DivinaLaw — Dynamic lawyering in the Philippines

Quality legal work demands focus, and that’s hard to do when you’re dealing with issues other than practicing law. Attorneys who focus primarily on their clients’ matters produce a much higher-quality finished product, leading to happier, more loyal customers. Almost every business needs a law firm as there are a lot of legalities in every aspect of a business. All types of businesses need lawyers to provide them legal guidance regarding various aspects such as contracts.

DivinaLaw is a leading full-service law firm in the Philippines. From the beginning, it has distinguished itself in a full range of corporate legal practices, particularly corporate take-over, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate rehabilitation. Advocating and practicing dynamic lawyering—being prompt, proactive, and results-oriented, DivinaLaw quickly became one of the Philippines’ most prominent law firms, with 70 lawyers in its roster and counting.

The journey of the company

The firm was put up in 2006 and turned out to be one of the biggest law firms in the country today. The firm was initially envisioned to be a boutique law firm that would focus on select areas of practice, then make enough money to provide a comfortable life to the lawyers and the staff. But, one event led to another, and opportunities came one after the other, and it metamorphosed into a full-service law firm. Prior to putting up his law firm, founder Nilo T. Divina was Executive Vice President, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary of Equitable PCI Bank, now BDO Unibank Inc., the biggest bank in the Philippines.

Legal services offered by DivinaLaw

DivinaLaw is a full-service law firm in the Philippines that provides prompt, proactive, and results-oriented service to ensure client satisfaction. The firm offers depth and range in experience and resources while fostering a professional and collaborative work ethic.

The firm’s ten major practice areas are Litigation, Corporate & Special Projects, Labor, Arbitration & Alternative Dispute Resolution, Tax, and Estate Planning, Intellectual Property, Immigration and Naturalization, E-Commerce & Technology, Risk & Crisis Management, and Legal Education, Legislative Advocacy & Policy Reform.

The DivinaLaw difference

DivinaLaw has championed a culture of dynamic lawyering where client satisfaction is not merely an objective but a burning passion. “Dynamic Lawyering encapsulates the philosophy of the firm; we will do everything necessary within the bounds of ethics to deliver outstanding results to our clients, to make our clients happy, smiling, and victorious. So, we innovate, we think out of the box, we explore uncharted territory. We find ways; we open doors. Client satisfaction is our burning passion,” says Nilo.

DivinaLaw has been recognized as an “Employer of Choice” in recent years. To achieve this, Nilo says, he made an army and a family for clients, fully committed to protect the clients’ interests, and also a family to the lawyers and staff where there is genuine affection and concern for one another.

Technology is the key to stay ahead in the industry

Most law firms in the Philippines are set in their traditional ways. Consultations and client meetings are office-based. Case files and billing are still paper-based. Strategic business development is treated more as an afterthought rather than an integral part of operations.

In contrast to this traditional mindset, Nilo’s visionary leadership embraced the use of cloud-based technology in various aspects of the firm’s operations, leading to improved overall efficiency and reduction of costs. Unexpectedly, this decision also enabled the firm to continue much of its work despite the lockdown measures imposed over Metro Manila due to COVID-19.

The use of cloud-based technology was first adopted for the firm’s library of case files. This slashed the firm’s document reproduction costs in half and brought immeasurable relief to lawyers who now have a reliable and quick means of accessing case files even from their homes. With a mindset of continuous improvement ingrained in the firm’s culture, cloud-based technology was also adopted for the firm’s legal billing system and document courier system.

This strong online presence has enabled the firm to weather the ongoing health and economic crises. Potential clients, from here and abroad, continue to reach out to DivinaLaw through the firm’s website and Facebook page, which are both frequently updated with articles from Nilo’s column “A Dose of Law” published by the Daily Tribune, as well as legal advisories, and news about the firm. DivinaLaw’s Facebook page has become the most followed Philippine law firm online with its helpful and relevant content. Anticipating the needs of its clients and the general public, DivinaLaw started organizing free webinars last year as part of its advocacy to provide a legal perspective on timely issues.

The pandemic changed the way people work remotely, and the firm realizes the value of the overall well-being of the employees. Nilo says, “Every employer has to make the appropriate adjustments dictated by the circumstances, but the number one priority is the welfare of the employees. This will in-turn foster unity and solidarity between management and staff, which will enable the company to weather challenges and difficulties no matter how daunting they may be.”

The future of the company

DivinaLaw is an innovative company and wishes to continue its innovation and growth in the future. It recently organized a financial advisory company and intends to create a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to take advantage of the tremendous opportunities that the Financial Institution Strategic Transfer (FIST) law is likely to bring. This law allows banks and financial institutions to dispose of their bad loans and assets to an SPV, usually for a large discount. The company is highly invested in technology and has many more projects in the pipeline. Nilo sees DivinaLaw as “A firm that continues to grow and glow. A firm that continues to dream and gathers friends, clients, and hopefully, more accolades along the way. The moment you stop dreaming, you stop growing.

Meet the Founder

Nilo T. Divina is the Founder and the Managing partner of DivinaLaw. He is a seasoned corporate and banking lawyer with over 30 years of experience in the industry. Nilo established DivinaLaw in 2006 and has led the firm’s aggressive growth in a short span of time, making it one of the biggest law firms in the country today. Before he entered private law practice, he was the former Executive Vice President, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary of one of the former leading banks in the Philippines. He also served as the General Manager, Executive Adviser to the Board, and Corporate Secretary of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office.

Nilo is the personal lawyer of some of the country’s prominent personalities in finance and business. He is equally active with his roles in the academe, serving as the Dean of the Faculty of Civil Law of the University of Santo Tomas since 2009 and teaching in the University of the Philippines College of Law. Likewise, he is recognized in the Philippines as one of the top experts in Commercial Law and is a sought-after bar reviewer and legal consultant. Nilo obtained his Bachelor of Law from the University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Civil Law, where he graduated magna cum laude and class valedictorian.