Michelle Dueñas

Co-Founder / Chief Strategy Officer

Michelle has extensive experience in labor, corporate, civil, litigation, business process outsourcing compliance and intellectual property. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science as pre-law and finished her Bachelor of Laws while working as a Paralegal in the Quisumbing Torres Law Office (Baker & McKenzie). She was admitted to the Philippine Bar in 2007. In the business process outsourcing industry, Michelle has served in various capacities since 2004, i.e., General Manager for Legal - Asia Pacific of Cognizant Technology Solutions, Vice President for Legal Affairs of Medicall Philippines, Inc. (pioneer HIM outsourcing provider in PH), and was Legal Officer of Sykes Asia, Inc. (pioneer call center in PH). Armed with more than eight (8) years experience from the pioneer call center and the pioneer healthcare outsourcing company in the Philippines, Michelle mastered the legal intricacies of operating a business process outsourcing company and has provided pro-active support to all departments. The in-house legal counsel stint enabled Michelle not just to provide boxed legal advise but approach issues with a holistic view based on a sound and intimate knowledge of business operations, KPI’s and AHT’s. Her advocacy has since been to assist startups and contribute to the growth of the industry in the Philippines. “I grew up in Filipino family where my father had to work as an Overseas Filipino Worker in the Middle East for 26 years to be able to send me and my siblings to school, it is my belief that with the right job opportunities in the Philippines, more families can stay together and there will be less fatherless or motherless Filipino families. It is indisputable that Filipino talents are resilient, customer focused and world-class, I found immense fulfillment in being able to assist companies in creating job opportunities here”. Michelle has assisted in forming several start-ups and rebadging employees from BPO provider to a GIC entities, Michelle also conducts lectures on labor laws to HR practitioners and Managers of BPO's. Michelle was a former Associate at the De Guzman Dionido Caga Jucaban Law Offices where she acted as corporate secretary to various clients of the firm, responsible for compliance and regulatory reports to the Securities and Exchange Commission and other government agencies. Michelle provided dispute-preventive counseling and represented clients in administrative and labor cases, policy review, training of management and human resources personnel to avoid labor cases. Michelle also advised foreign investors on equity restrictions and investment structures. She also handled intellectual property related disputes like unfair competition and infringement, registration of trademarks, patents and copyright. She was in charge of cancellation proceedings and inter-partes cases before the Intellectual Property Office given her four (4) years prior experience from the Intellectual Property Group of Quisumbing Torres (Baker & McKenzie). She is also an Of Counsel to Rosas & Jucaban Law Offices.