SyCipLaw is pleased to announce the appointment of Carlos Roberto Z. Lopez as head of the Firm’s Litigation Department and Melyjane G. Bertillo-Ancheta as head of the Firm’s Banking, Finance and Securities Department effective October 1, 2026.
Carlos (or Tito) is a litigation practitioner with extensive experience in intra-corporate and contract disputes and commercial arbitration. With more than three decades of appellate and trial practice and arbitration work, he has been involved in significant high-value disputes across a range of industries and infrastructure projects, has litigated and argued cases in the Supreme Court, and has counselled and appeared in various investigations conducted by the Philippine Senate and House of Representatives.
Tito has been consistently recognized and ranked by leading legal directories, including Chambers Asia Pacific, Legal 500, asialaw, and Benchmark Litigation, as a top-tier and highly recommended practitioner in Dispute Resolution. He was recently named one of Asia’s Super 50 Disputes Lawyers 2026 by Asian Legal Business, published by Thomson Reuters. In 2023, he was recognized as Philippine Lawyer of the Year at the Benchmark Litigation Asia Pacific Awards. Tito has taught at the University of the Philippines College of Law and the Ateneo de Manila University School of Law and served two terms as a director of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines – Makati Chapter. Stepping into the role of Department Head, Tito brings the same rigor and advocacy that have defined his practice to the stewardship of the Litigation Department.
He succeeds Senior Partner Ricardo Ma. P.G. Ongkiko, who steps down after 14 years in the role.
Melyjane (or MJ) brings a wealth of experience to her role as head of the Banking, Finance and Securities Department. With over two decades in practice, she is one of the Firm’s most seasoned banking, finance and securities lawyers, having advised on the structuring, negotiation and execution of a broad range of lending and capital markets transactions, including equity and debt issuances. Her work spans clients and transactions across a wide range of industries, both local and international, including financial services, energy, real estate, healthcare, commodities, food and beverage, mining, and telecommunications. She also regularly counsels issuers and underwriters on share registrations with the Securities and Exchange Commission, listings on the Philippine Stock Exchange, and domestic and international securities offerings, as well as on the regulatory aspects of lending, securities and cross-border transactions. MJ is also an experienced M&A practitioner, with a practice that spans foreign investments, joint ventures, share acquisitions and divestments, and other corporate transactions.
Her expertise and market standing have earned her sustained recognition from Chambers Asia Pacific, Chambers Global, and IFLR1000, each of which ranks her among the leading and most notable practitioners in banking, capital markets, M&A, project finance, and mining. Her elevation to Department Head is a testament to this stature and the confidence that clients and the SyCipLaw community place in her leadership.
MJ succeeds Senior Partner Philbert E. Varona, who steps down after four years in the role.
The Firm extends its sincere appreciation to Senior Partners Ricardo Ma. P.G. Ongkiko and Philbert E. Varona for their leadership and dedicated service as department heads. Their contributions have played an important role in the continued growth and success of their respective departments and the Firm.