Our Partners

Norma Margarita B. Patacsil

Norma Margarita (Norge) is a founding partner at C&G Law.  She heads the firm’s General Corporate Practice group.  Norge’s practice areas include mergers & acquisitions (M&As), competition and antitrust, corporate services, and local and foreign investments.

Norge is ranked under Band 2 for Corporate M&A by Chambers Asia-Pacific and Chambers Global.  She has been Chambers-ranked for M&A since 2018.  Since 2018, Asia Business Law Journal has named Norge among the Top 100 Lawyers of the Philippines. According to Chambers: “Clients praise the quality of her advice, appreciating that she does not ‘just provide dry legal advice, but takes into consideration practical concerns as well.’”  Impressed clients also note that Norge is “always on top of everything and manages to help” and that she “lends her expertise to acquisition, investment and competition matters, and is adroit at advising on competition law.”  Another client also describes her as “extremely practical and commercial in providing all services.”

Prior to co-founding C&G Law in February 2007, Norge was a junior associate (from 1999 to 2004) and senior associate (from 2004 until 2007) at SyCip Salazar Hernandez & Gatmaitan.

Qualifications

• University of the Philippines College of Law, Bachelor of Laws (Class of 1998; cum laude and class salutatorian); University of the Philippines School of Economics, Bachelor of Science in Economics (Class of 1994; magna cum laude).
• Admitted to the Philippine Bar in 1999 (Second place, 1998 Bar examinations).

Experience

M&A and investments experience

Norge handles share and property acquisitions and foreign and local investments, including joint ventures.  She conducts due diligence and advises on regulatory and other requirements in relation to acquisitions and investments.

Examples of Norge’s recent M&A/investments work:

• Advised The Coca-Cola Company in its affiliates’ sale of 100% of Coca-Cola Beverages Philippines, Inc. to the joint venture of Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc. and Coca-Cola Europacific Partners Plc.
• Advised Ayala Land, Inc., the Philippines’ leading real estate developer and a publicly-listed member of one of the most prominent Philippine conglomerates, on a five-company merger with its affiliates. Two of the five companies are publicly-listed.
• Assisted a prominent Japanese financial services group with its more than USD350 million investment in the Philippines’ leading fintech company.
• Advising a member of a group which is one of the largest distributors and wholesalers of medical and pharmaceutical products in the Asia-Pacific region in its acquisition of a leading Philippine medical services distributor and wholesaler. We conducted due diligence on the target, provided Philippine input for the transaction documents, and are advising the client on Philippine corporate law, structuring, tax law, and other regulatory considerations.
• Assisted in the merger of two publicly-listed companies.
• Advised Holcim Philippines, Inc. on the shareholders agreement for and restructuring of Holcim Mining and Development Corporation (a mining and landholding corporation).
• Advised on the Holcim Philippines, Inc. divestment (awarded by Asian Legal Business as the M&A Deal of the Year for the Philippines in 2019).
• In connection with the Stellar-Probe merger creating the largest and most diverse Australian owned customer experience outsourcing provider, advised Stellar on the sale of its Philippine BPO companies to Probe.
• Assisting in establishing a joint venture company between a member of a prominent Philippine conglomerate and a Singaporean company for the development and operation of data centers in the Philippines.
• Acted for the Philippine affiliate of a global, US-based food giant in its investment/joint venture with the Philippines’ largest restaurant chain relating to a poultry production and related facilities, as well as a landholding company.
• Assisted in the merger of leading global ship management companies by conducting legal due diligence on the Philippine affiliates of the Norwegian merger party.
• Advised on the Philippine aspects of a multinational medical devices group’s acquisition of Southeast Asian affiliates of the reputed largest ophthalmologic distributor in Southeast Asia. We conducted due diligence on the Philippine company and assisted with the Philippine completion documents.
• Assisted in the acquisition by a global technology solutions provider with main offices in Australia and the United States of a leading provider of end-to-end managed IT services in Asia. We conducted due diligence on the Philippine company and reviewed the Philippine law aspects of the deal.
• Assisted the seller (a French-founded global leader in facilities management services), with the Philippine aspects of its sale of more than 20 affiliates based in countries such as the Philippines, United States, England, Singapore, and Indonesia.
• Assisted a Japanese securities firm acquire a minority stake in a Philippine financial services company engaged in investment banking, financing, and securities brokerage. The team conducted due diligence, prepared acquisition/transaction documents, and closed the transaction.
• Assisted the foreign joint venture partner in the Philippine franchisee of an international quick-service restaurant divest its shares in and exit from the joint venture company.
• Advised a leading energy company in its planned investment in a company which will develop and operate a 450-megawatt offshore wind energy project. We conducted due diligence on the target company and advised on jurisdictional issues.
• Advised a leading Philippine energy company in its joint venture relating to a renewable energy corporation to fund the development of the latter’s proposed 200MWdc solar power project in northern Philippines.
• Assisted an Indonesian platform/technology company with legal due diligence on the corporate aspects of its Philippine affiliate.
• Represented the Project Quest group in their acquisition of EIB Savings Bank, Inc. (now Sun Savings Bank, Inc.), and a Singaporean fintech firm with its acquisition of 60% of a rural bank. C&G Law assisted both clients in conducting legal due diligence on the target companies and documenting their share acquisitions.
• Advised a leading online fashion retailer on the structuring and other aspects of its investment in the joint venture with a leading Philippine conglomerate relating to a logistics/courier company.
• Advised a Japanese exporter of premium food products, and conducted legal due diligence for it, in its investment in a Philippine food distribution company. The team conducted due diligence, prepared acquisition/transaction documents, and closed the transaction.
• Advised Midea, a leading global appliance manufacturer, in its joint venture/shareholders agreement with the Concepcion group (a Philippine pioneer in appliance manufacturing).

