GWEN GRECIA-DE VERA

Received her Bachelor of Laws (Ll.B.) degree from the University of the Philippines in 1995 and was admitted to the Philippine Bar in 1996, having obtained the 7th highest ranking in the Bar Examinations. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the same University in 1991. She served as law clerk for Associate Justice (ret.) Vicente V. Mendoza. She later became legal counsel for ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corporation. She was formerly an associate attorney with Poblador Bautista & Reyes. She is also a regular faculty member of the University of the Philippines College of Law, where she has been a Senior Lecturer since 1997 in Constitutional Law and Commercial Law Review. She served as alternate director on an Advisory Board to the National Telecommunications Commission. Gwen is likewise a Trustee and Corporate Secretary of Philippine Dispute Resolution Center, Inc.

She is a member of the International Bar Association, International Technology Law Association (ITechLaw) and International Association of Privacy Professionals.

Relevant Experiences

  • Conducts registration eligibility searches and applications for registration of trademark, patent, industrial design, utility model, including preparation, review and/or registration of license and franchise agreements and other technology transfer arrangements with the Documentation, Information and Technology Transfer Bureau.
  • Conducts intellectual property due diligence/audit.
  • Currently acts as part of contract support team for international company involved in manufacturing of computer hardware and in provision of related services.
  • Currently acts as counsel for a media management company and advises on multi-jurisdictional intellectual property issues.
  • Has extensive experience in negotiating and drafting software license agreements, website development agreements, web hosting agreements, linking agreements, source code escrow agreements and teaming agreements. Work also includes providing legal advice for contact/call center companies, aggregators and brokers through the drafting of service agreements, reseller agreements and broker services agreements.
  • Provides assistance to the Litigation Department in handling cases on hacking, piracy, unfair competition and trademark and copyright infringement, under the Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines, the E-Commerce Act, the Consumer Act of the Philippines, and other pertinent statutes, both for complainants and respondents of such cases.
  • Currently serves as counsel in an arbitration before the ICC.
  • Currently serves as counsel in dispute resolution proceedings before the Energy Regulatory Commission.
  • Served as counsel in successful settlement effort involving infringement of copyright against a local recording label.
  • Served as counsel in successful settlement of trademark infringement and unfair competition litigation in the publishing industry.
  • Served as counsel in successful settlement of trademark dispute in the food retail industry.
  • Served as counsel advising on competition policy and related antitrust concerns in the pharmaceutical industry.
  • Served as counsel advising on consumer and personal data protection in the pharmaceutical industry.
  • Served as counsel in providing training for sales and marketing force in relation to the acquisition, management, use and storage of consumer and personal data in the pharmaceutical industry.
  • Served as counsel advising on issues related to the implementation of the Universally Accessible Cheaper and Quality Medicines Act or Republic Act No. 9502.
  • Served as counsel advising on issues related to ethical issues in the pharmaceutical industry, as well as the medical profession.
  • Served as counsel advising on government hospital procurement processes relevant to pharmaceutical industry (as suppliers).
  • Served as counsel providing advice and assistance in relation to intellectual property issues for pharmaceutical companies.
  • Has experience in administrative work and general liaison with the Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) now the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under Republic Act No. 9711.
  • Has experience in advising medical practitioners with respect to research and development work.
  • Member of the technical team of consultants acting as advisor to the Department of Energy in the DOE's World Bank Systems Loss Reduction Project focusing on electric cooperatives requiring assistance in improving their financial viability. Through a bidding process, an electric cooperative will determine the investor with whom it will execute an Investment Management Contract. Work primarily involves:
    • (i) Setting up the legal framework for private sector participation in the distribution business;
    • (ii) Drafting of transaction documents and procedures for the bidding process;
    • (iii) Coordination with the DOE, NEA, the Philippine Rural Electric Cooperatives Association, Inc. and the electric cooperatives board of directors and officers, particularly in ensuring a clear understanding of the concept of the Investment Management Contract.
  • Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP) Technology Program and Policy Advisory Initiative (April 2007). Acted as part of local legal team providing advice on Philippine law in relation to the Branchless Banking Diagnostic Mission.
  • Provided advice to PSALM Corporation in its privatization and restructuring activities. Assistance primarily included:
    • (i)Structuring and preparation of/conduct of preliminary due diligence of an NPC generation asset;
    • (ii) Design of bidding process;
    • (iii) Drafting of the bidding documents;
    • (iii) Drafting of transaction documents, securing clearances/approvals from pertinent government agencies, including but not limited to the DOE, Department of Finance, Department of Justice, the Office of the General Corporate Counsel, NEDA-ICC and the NPC;
    • (iii) Participated in meetings and coordination with the agencies' technical working groups.
  • Acted as consultant for the Cyberspace Policy Center for Asia-Pacific, in facilitating public-private collaboration for the establishment of an e-rulemaking facility for the National Telecommunications Commission.