Villaluz is new IPOPHL chief

Following the end of the six-year tenure of Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) Director-General Atty. Rowel Barba, Atty. Brigitte da Costa-Villaluz has been named the new head of IPOPHL.

In an announcement on Tuesday, IPOPHL described Da Costa-Villaluz as a distinguished lawyer with extensive experience in intellectual property (IP) law.

“Da Costa-Villaluz has worked on complex cases involving trademarks, patents, copyrights, and commercial law. She is the founder of BDCV Law and was previously a partner at Poblador Bautista & Reyes Law Offices, where she built a distinguished career handling IP litigation, enforcement, and corporate governance,” IPOPHL said.

Throughout her career, Da Costa-Villaluz has been recognized for her expertise in IP law, earning accolades such as being named a Trademark Star by Managing IP in 2021 and 2022, as well as being featured in Asia IP Informed Analysis IP Expert in 2023 and 2024. She has also been commended by Legal 500 for her exceptional work in IP prosecution.

Da Costa-Villaluz was admitted to the Philippine Bar in 1997 after graduating from the Ateneo de Manila University School of Law, where she earned her Juris Doctor degree in 1996, ranking 9th in her class. She also holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the University of the Philippines School of Economics.

“With her legal acumen, leadership experience, and passion for IP, da Costa-Villaluz is poised to play a pivotal role in advancing IP protection, shaping the future of innovation, and supporting the growth of industries vital to the nation's economic development,” IPOPHL said.

“I am deeply honored by the opportunity to serve the country together with the men and women of IPOPHL. We will continue the close work with IP rights holders to elevate the use of the intellectual property system towards creativity, innovation, and inclusive prosperity,” Da Costa-Villaluz said.