Jessa G. Wong-Cantano
ACCRALAW Partner Jessa G. Wong-Cantano is based in the Firm’s Davao Branch and has established herself as one of the local leaders steering the Branch toward growth and success. With almost two decades of legal experience (16 years of which have been with ACCRALAW Davao), she is looked upon by the Branch’s younger lawyers for reliable and steady leadership and mentoring.
Ms. Wong-Cantano’s legal career is founded on public service; she started as a prosecutor of the Department of Justice, serving as an Associate Prosecution Attorney handling complex criminal cases across several jurisdictions, including Manila and Bulacan. This trial-hardened background made her a formidable advocate in civil, commercial, and administrative disputes.
She joined ACCRALAW in March 2010, further honing her expertise in litigation, alternative dispute resolution, arbitration, appellate practice, criminal law, commercial law, civil law, and administrative law. Her courtroom experience ranges from defending officers and employees in criminal cases and representing government officials in administrative matters, to prosecuting cases of qualified theft, swindling/estafa, and cybercrimes. She also advises clients on matters involving land disputes, commercial transactions, construction and other business contracts, and employment.
Beyond the courtroom, Ms. Wong-Cantano is an inspiring educator. As a long-time professor at the Ateneo de Davao University College of Law, she has taught courses on Persons and Family Relations, Legal Research, Statutory Construction, and Obligations and Contracts. She currently teaches Private International Law, Torts and Damages, and Transportation Law at the same university, helping shape the next generation of Filipino lawyers.
Ms. Wong-Cantano further shares her legal expertise by authoring articles for legal research publications, such as the “Revised Guidelines for Continuous Trial of Criminal Cases: Recent Measure to Address Judicial Delays for the Asian-Mena Counsel (Volume 15, Issue 5, 2018), and the ACCRALAW legal column, Amicus Curiae.
She is a loving wife to her husband Michael and a dedicated mom to her son Miguel.