LEGAL OFFICER

The Legal Risk & Branch Advisory (“LRBA”) Department is responsible for developing strategies and policies to minimize the risk of, and exposure to, litigation involving the BPI Group. Its primary objective is to prevent disputes involving the BPI Group from ripening into litigation. The LRBA Department shall explore preventive litigation solutions, including providing guidance and advice to members or units involving the BPI Group in situations that involve client disputes and recommending non-litigation dispute resolution methods (such as mediation or arbitration). It shall also develop systems and policies to streamline the requirements in connection with the handling of litigation cases of the BPI Group.

Leadership Role.

• The LRBA Department Head is responsible for minimizing the litigation exposure of the BPI Group by preventing litigation and providing legal risk assessments for current and post-litigation cases. She is to ensure that the department works with the rest of the Legal teams to realize in a collaborative effort the objectives of the legal department aligned with the Bank/BPI Group’s business.
  
  

Legal Risk.

• The Department Head shall minimize enterprise legal risk through:
• Development of strategies to avoid and mitigate litigation risks (e.g., guidelines on evidence gathering, guidelines on settlement of cases, code of conduct reminders in light of anti-graft and corruption law).
• Management of external counsel performance and relations.
• Development of policies to increase the efficiency of internal and external handling of litigation of the BPI Group (e.g., docketing system, training of paralegals, rationalization of activity reports, and other system improvements).
  
  

Policy Direction and Development.

The LRBA Department Head Shall

• Review and advise management, from a corporate legal affairs standpoint, on legal implications of internal strategies, policies, and procedures in order to minimize risk of litigation.
• Together with the CLAD Head and the LRBA Department lawyers, engage in active discussions on how to improve the performance of the entire legal team, organize intra-legal working groups to formulate policies to implement such improvements, and execute such policies.
• Keep abreast of legal developments and ensure that the legal advice and services provided by the department operate in accordance with modern good practice.
  
  

LRBA DEPARTMENT LAWYERS

• The lawyers of the LRBA Department shall minimize enterprise legal risk through :
• Handling the legal risk assessments of the BPI Group affecting corporate legal affairs by way of identifying, managing, and mitigating key legal risks and liabilities affecting the BPI Group;
• Coordinating with referring units to ascertain legal compliance of the BPI Group's business activities;
• Rendering legal risk-based advisories, opinions, strategies, and solutions to legal controversies;
• Drafting and reviewing contracts, policies, forms, and procedures;
• Issuing legal advisory bulletins and legal memoranda for the information, guidance, and compliance of the BPI Group;
• Reviewing of contracts relating to engaging and retaining external counsel to ensure the delivery of the highest quality of legal advice in a timely and cost-effective manner;
• Coordinating with external counsel in resolving any legal disputes to ensure the protection of the BPI Group (e.g. mitigate legal exposure);
• Contributing to the conceptualization, development, and documentation of policies to increase the efficiency of pre-litigation, litigation, and post-litigation services of Legal to the BPI Group; and
• Other tasks which may be assigned by the Head of Corporate Legal Affairs.