Lawyers
Mario C. Cerilles, Jr., JD, MSc, LL.M
Mr. Cerilles is a founding partner and currently the managing partner of CFIP Law. He is an experienced professional in the fields of Intellectual Property, Immigration, and Litigation. His wide-ranging practice and extensive network allow him to advise clients on various areas of Philippine law.
Prior to joining CFIP Law, Mr. Cerilles was an associate handling both immigration matters and intellectual property cases at Angara Abello Concepcion Regala and Cruz, one of the leading law firms in the Philippines. Currently, he is also a Senior Lecturer in the University of the Philippines, College of Law, where he is teaching the Law on Public Officers and Election Law.
Mr. Cerilles obtained his Juris Doctor degree from the University of the Philippines in 2014. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology, cum laude, from the same university. He holds a Master of Laws (LL.M) degree from the University of California, Berkeley as an Asia Pacific Scholar with Certificates of Specialization in Law and Technology and in Public Law and Regulation. Mr. Cerilles also recently obtained a Master of Science degree in Human Rights from the London School of Economics and Political Science under a Chevening Scholarship.
Outside of his legal practice, Mr. Cerilles takes a keen interest in public service. During the 2016 elections, he was selected as first nominee of a party-list group advocating for peace and development in the Zamboanga Peninsula. As a former member of the Immigration Lawyers Association of the Philippines, he also took part in consultative meetings with the Bureau of Immigration.
Harry Gwynn Omar M. Fernan, JD
Mr. Fernan is a founding partner of CFIP. As an IP lawyer, He has an extensive experience in trademark and patent prosecution, intellectual property litigation, Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) Applications, trademark applications through the Madrid Protocol, copyright protection, and the foreign prosecution of patent and trademark applications.
Before founding CFIP, Mr. Fernan was an IP lawyer in the Angara Abello Concepcion Regala and Cruz Law Offices, one of the biggest law firms in the Philippines, where he handled the patent and trademark portfolios of some of the largest domestic conglomerates and international clients. Prior to taking up law, Mr. Fernan was also part of a technology company that provided information technology (IT) support to the government.
Mr. Fernan obtained his Juris Doctor degree from the University of the Philippines, where, he was also awarded as the Best Researcher of the University of the Philippines – Office of Legal Aid. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Applied Physics – Major in Instrumentation Physics, from the same university.
Mr. Fernan is adept in scientific and technical writing, having published several researches in the field of science and technology. His interest in research and innovation, along with his desire to protect intellectual creations, motivated him to become a lawyer and pursue a career in intellectual property law.