Biography
Divina Ilas-Panganiban, CIPM is a partner and the head of Quisumbing Torres’ Intellectual Property, Data and Technology Practice Group and co-heads the Technology, Media & Telecommunications (TMT) Industry Group. She participates in initiatives of Baker & McKenzie International of which Quisumbing Torres is a member firm. She is a member of Baker & McKenzie International's Asia Pacific TMT, and the Asia Pacific Intellectual Property Steering Committees.
Divina is a Certified Information Privacy Manager by the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP). She currently serves as the Vice-President and Director of the Philippine Chapter of the Licensing Executives Society International, the Regional Vice-chair of the LESI's Education Committee, the Co-chairperson of the Committee on Intellectual Property Rights of The American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, and the Chairperson of the IAPP KnowledgeNet Chapter for the Philippines.
Divina was recently appointed to be a member of the Advisory Council for Intellectual Property (ACIP) of the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL). The ACIP is an advisory board composed of a select group of people from different sector to which IP is of great value. She was recently recognized in the Hall of Fame for Best External Lecturers by the IP Academy of the IPOPHL.
Divina just finished her stint as the chair the Unreal Campaign of the International Trademarks Association (INTA) for East Asia and the Pacific and continues to organize anti-counterfeiting activities in schools and universities around the country, educating the youth about the importance of intellectual property protection.
Divina is a multi-awarded lawyer with a stellar track record in the IP, data and technology fields. She has garnered numerous awards and accolades, including the Woman Lawyer of the Year by the ALB Philippine Law Awards 2023. She has been cited as leading lawyer for intellectual Property and TMT by The Legal 500 Asia Pacific, Chambers Asia Pacific, Managing IP, World Trademark, Asialaw and IAM Patent 1000, among others. Known for her exceptional legal expertise and unwavering commitment to her clients, Divina has established herself as a leader in her profession.
Practice Focus
Divina's practice focuses on the protection of trademarks, copyright, patents and other intellectual property rights. She also assists clients in licensing and IP commercialization transactions, including franchising arrangements. She has advised various clients on regulatory and compliance matters, and has extensive experience in IP litigation cases, domain name disputes, data privacy, data breach and cyber security matters. She is an accredited arbitrator of the Philippine Intellectual Property Office and often serves as resource speaker in local and international seminars on IP and IT laws.
Representative Legal Matters
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Manage the worldwide trademark portfolio of a Philippines-based multinational company and the largest Filipino fast-food corporation. Assist in its brand management, IP protection and enforcement, and IP commercialization activities across the globe.
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Assist the Singapore subsidiary of a global social media and technology company in ensuring full compliance with Philippine data privacy requirements of its various products and service offerings. Review and advise on the consent language and privacy notices prior to roll-out of new products or product updates. Analyze security incidents and advise on the application of personal data breach notification obligations under Philippine regulations which should be met within 72 hours from discovery of the breach.
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Assist and advise client, the Franchisor of a unique retail system it owns and develops constantly, which consists of a distinctive combination of building design, interior and exterior accessories, business systems and methods (including unique food and beverage systems), operating standards, advertising and marketing techniques, customer clubs, digital components and applications supporting the implementation of the retail system on the franchising arrangement to ensure compliance with Philippine IP and licensing laws.
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Successfully obtained a landmark ruling from the Supreme Court of the Philippines for a leading barbecue fast food restaurant chain in the Philippines, involving an opposition case against the application for registration of a trademark in the name of a local company, which is confusingly similar to the client's famous mark.
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Successfully represented a global food and beverage chain in an enforcement action against a franchisor and several franchisees using the client's mark as a name of one of its products.
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Assist the Philippine entities of a global technology company on the following: (i) requirements of the Data Privacy Act and Implementing Rules and Regulations on the entities’ appointment of a data protection officer; (ii) review its personal data privacy policy which is viewable by online users in the client’s websites; and (iii) provide round-the-clock assistance during a compliance and onsite check conducted by the National Privacy Commission, and in meeting the requirements of the NPC compliance team .
