PRACTICE AREAS
Filipino diaspora, globalization, cross-border transactions, and multi-jurisdictional legal issues.
Atty. George Almacen y Banzuela is a Manila-based lawyer and a general practice attorney. While Joy Almacen y Banzuela is a Philippine lawyer and Of Counsel* currently based in Miami/Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.
Through close, personal, and regular collaborations, they assist clients and overseas Filipinos resolve their legal issues under Philippine law wherever the clients may be through a "digital-first" delivery of legal services.
Together with Manila-based lawyer Atty. Edgardo G. Baniaga as Of Counsel*, our areas of practice cover a variety of legal fields, including but not limited to civil matters like contracts, torts and damages, family relations, real estate transactions, settlement of estate, transfer of title; residential property, condominium, subdivision, HOA, free patent, and homestead; labor and employment; criminal defense and prosecution; civil litigations; taxation; business formations; and, commercial transactions.
Joy Almacen y Banzuela also aims to help his clients address legal questions relating to information technology, data privacy and security, regulatory compliance, intellectual property, overseas employment, immigration, taxation, foreign investments, international trade, and global finance. He can also take inquiries about the legal implications of globalization, interconnected markets, interdependent economies, multi-jurisdictional activities, cross-border transactions, technological innovations, global movement of people, capital, technology, goods, and services to facilitate business activities and promote economic prosperity.
ESSENTIAL SERVICES
Services to assert and protect individual rights.
- Contract negotiation, drafting, review, execution, and enforcement;
- Claims for torts and damages;
- Residential property, condominium, subdivision, transfer of title, HOA, free patent, and homestead;
- Family relations, including paternity, custody, filiation, adoption, support; legal separation, annulment of marriage, declaration of nullity of marriage, recognition of foreign divorce; wills, succession, and estate planning and settlement;
- Civil litigation including breach of contract, property disputes, and other related legal issues;
- Criminal defense and prosecution, including preliminary investigations and judicial proceedings;
- Immigration, citizenship, overseas employment, Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers Act, Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act and other related laws;
- Disputed tax assessments, refunds, credits, penalties and other fees;
- Other legal services to assert, protect, and fully vindicate the legal rights of our clients.
BUSINESS SERVICES
Compliance services to facilitate business activities and promote economic prosperity.
- Foreign Investments, Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs), Renewable Energy, Public-Private Partnership (PPP), Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) and other infrastructure investment laws;
- Business formation and registration with the SEC, Dept. of Trade and Industry (DTI), Central Bank (BSP), Board of Investments (BOI), Dept. of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Export Processing Zones, Special Economic Zones, and other national and local economic zones;
- Tax, customs, tariffs, and other related financial regulations under the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), Bureau of Customs (BoC), and Dept. of Finance (DoF);
- Banking, finance, investment, trust, insurance, and other related commercial laws;
- Real estate acquisition, lease, sale, transfer, environmental compliance and special lease programs of public land administered by the DENR including DAO 2025-22 Sustainable Forest Land Management Agreement;
- Import and export transactions, including banking, transportation, admiralty, maritime shipping, insurance, tariffs, customs duties and other related requirements;
- Information technology, data privacy and security;
- Intellectual property registration, transfer, licensing, and protection;
- Competition and Antitrust Law;
- Labor and employment standards under the Labor Code, including immigration, Social Security System, minimum wage, other related laws, and social legislations.
- Proceedings under Financial Rehabilitation and Insolvency Act (FRIA);
- Administrative law, procedure, and proceedings before regulatory, quasi-legislative, and quasi-judicial bodies;
- Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), Mediation, and Conciliation;
- Other legal services necessary to ensure full business compliance with existing laws, rules, and regulations.