Ms. Velarde specializes in general corporate work, acquisitions, joint ventures, foreign investments, public procurement, securities, competition law, and energy law.
She has handled significant transactions where she:
- acted as domestic counsel of the International Finance Corporation, IFC Emerging Asia Fund and Indigo Philippines LLC on the issuance by Cebu Pacific of US$250 million convertible bonds due 2027;
- acted as legal counsel for issuers and underwriters in equity offerings in the Philippines of companies in various industries, including, banking, real estate, energy, gaming and logistics services;
- acted as legal counsel to government agencies (such as the Department of Public Works and Highways and the Department of Education) on various public-private partnership infrastructure projects;
- acted as legal counsel to successful bidders in government projects initiated by various government agencies, such as the Philippine Statistics Authority and the Department of Science and Technology; and
- acted as legal counsel for sellers and buyers in various transactions for the acquisition of shares in Philippine companies, most recently in connection with the sale of shares in a fintech corporation.
Ms. Velarde co-authored the Philippine chapter of The Legal 500 Asia Pacific’s Country Comparative Guide on Banking and Finance.
She was also identified in The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2021 Editorial as a recommended lawyer in the practice area of Projects and Energy.
Ms. Velarde graduated among the top ten students of her graduating class. She is also a licensed Certified Public Accountant, ranking seventh among the successful examinees of the 2001 CPA Licensure Examinations.
Ms. Velarde was admitted to the Philippine Bar in 2006 and is a member of the Makati City Chapter of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines and the University of the Philippines Women Lawyers’ Circle.