Atty. Jose M. Layug, Jr.

Atty. Jose M. Layug, Jr. or “Jay” is currently a Senior Partner at Puno & Puno Law Office. He recently served as Chairman of the National Renewable Energy Board from 2016-2018. Jay was the Undersecretary of the Philippine Department of Energy (DOE) from 2010-2012 and headed the Renewable Energy Management Bureau, Energy Resources Development Bureau, Energy Utilization Management Bureau, Oil Industry Management Bureau and Legal Services.

He was primarily responsible for the revival of various sectors in the Philippine energy sector with the successful launching of the National Renewable Energy Program, the Philippine Energy Contracting Rounds for Petroleum and Coal and the Public Transport Assistance Program of Pantawid Pasada.

Prior to his DOE position, Jay was a Senior Counsel for the Negotiations and Legal Department of the Australian Strategic Business Unit of Chevron Corporation and served as the Malampaya Legal Manager of Chevron Malampaya LLC located in Manila, Philippines from 2007-2010. As Chevron counsel, he received the first ever William T. Coleman Award in 2008 – the highest recognition given by Chevron Corporation to a Chevron in-house counsel worldwide – besting all other Chevron lawyers worldwide. Before joining Chevron, Jay acted as international legal consultant of the Asian Development Bank and was a Senior Associate at SyCip Salazar Hernandez & Gatmaitan handling banking and finance, project development and financing relating to mining, energy, power and transportation industries. From 2000-2002, Jay practiced law in New York and worked as a Foreign Lawyer at Sullivan & Cromwell in New York.

Jay currently serves as the Dean of the University of Makati School of Law and a professor of law. He teaches Philippine Project Development and Finance, Banking, Property, Administrative Law, Local Government and Sales to law students since 2002 at the University of the Philippines College of Law. Jay has published works and is a contributor to the following publications: (a) Capital Asia, published in Hongkong by ISI Publications Ltd. and (b) In-House Briefing, Asia-Pacific, published in Hongkong by Pacific Business Press.

Jay obtained his Bachelor of Science in Business Economics with cum laude honours in 1992 and his Bachelor of Laws (1996) from the University of the Philippines. He finished his Master of Laws degree with honours in 2000 (fall semester) from Cornell Law School in New York, USA. Jay is licensed to practice law both in the Philippines (since 1997) and in New York (since 2000) having passed both Philippine and New York State bar examinations.