Overview
Rhea is a partner and co-heads the Tax Practice Group and is part of the Firm’s Corporate Practice Group. She has over 16 years’ experience in tax practice, specializing in tax audits, assessments, corporate tax structuring, tax treaty relief applications, tax advisory and compliance, and estate tax planning. Rhea has extensive experience in corporate and commercial law practice including corporate organization, mergers and acquisitions, corporate restructuring, large-scale real property acquisitions and corporate governance. She sits as a member of the Board of Directors and acts as Corporate Secretary and Resident Agent of various corporations. She is the representative of the Firm in the Tax Management Association of the Philippines (TMAP) and currently serves as a director of TMAP
Representative Work
- Conducted tax due diligence in corporate transactions to assess tax exposures and liabilities
- Advised and assisted on the successful bid for a 650-megawatt power plant and its underlying land through a negotiated sale with a government-owned and controlled corporation, securing a winning bid of PhP3.123 billion
- Advised and assisted in the preparation of bidding documents and requirements for a 130-megawatt power plant to provide ancillary services (dispatch reserve) in the Luzon Grid
- Advised on the acquisition of shares in a renewable energy company supplying electric power to the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management (PSALM) Corporation, with a transaction value of at least PhP250 million
- Advised and assisted on the large-scale acquisition and consolidation of real properties in connection with an unsolicited proposal by a client in the air sector, involving a project cost exceeding PhP700 billion
- Conducted due diligence and assisted in the acquisition of a restaurant business and subsequently facilitated the transfer of its operations to a management company
- Advised and assisted on the large-scale acquisition and consolidation of real properties along the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway
- Advised and assisted in securing merger and acquisition approval from the Philippine Competition Commission (PCC), including the preparation and filing of mandatory notifications, responding to requests for additional information, and ensuring compliance with competition laws and regulations in connection to a deal involving three Philippine power industry giants
- Led and supervised the preparation of requests for confirmation, particularly for a local film company engaged in remote production of television commercials during the pandemic and successfully secured a Certificate of Entitlement to Treaty Benefits
- Represented clients in tax audits and assessments before the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), including responding to Letters of Authority, Subpoena Duces Tecum, and Preliminary Assessment Notices; filing of administrative protests against Formal Letters of Demand and Final Assessment Notices, as well as Final Decisions on Disputed Assessments; and filing of requests for reconsideration with the Commissioner of the BIR
- Advised foreign investors and multinational corporations and expatriates on the application of tax treaties and cross-border taxation
- Represented clients in tax disputes with local government units regarding real property and business tax assessments
Other Professional Background
Rhea is a Certified Public Accountant, having passed the CPA Licensure Exam in 1998.
Educational Attainment
San Beda University, 2008
Bachelor of Laws
Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, 1998
Bachelor of Science in Accountancy (Cum Laude)
Passed the CPA Licensure Examination in 1998
Admitted to the Philippine Bar in 2009
