We generally charge lower than the Top Ten law offices without making concessions on efficiency and

quality. We have a turnaround time on legal opinions of 24 hours on simple queries and 72 hours on more
complicated subjects requiring extensive research.
We have a flexible billing system.
For litigation cases whose duration is unpredictable so that
the time involvement of every lawyer cannot be calculated
with reasonable certainty, we charge an acceptance fee first,
then bill by the hour. Acceptance fee for litigation cases starts
at US$4,000.00. Hourly billing is US$75.00.
For legal opinions and research not covered by a retainership
agreement, we charge a flat rate of US$ 200.00 for each
subject matter instead of an hourly billing. The coverage of
the research includes one main subject matter and its related
or incidental topics, exceptions and qualifications. Multiple
questions on unrelated subject matters or ones bearing only
tenuous connection or relation with one another shall be
treated as different subject matters and charged separately.
The Firm gives the client wide leeway on questions and is
inclined to resolve all doubt in the treatment of related subject
matters in favor of the client.
For services covered by a retainership agreement, we change
a monthly retainers fee of US$1,000.00.
For special projects, such as incorporation, registration and
licensing, we bill by the package subject to mutual
agreement.

Retainership Agreement
Gentlemen:
We are pleased to submit to you herewith the following proposal for a legal retainership arrangement with
your company.
Retainer Fee. The proposed monthly retainer is U.S.$1,000.00, payable in the first week of each month,
which amount is subject to adjustment upon mutual agreement, as work experience between us
develops.
Date of Effectivity. We propose that the retainer arrangement take effect upon payment of the first
retainers fee of U.S.$1,000.00. It shall be subject to termination upon 60 days written notice given by
either party to the other.
Scope of Retainer Services and Hence NOT Subject to Additional Billing. The services which will be
covered by the retainer arrangement, which will not be subject to additional billing, include the following:
Consultations, advice, and the giving of opinion on all fields of
law affecting your companys business, such as general
commercial law, corporation law, and labor law but excluding
tax law.
Supply of full text of laws, Supreme Court decisions,
administrative rules and regulations, Presidential issuances,

upon specific request;

Regular corporate services, including the services of a
Corporate Secretary;
Maintenance of a Stock and Transfer Book;
Labor relations;
Conveyancing;
Drafting and review of your companys routine and ordinary
agreements and other documents which are used in the
ordinary course of your business, but excluding those
requiring extensive negotiations or documentation
Representations (other than proceedings) before and routine
verifications with the Securities and Exchange Commission,
the Board of Investments, and other national and local
government offices and agencies within the Metro Manila;
Notarial services.
Services excluded from the monthly retainer fee and which are subject to special billings; all terms to
be mutually agreed upon as a general rule prior to commencement of the work.
Assistance in special projects of your company, such as
transactions which require extensive negotiations and
documentation, written opinions which require several days
extraordinary research and studies, and administrative
proceedings.
Litigation work of all kinds;
Intellectual property matters, including patents, trademarks
and copyright;
Shipping/maritime problems; and
Tax and related problems.
In determining special billings for any of the above services, the primary basis is our time involvement,
plus a reasonable responsibility premium, taking into account such factors as the difficulty and importance
of the work, the novelty of the legal issues involved, and other relevant factors. However, we will at all
times take into consideration the retainer relationship in billing you for services falling outside the scope of
the regular retainer arrangement. Thus, where the demand by your company of the services covered by
the retainer agreement during any given period has not been extensive, credit will be extended to you in
the form of a reduction of the amount which would otherwise be billed to you for the services described
above.
Out-of-Pocket Expenses. All out-of-pocket expenses (whether in connection with litigation or nonlitigation matters) such as long distance telephone calls, fax, telex and cable charges, document
reproduction charges, machine processing charges, hotel and transportation expenses incurred in court
appearances or other work for your companys filing fees, cost of stenographic notes, printing of briefs
and the like, shall be for your account. In cases where such out-of-pocket expenses are anticipated, we
would request that a deposit for such expenses be made.
Conflict of Interest. The rules of legal ethics prevent us from accepting engagements involving the
prosecution or defense of your interest adversary to those of another retainer of our firm, without the
consent of such latter client, where we have previously represented such client in respect of the same set
of facts or events. Sometimes the existence of an actual or potential conflict of interest may not be readily
discernible at the time we accept a specific engagement from a retainer client. Accordingly, we are
constrained to reserve the right to withdraw from such engagement should such conflict of interest
develop or become apparent.

Our experience is that sometimes, even outside specific conflicts of interest areas, a retainer client might
regard its general interest as adversary to those of another client of our firm. In such situation, we would,
as a general policy, address the feasibility of specific engagements on a case-to-case basis.
In commercial and financial matters, our experience has been that, where the parties have previously or
independently (i.e., without our involvement) arrived at an understanding on the basic economic terms of
their relationship, such parties have often been willing to commission our firm as "transaction counsel". By
transaction counsel, we mean counsel whose principal task is to craft the documents which will embody
the terms, conditions and substance of the agreements reached by the parties. Clearly, this type of
engagement also needs to be approached on a case-to case basis.
The undersigned will be the overall Partner-In-charge of your account. You may at all times contact him
directly regarding any matter enumerated above.
We very much appreciate your considering our firm as retained counsel.
If you find the above retainer proposal acceptable, please sign on the appropriate space below and return
to us one signed copy hereof.

Very truly yours,

GARRIDO & ASSOCIATES

By:
WILFREDO M. GARRIDO, JR.
Managing Partner