From Romulo Mabanta to Romulo Buenaventura

Legal luminary Ricardo Romulo, longtime chairman of Romulo Mabanta Buenaventura Sayoc & De Los Angeles, has sold his stake in the esteemed law firm to his five partners, who are among the biggest names in Philippine law.

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They are Cynthia del Castillo, Jose Salvador Mirasol, Louie Ogsimer, Herminio Ozaeta Jr. and Perry Pe.

Following the sale last year, the law firm announced that it will adopt the trade name "Romulo Buenaventura" starting March 1, 2025.

The trade name Romulo Buenaventura honors Romulo, who is now the firm's chairman emeritus, and its current chairman, Jose "Chito" Buenaventura.

What do these changes mean for the law firm which is among the biggest in the country?

Insiders said Romulo Buenaventura will pave the way for the entry of a younger generation of lawyers but will continue to be among the largest and highly regarded law firms in the country with a full offering of legal services.

Indeed, Romulo Buenaventura intends to continue its long tradition of exemplary legal service, which dates way back to the early 1900s, when it operated as Gibbs and McDonough.

Its storied history, in the company's own words:

"Romulo traces its roots to the law firm which Allison D. Gibbs and William Kincaid established in 1902. At the outbreak of the Spanish-American War in 1898, Allison D. Gibbs and William Kincaid arrived in the Philippines as part of the Colorado and Nebraska volunteers, respectively. After the war, they decided to settle in the Philippines and engage in the practice of law. They hung their shingle in the business center of Manila in No. 9 Plaza Moraga.