Elmar B. Galacio

Elmar Galacio is our exclusively recommended Dispute Resolution expert in the Philippines on the Advisory Excellence website. If you need assistance in this area, please contact Elmar directly using the contact details above.

A senior litigator, Elmar is the Firm’s primary litigator in banking fraud cases. His Certified Fraud Examiner license is a most sought-after expertise in the field, especially in commercial, civil, criminal and labor litigation, exemplified by his being lead external counsel representing the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, among other notable clients and some major banks, in their must-win complex cases.

Elmar heads the firm’s Arbitration Practice Group. He acts either as arbitrator or lead counsel in arbitration proceedings.  He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, a member of the International Chamber of Commerce, Institute of World Business Law, Asia Pacific Institute of Experts, and of the International Council for Commercial Arbitration. He obtained his Oxford Diploma in International Commercial Arbitration in London. In the Philippines, he is accredited arbitrator with the Construction Industry Arbitration Commission, Philippine International Center for Conflict Resolution, Philippine Institute of Arbitrators, and the Integrated Bar of the Philippines. He has extensive practice in construction and commercial arbitration, both domestic and international, and both ad hoc and institutional arbitration, spanning almost 20 years now.

He graduated from the University of the Philippines College of Law in 1997 where he was member of the Order of the Purple Feather Honour Society, his Master in Public Policy from Saitama University in Japan in 2000 as Monbusho scholar, and his Bachelor of Arts from the Holy Name University in Bohol where he graduated summa cum laude in 1992.

Firm Overview:

The firm’s lawyers are highly respected by their peers for providing sought after legal guidance to leaders of our nation, captains of industry, and even the common man. All 20 partners, together with the firm’s associates and non-legal personnel, who count among the very best in the profession, are bound by a commitment to deliver the highest quality of service to help the firm’s clients attain success and contribute to nation building.

Together, practicing law as one firm, Cruz Marcelo and Tenefrancia provides unparalleled legal representation in various fields of law as a full-service firm.