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.
Final Pay in the Philippines: What It Includes and the 30-Day Deadline
Final pay in the Philippines must be released within 30 days of separation. Learn what it includes and the rules on payment.
Employee Data Privacy Philippines: Employer's Guide to the Data Privacy Act
Learn how the Data Privacy Act of 2012 protects employee data in the Philippines and what employers must do to comply.
Child Custody Battles: Habeas Corpus and Forum Shopping in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies habeas corpus in child custody cases and penalizes forum shopping in Reyes v. Elquiero.
Laches in Philippine Law: How Delay Can Bar Your Legal Claims
Learn how the doctrine of laches can bar legal claims in the Philippines, even before the prescriptive period expires, through the Supreme Court's ruling in Ang v. Abaldonado.
Retaliatory Dismissal: Protecting Employees Who Assert Their Rights
The Supreme Court affirms that firing workers for filing labor complaints violates security of tenure and constitutes illegal dismissal.
Closure Due to Losses: Employee Rights and Employer Obligations in the Philippines
Understand the rules on business closure due to losses in the Philippines—what employees are entitled to and what employers must do.
Res Judicata and Land Ownership: When a Criminal Ruling Does Not Bind a Civil Case
A criminal conviction for theft does not automatically settle land ownership in a separate civil case. Learn how res judicata applies.
Equitable Mortgage vs Absolute Sale: Intent and Prescription in Property Disputes
Supreme Court clarifies when a sale is an equitable mortgage and why fraud claims can prescribe. Learn the rules.
Employee Dishonesty and Breach of Trust: When Is Dismissal Justified
Explore when Philippine courts uphold dismissal for employee dishonesty and breach of trust, and the due process requirements employers must satisfy.
Right of Way and Fair Compensation: When Attorney's Fees and Exemplary Damages Are Not Warranted
The Supreme Court clarifies when attorney's fees and exemplary damages may be awarded, reversing an award against Petron Corporation in a property dispute.
Dismissal Denied: Why Properly Stating Your Cause of Action Matters in Philippine Courts
Learn how the Supreme Court ruled on constructive dismissal in a security guard's case and why precise legal claims are crucial.
Separate Legal Claims WHY Improper Case Consolidation Violates DUE Process
Why the Supreme Court ruled that separate libel complaints against a publisher cannot be consolidated against one defendant without violating due process.
Malicious Prosecution: Protecting Reputation and Business Interests From Unfounded Legal Claims
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when filing a baseless lawsuit becomes malicious prosecution, entitling victims to moral, exemplary, and compensatory damages.
Res Judicata in Philippine Law: How Prior Judgments Affect Future Claims
Learn how the doctrine of res judicata bars relitigation of decided cases and affects future legal claims in the Philippines.