BIZ BUZZ: Big move, bigger law firm
A big law firm that has attracted the attention of large corporate clients in recent years—due, no doubt, to its ability to deliver optimal results for its clients —is about to get bigger, if the rumors on the street are true.
Biz Buzz heard that a senior partner of a Mandaluyong City-based law firm is about to make the shift to a Makati City-based one.
According to our sources, this particular senior partner is a well respected legal practitioner in an industry that he helped define when he was still in government service. In particular, during his stint in government, he helped formulate many of the policies being implemented in the industry today.
Such knowledge is, of course, very valuable for the large conglomerates engaged in this multibillion-peso industry.
But there are also positive implications for the law firm he is moving to. Word on the street is that this lawyer will also be bringing with him several associates which will have the effect of boosting the talent pool of his new employer.
This move will, in fact, catapult the law firm he’s moving to into the third biggest in the country in terms of number of lawyers.
More importantly for the bottom line, it looks like he’ll also be bringing with him a few clients who are happy with the quality of service he’s been giving.
—Daxim L. Lucas
Bias against e-scooters?
It is no secret that climate change poses a big problem for the country.
In fact, a report by the World Bank issued a few years ago states that the Philippines is the third most vulnerable country to climate change.
Meanwhile, the Asian Development Bank points out that the Philippine economy stands to lose as much as 6 percent of gross domestic product annually before this century is over if the risks of climate change are not mitigated. Unsurprisingly, Globe Telecom and the Ayala Group are taking these numbers very seriously, and have been trying to do their part to defend the country’s economy from catastrophic damage.
And for Globe Telecom’s venture capital unit called 917 Ventures, the answer lies in combating carbon emissions in the transportation sector by introducing electric vehicles. But not just any kind of electric vehicle. They are pushing for the wider adoption of electric vehicles in the fastest growing segment of the market—the two-wheeled variety.
In particular, 917 Ventures has entered into a partnership with Taiwanese firm Gogoro for the introduction of Gogoro Smartscooters into the local market.
These aren’t your normal electric scooters that one charges by plugging into a normal power outlet, however. A Gogoro Smartscooter’s main feature is a “swappable” battery that can be changed in seconds without the need for special tools. The idea is for a scooter rider, when he or she needs a fully charged battery, to simply make a quick pit stop in any of the battery swapping centers to rise around the city, and swap the discharged battery for a fully charged one. It is fast, convenient and cheap.
But not cheap enough under the current government scheme, apparently. A recent executive order issued by Malacañang handed out five-year tax holidays to practically every sort of electric vehicle one can think of—especially for automobiles—but not to the likes of Gogoro scooters.
Maybe policy makers should reevaluate their bias against two-wheeled electric vehicles and, just maybe, make a bigger impact on the country’s efforts to fight climate change? Just an idea.
