Jeremy Gatdula

Jeremy I. Gatdula is a Filipino lawyer specializing in international trade law. He is recognized as the foremost legal voice, [http://www.bworldonline.com/BW042707/content.php?id=001] through numerous writings and lectures, in spreading knowledge in the Philippines about the various complex issues and intricacies relating to the World Trade Organization and ASEAN. More importantly, it is his work in removing discussions relating to trade from the narrow free trade/protectionism paradigm, as well as his continuing effort in having a working synthesis between government and the private sector (a contentious issue in the Philippines), [http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Business%20As%20Usual&p=49&type=2&sec=39] that has made a subtle but substantial impact on how trade policy in the Philippines is conducted.

Current work

Mr. Gatdula, based in the Philippines, continues with his work in international economic law and the World Trade Organization. He is also currently a lecturer at the law schools of Arellano University and Ateneo de Manila University [ [http://www.ateneolaw.ateneo.edu/index.php?p=177 Ateneo Law faculty list] ] on public international law and international economic law, respectively. [http://law.ateneo.edu/index.php?p=118&PHPSESSID=39554c6639e0ff4f6784d88cddbeb297] [http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Business%20As%20Usual&p=49&type=2&sec=39] He is also an opinions columnist for the Philippine business newspaper BusinessWorld [http://www.bworldonline.com/] .

Previous work

Mr. Gatdula began his career as a legal assistant in RFM Corporation, after which he worked as an associate attorney in the law firm of Puno and Puno. While there, he engaged heavily in litigation (for cases pending before the lower courts, Court of Appeals, and the Supreme Court, as well as cases pending before administrative tribunals) and corporate practice. He was invited to join and later made a partner in the law firm of Zulueta, Puno, and Associates. There, his work dealt more on appellate law practice (i.e. cases pending before the Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court) and in supervising the associate attorneys of the firm. Later (in 1999), Mr. Gatdula was promoted to Second Managing Partner, with the added responsibility of overseeing personnel and administrative matters. In November 2000, wishing to give full attention to the highly specialized field of international economic law, he accepted his appointment as legal counsel of the WTO/AFTA/APEC Advisory Commission, Office of the President, a position he held until the end of 2002. Mr. Gatdula worked closely with the Department of Trade and Industry Undersecretary and Assistant Secretary for International Trade (as well as with the Bureau of International Trade Relations) on WTO matters and has represented the Philippines in several international trade disputes. With his position as legal counsel, he also sat in the meetings of the Tariff Related Matters Technical Committee and the Technical Committee on WTO Matters. He was part of the Philippine delegation - as adviser - to the Fifth Ministerial Conference of the WTO in Cancun, Mexico. [http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Business%20As%20Usual&p=49&type=2&sec=39] [http://www.pwc.com/us/eng/tax/its/TIAsiaJan-Feb06.pdf] Mr. Gatdula was also the first Executive Director of the Institute for Special Studies (an organization primarily concerned with studies on international law and international trade law). He later became a Fellow of the Institute. In 2002 he joined PricewaterhouseCoopers, rising to the position of Philippine and Indonesia Territories Leader for PwC's Worldtrade Management Services [http://portal.philippinechamber.com/node/432 philippine chamber of commerce and industry website] ] , and dealt specifically on customs and trade matters. He has also participated, either as moderator, discussant, or speaker, in several conferences or symposia on international economic law or policy.

He has been teaching public international law since 1996 and international economic law since 2000. At the age of 30, he was appointed as Arellano pre-bar reviewer for public international law (arguably the youngest ever to hold such a position in the Philippines). Mr. Gatdula is also the author of or has edited several articles on public international law and international economic law. [http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Business%20As%20Usual&p=49&type=2&sec=39]

Education

Mr. Gatdula holds a Bachelor of Science degree, Major in Management (San Beda College, 1991). He received his Bachelor of Law degree (graduating valedictorian) from Arellano in 1995. He took his oath as member of the Philippine bar in 1996. [ [http://www.supremecourt.gov.ph/bar/law%20list/lawlistg2.php Law List as of 2004] ] On scholarship from the Cambridge Overseas Trust, he went to the University of Cambridge for his Master of Law degree (specializing in international law), which he received in 2000. [ [http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/reporter/1999-2000/weekly/5816/25.html Master of Law graduates for 2000] ]

Publications

Books

* The Practice of International Law (2003)

* Arbitration and Alternative Dispute Resolution: How To Settle International Business Disputes (2002, chapter co-author)

Papers, Articles, Essays, Speeches (selected)

* Why RP Needs a Trade Representative (TradeExpress Asia, July 2006)

* The Fog of Trade (Lawyers Review, February 2006)

* A Filipino Above All (Businessworld, February 2006)

* Freer Trade, Freer Philippines (Businessworld, April 2005)

* Customs Clearance in the WTO and ASEAN (Philippine Law Journal, October 2004)

* Trade Remedies and Public Interest (The Practice, July 2004)

* Competing with Competition Policy (Businessworld, May 2004)

* Cancun Aftermath (Businessworld, December 2003)

* War, Terrorism, and International Law (Arellano Law and Policy Review, December 2002)

* Trade Remedies: Some Definitional Issues (Lawyers Review, November 2002)

* Philippine Challenges in Implementing WTO Obligations (UA&P Roundtable, September 2002)

* International Trade Law and the Environment: Some Comments on an Uneasy Relationship ( [http://www.arellanolaw.edu/publications/alpr2.html Arellano Law and Policy Review, May 2002] )

* Anti-Dumping Under Philippine and International Trade Laws (Arellano Law and Policy Review, September 2001)

* The Trouble with Sisyphus: Reflections on Recent Developments of the International Criminal Court (Lawyers Review, 28 February 2001; co-author)

* Various articles on international trade in the Businessworld column Taxwise or Otherwise

References

Sources

* Philippine Star, At the forefront of RP’s fight to become a better nation, 23 July 2007, p.C4 [http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Business%20As%20Usual&p=49&type=2&sec=39]
* [http://www.jgatdula.blogspot.com Gatdula blog]
* [http://www3.pids.gov.ph/ris/networkfora1999_content.htm Philippine Institute for Developmental Studies]
* [http://www.supremecourt.gov.ph/publications/benchmark/2006/11/110619.php Supreme Court of the Philippines]
* [http://www.bworldonline.com/BW042707/today.php BusinessWorld]
* Lawyers Review
* [http://law.upd.edu.ph/students.html Philippine Law Journal]
* [http://www.arellanolaw.edu/publications/alpr2.html Arellano Law and Policy Review]
* [http://www.tradeobservatory.org/headlines.cfm?refID=37210 IATP Trade Observatory]
* [http://fairtradeweb.wordpress.com/2007/03/31/rp-japan-deal-faulted/ Fair Trade Alliance]
* [http://www.ban.org/ban_news/2006/061030_statement_of_concern_jpepa.html Basel Action Network]
* [http://www.bilaterals.org/article.php3?id_article=6314 Bilaterals.org]
* Philippine Daily Inquirer, Elite boon, bane to RP growth, 23 July 2007, page B12 [http://business.inquirer.net/money/features/view_article.php?article_id=78163]