Trial and Litigation
Guzman Acain LLP is, at its core, a litigation firm. Both founding partners are active courtroom lawyers with a combined 57 years of trial experience across the full range of Philippine courts, quasi-judicial agencies, and administrative tribunals.
We do not outsource litigation to associates. Every case is handled directly by the partners — from the initial case assessment through trial, decision, and appeal.
Courts & Tribunals Where We Appear
Regular Courts
- Municipal Trial Courts (MTC) and Metropolitan Trial Courts (MeTC)
- Regional Trial Courts (RTC) — including Special IP Courts and designated Family Courts
- Court of Appeals (CA)
- Supreme Court of the Philippines
Specialized Courts & Tribunals
- Sandiganbayan — anti-graft and public accountability cases
- Court of Tax Appeals (CTA) — tax disputes and customs cases
- Anti-Money Laundering Court (RTC AMLC Court) — asset preservation and forfeiture proceedings
Quasi-Judicial Agencies
- National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC)
- Bureau of Immigration (BI) — deportation and blacklist proceedings
- Department of Justice (DOJ) — blacklist petitions, appeals, and review
- Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) — Bureau of Legal Affairs, inter partes proceedings
- Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) — intra-corporate disputes
- National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) — regulatory proceedings
- Office of the Ombudsman — administrative and criminal complaints
Our Litigation Practice Areas
Criminal Defense & Private Prosecution
We represent accused individuals across all criminal courts — from arraignment through trial, judgment, and appeal. We also represent private complainants as private prosecutors working alongside the Office of the Public Prosecutor.
Offenses we regularly handle: homicide and murder, rape and sexual offenses, violation of RA 9262 (VAWC), dangerous drugs (RA 9165), cybercrime (RA 10175), estafa and fraud, BP 22, illegal firearms and explosives, and violations of special laws.
Track record: Acquittals secured before the RTCs of Marikina City, Makati City, and Manila; dismissals obtained before the RTCs of Olongapo City and Muntinlupa City. [→ See Case Victories]
Commercial & Civil Litigation
We handle commercial disputes, breach of contract claims, collection cases, and civil law litigation before the RTCs and the Court of Appeals — including cases with cross-border and foreign party dimensions.
Track record: Dismissal of a US$374,000 commercial claim by a foreign pharmaceutical company; lifting of a Provisional Asset Preservation Order (PAPO) before the Anti-Money Laundering Court unfreezing millions of pesos in client accounts. [→ See Case Victories]
Immigration Litigation
We litigate deportation defense and blacklist removal proceedings before the Bureau of Immigration and the Department of Justice — including, as of 2025–2026, the first successful blacklist removal petitions for registered sex offenders under the DOJ’s relaxed rules.
Track record: Multiple blacklist orders lifted across various grounds including erroneous issuance, discourtesy incidents, overstay, and — pioneering — sex offender status. [→ See Case Victories]
Family Law Litigation
Petitions for Declaration of Nullity of Marriage and Annulment are court proceedings — not administrative filings — and require the full range of litigation skills: witness preparation, expert examination, opposition to OSG motions, and appellate strategy.
Track record: Favorable judgments in nullity and annulment proceedings before the RTCs of Makati City, Taguig City, Quezon City, and Las Piñas City — including successful defense of a favorable judgment against a Motion for Reconsideration filed by the Office of the Solicitor General. [→ See Case Victories]
Labor Litigation
Representation before the NLRC, DOLE, Office of the Med-Arbiter, and Bureau of Labor Relations for both employers and employees — including EPZ and BPO companies facing union disputes, illegal dismissal claims, and certification elections.
Track record: Secretary of Labor assumption of jurisdiction secured for Maxon Systems Philippines; favorable resolution of EPZ labor dispute for Pilipinas Daechang Steel; dismissal of unfair labor practice charges against El Cielito Inn. [→ See Case Victories]
Intellectual Property Litigation
IP enforcement and defense before the Special IP Courts and IPOPHL — including inter partes proceedings, trademark opposition and cancellation petitions, and infringement litigation.
Track record: Pfizer patent declared invalid by the RTC Makati City Branch 149 in an infringement claim against our local pharmaceutical client. [→ See Case Victories]
Anti-Graft & Administrative Litigation
Defense before the Office of the Ombudsman and Sandiganbayan in cases arising under RA 3019 (Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act), RA 6713 (Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards), and related administrative statutes.
Tax Litigation
Representation before the Court of Tax Appeals (CTA) at the Division and En Banc levels, including defense against Formal Assessment Notices, Final Decisions on Disputed Assessments, and Warrants of Distraint and Levy — including premature WDL issuance challenges and injunction petitions before the CTA.
Our Approach to Litigation
We assess honestly before we commit. Not every case should go to trial. Before accepting a litigation matter, we conduct a frank assessment of the evidence, the applicable law, the realistic range of outcomes, and the cost-benefit of proceeding versus settling. We tell clients what we think — not what they want to hear.
We prepare thoroughly. The quality of courtroom work is determined before the first hearing — in the complaint or answer, in the evidence gathering, in the witness preparation, and in the legal memoranda. We invest in preparation because it is where cases are won.
We manage cases actively. We do not let cases drift. Philippine litigation is notoriously susceptible to delays — some prosecutors who fail to present evidence, opposing counsel who use procedural motions as delay tactics. We move cases forward by holding all parties — including the court — to procedural timelines especially the continuous trial rule in criminal cases.
We are reachable. Clients in active litigation need to be able to reach their lawyer. We are accessible; we communicate proactively on case developments, and we do not leave clients in the dark between hearings.
