Del Rosario & Del Rosario

For the past twenty five years, Del Rosario & Del Rosario has led in the Shipping and Transport practice and continues to do so. This enduring reputation has made the firm’s opinion in major maritime policies of the country most sought after. The firm’s Ruben T. Del Rosario has been invited to sit in the tripartite body that formulated the amendments to the standard contract for Filipino seafarers. Maritime arbitration was likewise given official recognition through the efforts of the firm both in the standard contract for seafarers and the Philippine Dispute Resolution Center, Inc. (PDRCI). The newly organized Philippine Maritime Voluntary Arbitrators Association has Ruben T. Del Rosario as its charter president.

The firm continues to act for international shipowners and their P&I Clubs on controversies involving labour, collisions, oil pollution/spills, charter party/bill of lading disputes, ship sale and purchase, ship finance, ship mortgage and ship registrations. The firm’s present roster of P&I and specialist clubs spans the major continents of the world. In Europe the list of P&I and specialist Clubs represented by the firm includes the UK P&I Club, Steamship Mutual, West of England, North of England, British Marine, ITIC, Charterers Mutual and Shipowners Mutual in the United Kingdom; Assuranceforeningen Gard and Assuranceforeningen Skuld in Norway, The Swedish Club in Sweden; P. Tramphart in Germany; Noord Nederlansche in the Netherlands and Ingostrakkh in Russia. In the Americas, the firm is correspondent for the American Club. In Asia, the firm represents the Japan P&I Club, China P&I Club and Korean P&I Club.

The firm is also the exclusive Manila correspondent of the Through Transport Club, the largest club for non-vessel common carriers, terminal operators and freight forwarders/consolidators. Philippine clients include the International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI) and the Asian Terminals, Inc. (ATI), the two largest arrastre/terminal operators in the country.

The firm’s Labour department acts on a full range of labour matters/disputes involving Filipino seafarer’s claims. Filipino seafarers make up 20% of the total seafarers requirement of the world, hence labour claims/suits for death, disability, illness, illegal dismissal and other labor related claims are significant. The firm acts for the shipowners and their P&I clubs in these matters and has a paralegal department (Pandiphil Claims) which handles all the seafarers’ claims. With the expansion of its corporate practice to include non-shipping clients, the firm’s labour practice is expanding as well to industrial relations.

The corporate practice of Del Rosario & Del Rosario encompasses a modest spectrum of corporate matters such as direct foreign investments, company formation, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and general corporate work. While this department had initially evolved from advising shipping clients on their general corporate requirements (and continues to do so), the expanded client base now includes international companies engaged in manufacturing, banking, advertising and cruise ship catering. This department likewise advises the Royal Embassy of Norway and the Panamanian Consulate in Manila on matters involving Philippine Law.

In its Intellectual Property department, the firm continues to advise Sony, Compaq and major pharmaceutical companies, with Arturo T. Del Rosario, Jr. still at the helm.

The firm’s dispute resolution (arbitration and litigation) practice cuts across various disciplines/clients. The firm represents shipowners and their P&I Clubs, cargo owners and their insurers, non-vessel common carriers, manufacturers, caterers and other corporate clients in a myriad of disputes/controversies involving the application of labour laws, shipping and admiralty laws, civil laws, corporate law, insurance law, criminal law and administrative law.

Practice Areas

Shipping and Admiralty
Intellectual Property
Corporate and Commercial
Transport
Foreign Direct Investment
Labour and Personal Injury
Litigation
Arbitration and ADR
Insurance
Immigration