Donemark J. L. Calimon
Biography
Donemark Calimon is a partner and the head of Quisumbing Torres' Dispute Resolution Practice Group and the Industrials, Manufacturing & Transportation Industry Group. Donemark has more than 19 years of experience in dispute resolution, including civil, criminal, corporate and regulatory litigation, and commercial arbitration. He is one of the founders of the Philippine Institute of Arbitrators (PIArb). He is a member of the panel of arbitrators of the Singapore International Arbitration Center (SIAC), the Philippine Dispute Resolution Center (PDRC) and the Philippine International Center for Conflict Resolution (PICCR). He is also an accredited arbitrator of several Philippine arbitration institutions including the Construction Industry Arbitration Commission (CIAC), the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) and the Intellectual Property Office (IPO). He is also presently serving as Secretary General of the PICCR, an alternative dispute resolution (ADR) center set up by the Integrated Bar of the Philippines to provide arbitration and ADR services and facilities.
Practice Focus
Donemark has acted as counsel or arbitrator in various commercial arbitrations, including arbitrations conducted under the arbitration rules of the PDRC, International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and the CIAC, and ad hoc arbitrations under the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules.
Donemark has represented various multinational clients, including chemical manufacturing companies in several of the largest torts/product liability actions in the Philippines, mining corporations in mining/environment-related litigation, energy companies involved in commercial arbitration and tax litigation, airline companies in torts/quasi-delict actions, construction companies in arbitration, administrative and criminal proceedings, including proceedings before the World Bank’s Sanctions Board in Washington, DC, and other multinational corporations in regulatory proceedings before the Securities and Exchange Commission, Department of Trade and Industry, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, and the Civil Aeronautics Board.Representative Legal Matters
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Advise and represent an Australian multinational banking and financial services company in a dispute with an engineering firm and a power and energy company (Defendants) involving supply and construction contracts and irrevocable standby letters of credit procured pursuant thereto.
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Represent an international freight forwarding and logistics company in a Supreme Court case involving the issue of nationality requirements for freight forwarding services.
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Represent a Philippine pharmaceutical company in disputes arising from a Share Swap Agreement (SSA) valued at more than PHP 500 million.
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Represent an information technology company in a dispute involving services rendered under a contract to supply the Southeast Asian Games Information System.
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Assist the Philippine subsidiary of a multinational sports brand apparel in connection with its claim against a retail and distribution company in the Philippines.
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Advise and represent creditors, including a Singapore-based terminal operator and an international trader, distributor and transporter of commodities, in rehabilitation proceedings.
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Represent an international freight forwarding/logistics company in proceedings for enforcement of arbitral awards.
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Assist the Philippine subsidiary of one of the world's leading suppliers of cement and aggregates in a commercial arbitration and emergency arbitration proceedings under the Rules of the PDRC involving the termination of a Port Services Agreement.
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Advise a subsidiary of a multinational oil & gas company in connection with its issues relating or arising from its International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) Arbitration against the Republic of the Philippines.
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Defend a multinational technology company engaged in the provision, implementation, and support of software and processing solutions to the financial services industry in the Asia Pacific against Petition for Interim Measure of Protection for Preservation of Evidence in relation to Arbitration.
Professional Honors
- Distinguished Practitioner for Dispute Resolution, Asialaw Leading Lawyers, 2020
- Leading Individual in Dispute Resolution and Arbitration, The Legal 500 Asia Pacific, 2017-2020
- Leading Individual in Dispute Resolution: Arbitration, Chambers Asia Pacific, 2017-2020
- Leading Individual in Dispute Resolution, Chambers Asia Pacific, 2017-2020
- Dispute Resolution Star in Commercial and Transactions, International Arbitration, Benchmark Litigation Asia Pacific, 2019
- Market-Leading Lawyer for Dispute Resolution & Litigation, Asialaw Leading Lawyers, 2018-2019
Professional Associations and Memberships
- Integrated Bar of the Philippines Arbitration Center – Executive Director (July 2017 - July 2019)
- Integrated Bar of the Philippines - Presidential Assistant on Alternative Dispute Resolution (July 2015 - June 2017)
- Philippine Institute of Arbitrators - Chairperson
- Philippine Dispute Resolution Center, Inc. - Accredited Arbitrator
- Philippine International Center for Conflict Resolution (PICCR) - Secretary General
- Asia-Pacific Forum for International Arbitration (AFIA) - Member
- Construction Industry Arbitration Commission (CIAC). Accredited Arbitrator
- Wholesale Electricity Spot Market, Accredited Arbitrator
- Philippine Intellectual Property Office, Accredited Arbitrator
- Legal Management Council of the Philippines (LMCP) - Member
- The Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (East Asia Branch), Philippine Chapter - Member (MCIArb)
- Singapore International Arbitration Center (SIAC) - User's Council Member
- Singapore International Arbitration Center (SIAC) - Member, Panel of Arbitrators
- Office for Alternative Dispute Resolution (OADR) -Technical Working Group on Amendments to Philippine Arbitration Law
- International Council for Commercial Arbitration - Member
- International Bar Association - Member
- Inter-Pacific Bar Association - Member
Admissions
- Philippines (2001)
Education
- University of the Philippines (LL.B.) (2000)
- Immaculate Conception Major Seminary (A.B. Philosophy) (1995)
Languages
- English
- Filipino