Our Partners

Katrine Paula V. Suyat-Antonio

Katrine (Kat) became a partner of C&G Law in January 2021.  She is a key member of the firm’s General Corporate Practice Group, Energy, Construction & Infrastructure Sector Group, and Labour & Immigration Practice Group.

Kat’s practice areas include construction, corporate services, energy, foreign investments, infrastructure, labor and employment, and mergers & acquisitions.

Kat has been cited by the Legal 500 as a Rising Star in corporate and M&A in its 2021 and 2022 publications, and a Next Generation Partner in its 2023 publication.  The Legal 500 has also recognized Kat in the field of labor and employment as a Next Generation Lawyer in its 2019 and 2020 publications, as a Rising Star in its 2021 and 2022 publications, and a Next Generation Partner in its 2023 publication.  In relation to her labor and employment work, impressed clients have described her as an “expert in both substantive and procedural law” and mentioned that she “responds to our requests in a very prompt and extensive manner and look at our issues at all angles.”

In 2017, Kat was seconded to the Mergers & Acquisitions department of Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP.

Kat has been teaching at San Beda University and San Beda College-Alabang since 2014.

Qualifications

• San Beda College of Law, Juris Doctor (Class of 2013, class salutatorian, and recipient of the Dean Feliciano Jover Ledesma Achievement Award)
• University of the Philippines-Diliman, Bachelor of Arts in Political Science (Class of 2009, cum laude)
• Admitted to the Philippine Bar in 2014 (seventh place, 2013 Philippine Bar examinations)

Experience

Construction, Energy, and Infrastructure Practice

Kat’s construction, energy, and infrastructure experience includes:

• Preparing long form and short form construction contract, including associated agreements, for a leading real estate developer.
• Advising a multinational utility company on how to structure its EPC contracts taking into consideration the existing foreign equity restrictions applicable to the industry.
• Advising and assisting a generation company in the bidding for a power supply agreement by the largest distribution utility in the country.
• Advising and assisting a generation company with its proposed acquisition of shares in a company that is developing and operating several solar power projects, including conducting legal due diligence for the purposes of the proposed acquisition.
• Advising and assisting a subsidiary of a generation company with its joint venture with a company that is operating a solar power project in Central Luzon, including conducting legal due diligence for the purposes of the proposed acquisition of shares and preparing legal documentation therefor.
• Acting as corporate secretary for a company engaged in the lease, installation and operation of solar rooftop panels.
• Advising and assisting a client, a distribution utility, in entering into an investment management agreement with and for an electric cooperative, including conducting legal due diligence for the purposes of the proposed investment, including regulatory due diligence to confirm what laws, regulations, and permit and licensing requirements apply to the management of an electric cooperative.
• Advising and assisting a generation company in the bidding for the privatization of the Casecnan Hydroelectric Powerplant Project conducted by the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corporation.
• Assisting the Philippine government in the public bidding of the Public-Private Partnership project of the Philippine Statistics Authority for the design, development, and operation of the information system of civil registry system of the Philippines, including drafting of bidding documents.
• Assisting the Philippine government in the public bidding of the Public-Private Partnership project of the Department of Transportation and Light Rail Transit Authority for the operations and maintenance of the LRT- Line 2, including drafting of bidding documents.
• Assisting the Philippine government in the public bidding of the Public-Private Partnership project of the Department of Transportation and Philippine Ports Authority for the modernization of the Davao Sasa Port.
• Assisting in the pre-qualification of a consortium for the Bacolod-Silay (Iloilo) (Bundle 1) Davao, Laguindingan and New Bohol (Panglao) (Bundle 2) Regional Airports Development and Operations and Maintenance Projects of the Department of Transportation and the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines.
• Assisting and advising the winning consortium, North Luzon Airport Consortium, in the bidding for the Clark International Airport Expansion Project Operation and Maintenance of the Bases Conversion and Development Authority. Work entailed representing the consortium in pre-bid conferences, reviewing the Instructions to Bidders and Concession Agreement, and preparing the bidding documents.

General Corporate Practice

Kat’s general corporate practice experience includes:

• Assisting in various due diligence projects involving the acquisition of properties of or shares of stock in a Philippine food distribution company, solar power generation company, and Philippine pharmaceutical companies, including the drafting of due diligence reports and advising on issues relating to such acquisitions.
• Advising and assisting the minority shareholders of an FMCG distribution company in the divestment of their shares.
• Assisting in drafting and reviewing contracts for the acquisition of properties and shares of stocks, service agreements, operating agreements, and other contracts for multi-national and local clients.
• Advising foreign and local clients, including a leading building materials company, on nationality and foreign equity restrictions.
• Acting as director and corporate secretary for several local companies.

Labor and Employment Practice

Kat’s labor and employment practice experience includes:

• Preparing and reviewing employee manuals, codes of discipline, company policies, as well as employment contracts and programs for multi-national and local clients.
• Assisting in collective bargaining negotiations and preparation of collective bargaining agreements.
• Handling termination disputes and other employment issues for multi-national and local clients, which includes regularly appearing before the National Labor Relations Commission.
• Assisting companies with the registration of stock option plans with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Memberships / Directorships 

• Member, Integrated Bar of the Philippines (2014- present)
• Faculty, San Beda University (2014- 2018)
• Faculty, San Beda College- Alabang (2019- present)

Recognitions

• Cited as Next Generation Lawyer for Labour & Employment by the Legal 500 in its 2019 and 2020 publications.
• Cited as Rising Star for Labour & Employment and Rising Star for Corporate and M&A by the Legal 500 in its 2021 and 2022 publications.
• Cited as Next Generation Partner for Labour & Employment and Next Generation Partner for Corporate and M&A by the Legal 500 in its 2023 publication.