The Philippine Securities Regulation Code (Annotated), as well as numerous legal articles.
