Cesar E. Santamaria, Jr..png

Cesar E. (Jun) Santamaria, Jr.

Partner, Gatmaytan Yap Patacsil Gutierrez & Protacio (C&G Law)

LLB (Hons), University of Santo Tomas, Philippines
Attorney-at-Law, Philippines
BSA (Hons), University of Santo Tomas, Philippines
Certified Public Accountant, Philippines

T +632 894 0377 to 79
E cesantamaria@cagatlaw.com

Jun specialises in employment litigation and advisory services, and has assisted clients on a broad range of employment matters including: (a) disputed and non-disputed employment terminations; (b) sexual harassment cases; (c) business closures and employment redundancies; (d) union certification and collective bargaining; (e) recruitment of locals for employment abroad by a foreign principal; (f) recruitment of locals by a foreign employer in the Philippines through recruitment process outsourcing; (g) employment and non-employment service contracts; (h) policy handbooks (including policies on employment standards, employee discipline, HIV/AIDS discrimination, and drug testing); (i) employment benefits migration following a merger; and (j) labour regulations compliance. He is also in charge of the firm’s immigration practice.

As a result of his efforts, C&G Law was recommended by AsiaLaw Profiles in Labour & Employment in 2016 and 2017, and ranked as a Tier 2 firm by The Legal 500 Asia Pacific in 2017 and 2018.  He was also named by The Legal 500 Asia Pacific as a leading Philippine lawyer for employment in 2017 and 2018.

Experience

Over the years, Jun’s employment law practice has covered all aspects of the field. He is seen by clients as a trusted advisor in all employment related issues, including regulatory and compliance matters in all stages of a business, from start-up to closure, including business transfers, suspensions, mergers, and closures. He has assisted clients with unionisation and collective bargaining concerns; with the preparation and review of employment contracts and employment policies; with the due diligence audit of third party service contractors; with the preparation, review, and implementation of redundancy programmes as well as retirement programmes. He has also advised clients on illegal recruitment, sexual harassment, and data privacy issues. Jun also has an extensive experience with assisting clients in the conduct of internal investigations in connection with employee fraud or negligence. Jun also assists clients with visa and employment permit concerns.

Jun has been teaching employment law at the University of Santo Tomas since 2005 and is also a certified public accountant.

Work highlights:

  • Jun successfully defended a client against an illegal termination claim filed by one of its top executives. The claim maliciously imputed acts of discrimination and disdain to the client’s President and Chief Executive Officer and attacked the latter’s management style.
  • The parent company of one client acquired the energy business of a global energy and transportation entity, resulting in the absorption by the client of the Philippine based employees of the acquired business. Jun assisted in the successful migration of the absorbed employees to the client’s existing retirement plan. There was a wide gap between the retirement schemes of both entities and the migration had to contend with a rule in the Philippines prohibiting the diminution of employment benefits.
  • Jun has advised a provider of outsourced recruitment process services on how it may legally assist its clients with their Philippine recruitment requirements in light of the prohibition against foreign entities from engaging in recruitment and placement activities in respect of Filipino workers.
  • Jun has provided a client that has put up a shared services centre in the Philippines with comprehensive advise on all the matters necessary for it to comply with Philippine employment law requirements, including advice on the Philippine labour law framework and environment, and the preparation of key employment related contracts and policies.
  • A client recently streamlined its operations and had to implement an employee redundancy programme. Jun advised the client on how to properly terminate the employments of the affected workers and assisted it in the proper implementation and documentation of the redundancy programme.
  • Jun has also recently advised different clients on the restructuring of the compensation packages of its employees; the mitigation of risks attendant to the erroneous recognition of retirement benefit service credits in favour of around 800 non-entitled personnel; and compliance with the rules on contracting arrangements.