UNAWA co-founders Atty. Monalisa C. Dimalanta, Atty. Regina Jacinto-Barrientos, and Atty. Maria Raquel S. Chavez of Puyat Jacinto & Santos (PJS) Law are once again among the Philippines’ Top 100 Lawyers based on research conducted by the Asia Business Law Journal.
Apart from being Senior Partner in PJS Law and President & CEO of UNAWA, Atty. Dimalanta also recently completed two years as the Chair of the Philippine National Renewable Energy Board (NREB). She continues to lead the innovation efforts of the Firm and in training junior lawyers in Mergers & Acquisitions and Energy Law. She was also cited last year as an awardee of the Women in Renewables Asia (WIRA) and as the only Philippine lawyer among the Asia-Pacific IFLR1000 Women Leaders for 2021.
Atty. Barrientos, meanwhile, is CEO of PJS Law. As a founding partner and its Managing Partner for more than 10 years, she has led the 25-year-old firm from a three-partner startup to one of the leading law firms in the country. Atty. Barrientos champions UNAWA’s business development and strategic partnerships and continues to be heavily involved in legal practice, advising clients on mergers and acquisitions (M&A) transactions in various industries. Atty. Jacinto-Barrientos has also been recognized as Woman Lawyer of the Year in 2017 and Managing Partner of the Year in 2016 by the Asian Legal Business – Philippine Law Awards.
Specializing in banking, finance & capital markets, energy, and corporate & commercial law, Atty. Chavez is able to draw on her wealth of experience from her years as corporate counsel for Banco de Oro Universal Bank and as legislative aide to the Philippine Secretary of Finance. She has also served as legal consultant to the Philippine Electricity Market Corporation in relation to the commercial operations of the Philippine Wholesale Electricity Spot Market. In UNAWA, Atty. Chavez leads financial oversight and governance.
The A-List — as the top 100 lawyers list is called — is an annual publication based on the extensive research conducted by Asia Business Law Journal. It reflects inputs from thousands of in-house counsel, as well as partners at international law firms, in response to questions on which lawyers should make the cut and why.
Aside from their extensive legal knowledge, the Asia Business Law Journal said these A-List lawyers are known to have “a forward-thinking approach to solving complex problems.”
UNAWA testifies to this pioneering mindset that fueled its founders to put up a regulatory technology startup in the Philippines. As the world gets more and more complex, UNAWA is ready to take on the challenge with our Attys. Dimalanta, Barrientos, and Chavez at the helm.