Competition and anti-trust experience

Norge advises on competition law matters.  She assists clients with filings, investigations, and appearances before the Philippine Competition Commission (PCC).  In 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024, the Legal 500 ranked C&G Law’s Antitrust and Competition practice under Tier 1.  C&G Law’s practice is also Highly Recommended by Asialaw for Competition & Antitrust in 2022, 2023, and 2024.

Norge’s recent competition law work includes:

Competition clearances for mergers

• C&G Law assisted The Coca-Cola Company in obtaining PCC approval for its affiliates’ sale of 100% of Coca-Cola Beverages Philippines, Inc.
• C&G Law assisted a leading real estate developer obtain PCC approval for its buyout of its foreign partner’s stake in their prominent condominium project.
• C&G Law assisted Pepsi-Cola Products Philippines, Inc. (PCPPI) in obtaining PCC approval for Lotte Chilsung Beverage Co. Ltd.’s tender offer for 57.78% of PCPPI.
• Advised leading Swedish conglomerate Altor and its Scandinavian counsel Mannheimer Swartling on a merger filing with the PCC. Clearance for the transaction was obtained.
• Assisted a leading online fashion retailer on its successful merger filing with the PCC relating to its joint venture with a leading conglomerate.
• Confirmed with the PCC the non-coverage, from the PCC’s mandatory filing requirements, of a merger of related entities.
• C&G Law assisted Ayala Land, Inc. and Royal Asia Land, Inc. in notifying the PCC of their proposed joint venture for the development of a 936-hectare property in Cavite, Philippines and in obtaining PCC approval for the transaction.
• Assisted two American NASDAQ-listed semiconductor/electronics manufacturing companies with the PCC notification and approval of their merger.
• Assisted a leading Chinese-European aircraft leasing company obtain PCC clearance for an investment by an affiliate of a global Japanese financial services company.
• Assisted a Japanese electronics company in its divestment of shares in its Philippine subsidiary and in obtaining PCC clearance for the sale.

Other competition work

• Acts for an FMCG company defend itself against formal charges of alleged anti-competitive conduct filed before the PCC.
• Assists clients in PCC investigations including for alleged cartel conduct and abuse of dominance. Clients here include the Philippine affiliate of a prominent global building materials company, an international transportation company, and a food company.
• Assists clients with reviews of their employee guidelines, including dawn raid protocols, and contracts for compliance with Philippine competition law. We advise clients on their distribution and other agreements for compliance with Philippine competition law.
• Advised a Philippine affiliate of a global leader in building materials in competition law, anti-bribery and corruption, and various corporate matters. Norge has conducted training sessions for its employees on those matters.
• Assists clients with internal audits and investigations to determine the client’s and its employees’ compliance with Philippine competition law.

Other corporate/commercial work

Norge has significant experience in various capital market, contract-based, land, mining and natural resources, anti-bribery and corruption, and regulatory issues.  She has issued opinions for public offerings of securities.  She handles the incorporation of companies and other investment vehicles and serves as corporate secretary of several corporations.

• C&G Law, through Norge, has acted as independent counsel in securities offerings by a real estate investment trust, energy, and mining companies. We opined on the legality of the securities being offered and tax matters in the offering documents, as well as the permits of the energy and mining companies.
• Advised a Chinese investment company on its multimillion-dollar loan to a Philippine nickel mining company. We assisted in the preparation of the loan, security, and royalty agreements and issued a legal opinion on the deal.
• Currently the Resident Agent of the Philippine branch offices of DOF Subsea Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., SolarWinds Software Asia Pte. Ltd., and N-able International B.V.
• While at SyCip Salazar Hernandez & Gatmaitan, worked on the initial public offerings of SM Investments Corporation and PNOC-Energy Development Corporation.
• Since 2008, Norge has been advising the Philippine subsidiary of an Australian mining company on various regulatory, right-of-way, litigation, and other concerns relating to is mining contract with the Philippine Government.

Memberships

• Member, Integrated Bar of the Philippines (1999 to present).

Awards and Recognitions

• Ranked in Corporate M&A by Chambers Asia-Pacific: Band 2; Up and Coming Commercial and Corporate Lawyer (2008 and 2009).
• Ranked in Corporate and Finance by Chambers Global: Band 2.
• Named as one of the Philippines’ Top 100 Lawyers by Asia Business Law Journal since 2018.
• Cited under Corporate/M&A by Women in Business Law 2021 (Euromoney/Legal Media Group).
• Recommended for Competition and Antitrust by Who’s Who Legal (2021).