Maria Francesca V. Bautista joined VeraLaw in 2014. She is a Managing Associate on the Maritime and Admiralty team. On the Maritime and Admiralty team, she has established her expertise in efficiently coordinating with various authorities on challenging multi-jurisdictional matters while seamlessly managing the expectations of, and communication between all internal and external stakeholders. Years of hard work and dedication to her craft has resulted in firm being awarded the prestigious Transportation and Logistics Law Firm of the Year 2023 by Thomson Reuters Asian Legal Business. Further she was shortlisted as one of the Women Lawyers of the Year in the Philippines.

She is a key part of the Intellectual Property team and further manages the firm’s Foreign Filings department. The foreign fillings department manages and maintains over 250 registered trademarks all over the world for both local and foreign clients. She is also one of the leading practioners in our Insurance Law practice. She is an expert at alternative dispute resolution in disputes of Insurance and Maritime law across various sectors. Outside of her core specializations she continues to assist the firm’s partners with challenging corporate and special projects.

Francesca was admitted to the Philippine bar in 2014. She completed her undergraduate degree in Political Science at the Ateneo de Manila University and earned her JD from San Beda College Alabang, School of Law where she ranked 10th in her graduating batch.

She routinely authors articles on various legal topics and published an article in the International Comparative Guide’s Insurance and Re-insurance Guide 2024 (https://iclg.com/practice-areas/insurance-and-reinsurance-laws-and-regulations/philippines)