The University of the Philippines (UP) College of Law has elected Gwen Grecia de Vera as its new dean, succeeding Darlene Marie Berberabe, who was appointed solicitor general by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in May.

De Vera, a senior partner at Puyat, Jacinto, and Santos Law, secured the deanship after besting UP vice president for legal affairs Abraham Rey Acosta and associate dean Andre Palacios. A longtime member of the UP Law faculty, she currently serves as associate professor and has also taught in bar review programs. She was among the examiners for political and international law in the 2020/2021 Bar Examinations.

An alumna of UP Law, De Vera earned her degree in 1995, ranked seventh in the 1996 Bar Examinations, and was admitted to the Philippine Bar the same year. She later pursued her Master of Laws at Northwestern University in Illinois, United States.

De Vera has built a reputation in regulatory law, public-private partnerships, and competition policy. She previously served as the first executive director of the Philippine Competition Commission, trustee of the Philippine Dispute Resolution Center, Inc., and member of the Department of Justice’s Office for Alternative Dispute Resolution Advisory Council, where she represented the academe.

Her academic leadership includes serving as dean of the Manuel L. Quezon University School of Law and program director of the UP Law Center’s Competition Law and Policy Program.