Consuelo Ynares-Santiago
Founding Attourney
Consuelo Ynares-Santiago (born October 5, 1939) is a distinguished former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines, appointed by President Joseph Estrada on April 6, 1999. She is recognized as the f irst woman to ascend to the High Court from the judiciary’s lower ranks, beginning her service as a Municipal Judge.
A proud alumna of the University of the Philippines College of Law (Class of 1962), Justice Ynares Santiago built an exemplary judicial career spanning decades. She began as Municipal Judge of Cainta, Rizal in 1973, serving for thirteen years before becoming a Regional Trial Court Judge in Makati in 1986. Her dedication and competence later earned her an appointment to the Court of Appeals in 1990, paving the way for her eventual service on the Supreme Court
Atty. Ponciano V. Cruz, Jr.
Senior Partner
Atty. Ponciano V. Cruz, Jr. is a seasoned legal practitioner with over three decades of extensive experience in corporate, regulatory, and telecommunications law. His distinguished career includes serving as Chairman of the National Telecommunications Commission (1998) and providing expert counsel to leading players in the telecommunications and media industries. He currently serves as Senior Partner at Santiago, Cruz & Associates Law Offices and as Consultant on Legal and Regulatory Affairs for prominent companies such as Smart Communications, Cignal, and TV5.
He obtained both his Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy degrees from the University of the Philippines – Diliman. He completed his secondary education at La Salle Green Hills, after earlier studies at San Beda College.
Beyond his professional practice, he is deeply engaged in academic and civic endeavors. He serves as a Professor at the Adamson University College of Law and as Trustee of several La Salle institutions, including La Salle Green Hills, De La Salle University–Dasmariñas, and La Salle University Ozamiz. His leadership extends to civic and sports development, having served as Past President of the Rotary Club of Manila Bay and National Team Manager of the Philippine Badminton Association (2013–2024).
He is a Lifetime Member of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, and a member of the Management Association of the Philippines and the American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines.
Atty. Eric Paul I. Fetalino
Managing Partner
Atty. Eric Paul I. Fetalino is the Managing Partner of the Firm.
Born in Manila, Philippines on October 21, 1964, Atty. Fetalino is a proud product of the University of the Philippines (Diliman, Quezon City). He completed his secondary education at the University of the Philippines Integrated School and earned his Bachelor of Arts in English (Anglo-American Literature) from the UP College of Arts and Letters in 1989. That same year, he began his legal studies at San Beda College of Law (Mendiola, Manila), completing his first three years there before obtaining his Bachelor of Laws degree from the Arellano Law Foundation in 1995.
After successfully passing the Bar Examinations that same year, Atty. Fetalino joined SCALAW as its f irst associate, upon the invitation of Atty. Cruz — his close friend and mentor since their University of the Philippines days in the early 1980s.
Starting as a Junior Associate, Atty. Fetalino steadily rose through the ranks — becoming Senior Associate, Junior Partner, and ultimately, Senior Partner in 2016. With over 25 years of experience in legal practice, he has developed extensive expertise across multiple areas of law, including Real Estate Transactions, Insurance, Civil and Criminal Law, Family Relations, Appellate Practice, Telecommunications, Broadcasting, and Information Technology Law.
Atty. Fetalino is particularly well-versed in Labor Law and Corporate Law, having gained substantial exposure and training in these fields during the first two decades of his practice. He also serves as the Firm’s Election Lawyer, representing the Nationalist People’s Coalition’s mayoralty candidates in Antipolo City in every election since 2013. Among his notable cases, Atty. Fetalino served as Lead Counsel for Bro. Eddie Villanueva before the Commission on Elections and the Supreme Court during the latter’s 2004 presidential bid. His strong command of language, honed from his background in English literature, makes him the Firm’s chief reviewer of pleadings and legal documents prepared by associates.
Beyond his work at the Firm, Atty. Fetalino is actively involved in the legal community. He currently serves as President of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines – Rizal (RSM) Chapter. He has previously held several leadership positions in the same chapter, including Vice President (2023–2025), Treasurer (2021–2023), Director (2019–2021), and Public Relations Officer (2017–2019). In addition, he served for two consecutive terms (2017–2019 and 2019 2021) as Commissioner of the IBP Commission on Bar Discipline.