Bengzon & Untalan Intellectual Property Attorneys
Bengzon & Untalan celebrates 25th Anniversary
Bengzon & Untalan marks 25 years of distinguished legal practice, built on trust, precision, and enduring client relationships. This milestone reflects a quarter century of safeguarding ideas, empowering innovators, and championing the future of intellectual property.
As the firm looks ahead, it remains committed to delivering strategic, forward-thinking counsel with the same rigor and excellence that define its legacy.
On February 2, 2026, Bengzon & Untalan Intellectual Property Attorneys (“B&U”) marked its 25th year.
Highly regarded in legal circles as a formidable intellectual property boutique law firm, B&U opened shop on February 2, 2001 in a modest two-unit office at Cityland 10 Condominium in Makati City. It was founded by Anthony D. Bengzon and Ferdinand M. Negre, fresh off their respective stints as intellectual property lawyers in a big law firm. The firm was known then as Bengzon & Negre Intellectual Property Attorneys.
A couple of years later, Michael Z. Untalan, who was also an intellectual property practitioner from another large firm, joined Mr. Bengzon and Mr. Negre. The firm then became Bengzon Negre Untalan Intellectual Property Attorneys, a name that would become familiar in the IP community over the years.
When Mr. Negre was appointed as Commissioner of the Philippine Competition Commission on February 27, 2023, the firm assumed its current name Bengzon & Untalan Intellectual Property Attorneys.
On February 6, 2026, B&U celebrated the milestone with an anniversary program at the Manila Polo Club in Makati City. The event, which was aptly themed “25 years of unmatched IP excellence,” was graced by family and friends of the firm’s partners, associates and support staff. Guests from the government, B&U clients and former B&U lawyers and staff also attended the occasion.
B&U reaches its 25th year milestone
One of the highlights of the event was a panel discussion among the firm’s current partners, Mr. Bengzon, Mr. Untalan, Mr. Jonathan Q. Perez, Ms. Samantha Wesley K. Rosales and Ms. Maria Karla V. Bernardo. The discussion which was dubbed “Building B&U: Stories from the Ground,” was a novel way of retelling the stories which have shaped the firm into what it has become to this time, as it revisited the firm’s early days, the ordeals the lawyers have faced, and the decisions that shaped B&U’s growth.
The firm’s inception was described by Mr. Bengzon as a leap of faith, as he recalled the stiff personal circumstances which led to his decision to go on his own and put up the firm in partnership with Mr. Negre. He recalled a moment when he found himself caught between rocks with no clear way forward while canoeing during a holiday. It was then, he shared, that he was reminded of how short and unpredictable life can be, and that when you find yourself on the edge of something meaningful, the only real choice is to push through and take the chance.
The years that followed were a mix of steady progress and growing pains. And like many law practices, one of the more immediate concerns was finding the right space to grow into, and eventually, a place the firm could call its own.
“One of the major challenges which the firm has faced over the years was on infrastructure,” Mr. Untalan pointed out, as he narrated how the firm initially settled with a rented office space to eventually acquiring its own which is now its current office at One Park Drive in Bonifacio Global City.
Ms. Rosales spoke about the firm’s milestones before the IPO, the Court of Appeals, and the Supreme Court, pointing in particular to its involvement in landmark IP rulings, including the recent Supreme Court en banc decision in Kolin Electronics Co. Inc. v. Kolin Philippines Inc., which reflects both the depth of its practice and the trust placed in it over the years. Ms. Bernardo meanwhile highlighted what happens behind the scenes, noting that the firm’s culture of mentorship and support, along with its encouragement for lawyers and staff to pursue further training and professional development, has been key to what it is today. She shared that this internal foundation has allowed B&U to remain steady through change, able to adjust and grow while keeping its core values intact. As such, she shared that B&U’s culture can best be encapsulated in three words: encouraging, effective, and evolving.
Further into the program, in recognition of loyalty and dedication over B&U’s 25 years of existence, service awards were given to lawyers and support staff who have been with the firm the longest, a testament to the loyalty and continuity that have shaped the firm over the years.
To cap what turned out to be a night to remember, Mr. Bengzon delivered an awe-inspiring speech which encapsulated all that there is to know about B&U, from its early beginnings to how it metamorphosed into being a highly regarded IP law firm. He also looked ahead to what lies next, taking into account the firm’s place in the industry, the goodwill and reputation that it has built over the years, and the strength of the IP professionals in its arsenal.
