Legal Insights
Plain-language guides and case briefs on Philippine law — researched from the firm's law library of 184,000+ statutes, Supreme Court decisions, and agency issuances, and written so non-lawyers can understand and act on them.
Lease Agreements Upholding Contractual Grace Periods Despite Payment Restructuring
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on how payment restructuring letters affect contractual grace periods in lease agreements.
Abandonment and Res Judicata in Agrarian Disputes: Tenant Rights and Land Ownership
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies abandonment, res judicata, and procedural rules in agrarian disputes between tenants and landowners.
The Ripple Effect: How Prior Court Rulings Bind Future Cases Involving Similar Facts
A Supreme Court ruling on the Pepsi promotion. Although the petitioners were not parties to earlier lawsuits over the same contest, the Court held that their claims were barred by the doctrine of *sta
When Court Funds Are Misused: Accountability of Clerks of Court in the Philippines
A Supreme Court ruling on a clerk of court who used judiciary funds for personal needs, and the consequences of delayed remittances.
Public Accountability: Mayor's Liability for Double Payments Despite Subordinate Reliance
A mayor cannot escape liability for double payments by blaming subordinates, especially when checks were made payable to him personally.
Upholding Ethical Conduct: Lawyer Suspended for Misleading the Court
A lawyer's two-month suspension for misleading the Supreme Court on appeal deadlines, and lessons on candor under Canon 10.
Court Employee Suspended for Impropriety in Handling Litigant's Funds
Legal researcher suspended one year for receiving P130,000 from a litigant and helping secure counsel in a case before her own branch.
Breach of Contract vs Employer-Employee Dispute: Defining Jurisdiction in Post-Employment Obligations
Supreme Court clarifies when breach of non-compete clauses falls under regular courts, not labor arbiters.
When a Civil Case Can Resolve Inheritance and Property Disputes in the Philippines
Learn when Philippine regular courts, not labor arbiters, have jurisdiction over breach of contract and property disputes.
Inofficious Donation and Legitime: Protecting Compulsory Heirs' Inheritance Rights in the Philippines
Learn how Philippine law protects compulsory heirs from inofficious donations that impair their legitime, explained through a Supreme Court case.
Finality of Judgments in Disbarment Cases: Enforcement and Contempt for Non-Compliance
Supreme Court enforces disbarment ruling, cites lawyer for contempt and disobedience for defying final judgment and return order.
Why Failing to Pay Appeal Docket Fees Can Cost You Your Case
Learn why the Supreme Court strictly requires payment of appellate docket fees on time and how negligence can cost you your appeal.
Buying All Shares Does Not Transfer Corporate Property Ownership: Silverio v. Filipino Business Consultants
Philippine Supreme Court ruling: acquiring controlling shares of a corporation does not give a stockholder ownership or possession of corporate assets.
Piercing the Corporate Veil: Clarifying Liability for Subsidiary Obligations
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when a parent corporation may be held liable for its subsidiary's obligations, and when it cannot.
When One Witness Is Enough: Credibility and Estafa Convictions in Philippine Law
A single credible witness can sustain an estafa conviction. This article explains the rule from Panahon v. People and its practical implications.
Quitclaims Are They Always a Bar to Future Claims? Tagle v. Court of Appeals
Quitclaims do not automatically bar labor claims. Know when waivers are valid and when courts will set them aside.
Dismissal of Civil Cases: Understanding Failure to Prosecute in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court explains when dismissal for failure to prosecute is proper, and when trial courts abuse their discretion.
Irrevocable Agency When A Treasure Hunt Creates Binding Obligations
When is an agency coupled with interest irrevocable? A treasure hunt dispute explains the rule and its practical limits.
Certification of Non-Forum Shopping: Why One Co-Petitioner's Signature Is Not Enough
The Supreme Court explains why a certification of non-forum shopping signed by only one co-petitioner can get a case dismissed.
When Employee Participation Establishes Jurisdiction: Ponce v. NLRC
In Ponce v. NLRC, the Supreme Court ruled that employees who actively participate in an appeal cannot later question the court's jurisdiction.
Upholding Ethical Conduct Judiciary Employees AND Public Decorum
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on judicial employees' conduct, decorum, and accountability in Gonzales v. Gatcheco.
Business Closure vs Retrenchment: Defining Employers' Rights in Labor Disputes
The Supreme Court clarifies when retrenchment is valid, when it becomes illegal dismissal, and how quitclaims affect employee rights.
Eminent Domain and the Valid Offer Rule: Lessons from the Pasig Expropriation Case
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that a local government must make a valid, definite offer before expropriating private property.
Advance Payments and Government Contracts: Fiscal Responsibility in Infrastructure Projects
Supreme Court ruling on advance payments in government infrastructure contracts and the limits under PD 1594 and PD 1445.