Maria Francesca V. Bautista joined VeraLaw in 2014 and is a Managing Associate on the Maritime and Admiralty team. She routinely navigates challenging multi-jurisdictional issues with authorities while balancing the needs of key clientele, industry practitioners and regulators. Her dedication to her craft earned her the prestigious Young Lawyer of the Year award at the 2024 Asian Legal Business Philippine Law Awards, following a previous shortlist recognition for Woman Lawyer of the Year. Additionally, she was a key member of the team that secured the Transportation and Logistics Law Firm of the Year award for the firm in 2023 and 2025.

Her practice extends to Insurance Law, where she has extensive experience handling alternative dispute resolution for insurance and maritime disputes. Alongside her core practice, Francesca supports the firm’s partners on high-stakes corporate and special projects, as well as ongoing corporate secretarial matters. She also brings over a decade of leadership in Intellectual Property, having previously managed the firm’s Foreign Filings department.

Admitted to the Philippine Bar in 2014, Francesca also holds a Master’s degree in Maritime Law from the National University of Singapore (2026). She earned her Juris Doctor from the San Beda College Alabang School of Law (2013), graduating 10th in her class, after completing her undergraduate degree in Political Science at Ateneo de Manila University.

She regularly contributes to leading publications such as the Chambers Global Practice Guides: Shipping and the International Comparative Legal Guides: Insurance & Reinsurance.