CEO Insights Magazine

With an aim to provide legal, ethical, and economical solutions to all disputes, Mish Rubio Aguinaldo has started her legal firm widely known as RUBIO-AGUINALDO & ATTORNEYS. The firm provides optimal solutions to all kinds of disputes through its objective-based approach. It provides services in different practice areas of law such as Corporate Law, Property Law, Criminal Litigation, Labor Law, Energy Law, Shipping and Maritime Law, Family Law, and Business and Investments Laws, to name a few.

Mish Rubio Aguinaldo has completed her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of the Philippines. She has also done her Bachelor of Laws from San Beda College Alabang and then went on to do her Master of Laws in International Dispute Resolution at Queen Mary University of London. After completing her studies, she joined the Food & Drug Administration and after passing the Bar, she joined ANCHETA Attorneys where she was later promoted as a Senior Associate Attorney. After gaining an ample amount of experience in practicing law, she started her own law firm known as RUBIO-AGUINALDO & ATTORNEYS which is a promising firm committed to excellence and ethical practice. We engaged with Mish Rubio Aguinaldo in an exclusive interaction, let’s get to know more.

How would you describe your academic experience at the university? Could you tell us about the times the university’s learnings helped you in your career?

I had a very humbling experience at the University of the Philippines where I was surrounded by very intelligent minds. During my initial days at the university, I struggled with adjusting and coping with the learning environment but eventually, I made it through. Being a graduate of the University of the Philippines helped me land a job at a good firm where I learned basic soft skills such as management, multitasking, and effective communication. But what I find more compelling is the university’s contribution to the formation of my character and core values. I learned to be resilient and resourceful. The university also helped me in developing my thought process and critical thinking aspects which helps me in every walk of life.

Define Rubio Aguinaldo Attorneys as an organization and its position in the legal services domain.

RUBIO-AGUINALDO & ATTORNEYS advocates reponsible lawyering, and we give utmost importance to accountability. Our services have certain objectives defined and identified for every client. We also have a legal framework where we make action plans, prepare timelines, estimate costs, and calculate potential risks to manage the client’s expectations. We integrate cost-benefit analysis in our practice so that we can give the client a better perspective of the implications and consequences of the options or remedies available and help them make informed choices. We try to systematically solve problems and deliver actual results. Currently, we are trying to develop creative but ethical, and unconventional but legal ways of conflict management and dispute resolution. Moreover, with current issues on climate change, energy transition, and ESG, among others, we hope to be able to position the firm in the global market.

What are the factors you consider when shaping long-term strategies for the company?

I started this organization with a vision of promoting and encouraging responsible and accountable lawyering to raise the standard of the legal profession. We are in the business of practicing our profession therefore, our focus should not be on potential income rather, we should work on the public’s perception of the legal profession and rebuild confidence in the justice system. It will also help clients understand that lawyers are not only supposed to address the problems when they have occurred but also can help them prevent disputes from happening. Our main selling point is the quality of our services. A client of mine once said 'a wise man needs two things in his life – a good doctor and a good lawyer.' Also, we always try to anticipate the possible market needs to cater in the long term.

How have you been guiding the team to draw valuable insights from the market to ensure the company stays afloat with the latest practices?

One of the important insights that I try to extend to the team members is the continuous learning experience or continuous training to stay abreast with ever-changing market needs. We invest in training and firm-sponsored activities that will greatly improve and enhance the team’s understanding and comprehension of legal principles and their relevance. Further, in order to be effective, we need to institutionalize ourselves in the client’s business – we need to be familiarized with their operations as well as the best practices and the current laws & regulations to help our clients with compliance requirements.

What is your anticipation about the future of the market? Where do you see yourself headed in the upcoming years?

The Philippines as a developing country is quite vulnerable to external pressures. The latest trend in the global market is the movement towards climate change, green energy, and other sustainability goals. I see these changes as an opportunity to grow and develop our practice. We can anticipate that there will be an influx of investments in renewables, more energy disputes, and a stronger demand for climate change accountability and corporate social responsibility. It's going to be very interesting in terms of the legal profession for the next five years. As of now, we are trying to focus on the organization’s personal growth through our milestones. It is the achievement of being able to deliver real and tangible results to the client that makes our milestones priceless, thus, any profit or income derived becomes incidental or secondary. This is our way of testing our potential - we plan to transcend boundaries to see how far we can go.

Mish Rubio Aguinaldo, Managing Partner, Rubio-Aguinaldo & Attorneys

A responsible and accountable leader, Mish Rubio Aguinaldo started her career as an associate and founded her own law firm to cater to the legal requirement of the clients with the objective of raising the standard of the legal profession.