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Assist a US-based car-rental company on legal matters relating to franchising arrangement to ensure compliance with Philippine IP and licensing laws. Handle pre-clearance of the franchising agreement with the Documentation, Information and Technology Transfer Bureau (DITTB) of the Philippine Intellectual Property Office.
Professional Honors
Woman Lawyer of the Year, ALB Philippine Law Awards, 2023
Hall of Fame - Best External Lecturer, Intellectual Property Academy of the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines, 2023
Hall of Fame for Intellectual Property, The Legal 500 Asia Pacific, 2024
Leading Individual for Intellectual Property, The Legal 500 Asia Pacific, 2017 to 2023
Leading Individual for TMT, The Legal 500 Asia Pacific, 2016 to 2024
Band 3, Leading Lawyer for Intellectual Property, Chambers Asia Pacific, 2024
Band 4, Leading Lawyer for Intellectual Property, Chambers Asia Pacific, 2021 to 2023
Global Leader: Private Practice, World Trademark Review, 2023
Litigation Star for Intellectual Property, Benchmark Litigation, 2021 to 2023
Distinguished Practitioner for Intellectual Property, asialaw Leading Lawyers, 2020 to 2023
IP Expert, Asia IP, 2019 to 2023
Trademark Star, ManagingIP IP Star, 2018 to 2023
Gold, Leading Individual for Enforcement and Litigation, World Trademark Review 1000, 2023 to 2024
Silver, Leading Individual for Prosecution and Strategy, World Trademark Review 1000, 2023 to 2024
Silver, Leading Individual for Enforcement and Litigation, World Trademark Review 1000, 2020 to 2022
Bronze, Leading Individual for Prosecution and Strategy, World Trademark Review 1000, 2020 to 2022
Highly Recommended Individual, IAM Patent 1000, 2022 to 2023
Winner, Managing IP's The Top 250 Women in IP list 2022
Data Privacy and Protection Lawyer of the Year, Asian Legal Business Philippine Law Awards, 2021 to 2022
Privacy & Data Protection Lawyer of the Year Lawyer of the Year, Euromoney Asia Women in Business Law Awards, 2022
Awardee, Client Choice Awards for Trademark, Lexology, 2022
Awardee, Top 10 Best External Lecturers, Intellectual Property Academy of the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines, 2022 to 2023
Elite IP Awardee for Excellence in Leading In Teaching and Educating IP, Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines, 2021
Winner, Top 100 Women in Litigation for Intellectual Property, Benchmark Litigation, 2021
Leading Female IP Practitioner, Top 250 Women in IP, ManagingIP, 2020/21
Winner, ALB Super 50 TMT Lawyers, Asian Legal Business, 2021
Trademark Lawyer of the Year, Women in Business Law Awards, 2021
Recommended Individual, IAM Patent 1000, 2017 to 2021
Up and Coming Leading Lawyer for Intellectual Property, Chambers Asia Pacific, 2020
Finalist, Data Privacy and Protection Lawyer of the Year, Euromoney Women in Business Law Awards, 2023
Finalist, Trademark Lawyer of the Year, Euromoney Women in Business Law Awards, 2023
Professional Associations and Memberships
Licensing Executives Society International – Vice-President and Director of the Philippine Chapter; the Regional Vice-chair of the LESI's Education Committee
International Trademarks Association (INTA) – Data Protection Committee
Advisory Council for Intellectual Property (ACIP) of the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL)
American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines – Chairperson of the IP Rights Committee
International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) – Certified Information Privacy Manager (CIPM)
IAPP KnowledgeNet Philippine Chapter – Chairperson
ASEAN Intellectual Property Association
Intellectual Property Association of the Philippines (IPAP)
International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property (AIPPI)
Asian Patent Attorneys Association (APAA)
U.P. Women Lawyers Circle
Pi Gamma Mu International Honor Society for Social Sciences
Integrated Bar of the Philippines
International Bar Association
Admissions
Philippines (2001)
Education
Lund University (Master of Laws Intellectual Property and International Human Rights, with Distinction) (2003)
University of the Philippines (Bachelor of Laws) (2000)
University of the Philippines (B.A. Public Administration, cum laude) (1995)
Languages
English