Atty. Jennifer E. Laygo

Special Counsel – Intellectual Property

Atty. Laygo obtained her Juris Doctor Degree from the Ateneo de Manila University in 2008 under a full scholarship from the Intellectual Property Association of the Philippines (IPAP). She obtained her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science from the same university in 2004 also under a full scholarship. 

She obtained her Master of Laws (L.L.M.) Degree in Intellectual Property from the University of Turin in Italy, where she graduated with the highest academic distinction of cum laude, and received a full scholarship from the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in Geneva, Switzerland.

She is a member of the Philippine Judicial Academy (PHILJA) Corps of Professors and Lecturers, and has given lectures on Intellectual Property (IP) Law to members of the judiciary, legal practitioners, business associations, chambers of commerce, and government agencies. She was also a Professor on Intellectual Property Law at the Lyceum of the Philippines University, College of Law.

Atty. Laygo has written peer-reviewed articles and academic papers on IP Law. Her latest monographs have been on the intersection of copyright and industrial design protection regimes, and on the impact and prospects of ASEAN regional integration on IP rights, both of which were published in May 2018 in the Ateneo Law Journal.

Atty. Laygo has been working in the field of IP Law for more than 10 years. She was an Attorney in the Office of the Director General of the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) for 7 years, where she handled legal policy and international cooperation. She has represented the Philippines in the negotiation of various bilateral and regional free trade and investment agreements, and has represented IPOPHL in international forums such as the World Intellectual Property Organization, the World Trade Organization, and the ASEAN Working Group on Intellectual Property Cooperation. She currently works as an international IP expert delivering seminars and conferences for IP authorities and industry stakeholders in the Southeast Asia region.