Atty. Lorna Patajo Kapunan has been a practicing lawyer for 38 years. She is recognized as one of the leading litigation lawyers in the country-and is known to handle and win controversial cases, which she has not hesitated to fight for because of her strong views on fighting for what is right, regardless of the odds.
Atty. Kapunan has 2 weekly columns- in Business Mirror where she discusses corporate/ business concerns and in Pilipino Mirror where she gives free legal advise especially to marginalized sectors. On the lighter side, she authors a monthly column in Women Today on lifestyle issues. Atty Kapunan has a regular Saturday program " Laban Para Sa Karapatan " 11-12 at DWIZ 882 AM radio. She was Life Style Contributor of DZRJ (2010-2015) and co-anchored at DZRH a Saturday afternoon program on legal rights (2015) Atty. Kapunan was TV Host (up to 2007) of a Weekly Advocacy Program “Legally Speaking” in Channel 19.
Atty. Kapunan is an awardee of the prestigious TOWNS Awards (The Outstanding Women in the Nation’s Service) in the field of Corporate Law (1995) and was Bar Examiner in 1988 in this field of law. She was a recipient in 1998 of The Outstanding Women of the University of the Philippines Awards. In 1992, the Womens Lawyer Circle (WILOCI) awarded Atty. Kapunan with the “Child Defender” award. In 1995, she received from Zonta International the Outstanding Zontian Award and in 1997 the Rotary International District Governors Award for World Community and as Legal Adviser. In 1996, she was a recipient of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Plaque of Recognition for her invaluable support to the Southern Police Command. Recently, Atty. Kapunan was recognized as one of the Most Influential Filipino Women in the World by the Filipina Womens Network (FWN) 2016.
Atty. Lorna Patajo-Kapunan graduated from the University of the Philippines AB Political Science (1973) and LLB (Law) 1978 where she was a consistent awardee of the Order of the Purple Feather and a member of the Editorial Board. Atty. Kaounan had seminar courses in Japan Institute of Invention and Innovation (JIII) Tokyo (1997); World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO) Asian Region, Taejon Republic of Korea, (November 1998); National Institute of Humanitarian Law, San Remo Italy (September 2005); Summer Course International Humanitarian Law, Magdalene College, Cambridge University, London UK (July 2010). She founded in 2011 the Kapunan Garcia & Castillo Law Offices where she is currently Senior Partner. Although recognized as one of the leading litigation lawyers in the country because of her high profile cases, her legal expertise is extensive and includes licensing law, franchising, intellectual property law, corporate and commercial law, joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions, international humanitarian law, family law, estate law and succession.
Atty. Kapunan is an expert on Family Law and has lawyered for many celebrity clients, but she also has a number of pro-bono cases for battered women and abused children, which has gained her the reputation of being an advocate for Womens and Childrens Rights. She was a past chairperson of UNIFEM Philippines (now UN Women) and has authored three Primers on the Legal Rights of Women and the Domestic Violence Law (RA 9272). She is co-author with Dra. Estrella Tiongson-Magno and Guadalupe Reyes-Juan of the 2016 published book “When Marriages Go Awry (Aray!)”.
Atty. Kapunan also is an expert on Intellectual Property Law, specializating in Trademarks and Unfair Competition. She was Past President and Chairman of the Intellectual Property Association of the Philippines (IPAP), former Councilor of the Asian Patent Attorneys Association (APAA) and Past Chair of APPA’s Copyright Committee; Past President of the Asean Intellectual Property Association (AIPA). She is a member of the Licensing Executive Society of the Phil. (LES) and the Association Internationale Pour La Protection De La Propriete Industrialle (AIPPI).
Atty. Kapunan is also an advocate for the environment. She has the distinction of being the first to have obtained a Writ of Kalikasan from the Supreme Court for her West Tower/Barangay Bangkal oil spill case. She sits in the Advisory Board of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
She is legal counsel for Kilusang Makabansang Ekonomiya (KME) which advocates economic nationalism and champions the fight against poverty and corruption in all branches of the Government. She is an advocate for reforms in our justice system- so that “those who have less in life should have more in law!” She also is an advocate for the protection of equity/royalty rights of artists, performers, broadcasters and for incentives to Filipino inventors-and has continuously worked for strengthening and promoting Culture, Arts and Sports in the Philippines.
Atty. Kapunan started her distinguished career in law with Angara Abello Concepcion Regala and Cruz (ACCRA) where she was as a senior associate until 1986. She served as a senior partner of Roco Kapunan Migallos Perez & Luna Law Offices from 1986. She was Founder and a Senior Partner of the Kapunan Lotilla Garcia & Castillo Law Offices from 2009-2011. Her Firm owns the distinction of being the first and only law firm to have been conferred the Institutional Spirituality Quotient (ISQ) Award by the Bishops/Businessmen Conference (BBC-June 2008). Her Firm is the sole Philippine member of the International Lawyers Network (ILN).
Atty. Kapunan was a professional lecturer at the European-based International Center for Legal Studies and was a lecturer of various subjects including “Media and the Client” “Family Law” and “Ethics” for the Mandatory Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) required by the Philippine Supreme Court. She is a member of the UP Women Lawyers Circle (WILOCI) and was Past Regional Vice President for Asia and Country Head Federation Internationals de Abogadas (FIDA).
Atty Kapunan sits in Boards of major corporate clients as Corporate Secretary and Director and is involved in various socio-civic groups. She is presently Governor/Legal Adviser of the Philippine Red Cross, Past President and Chairman Womens’ Business Council (WBC), Past Director of Cultural Center of the Philippines, Past President Rotary Club of Sampaguita and past District Legal Adviser Rotary District 3800, Past President and Area Director of Zonta Foundation, Past Trustee of Rustan’s Essenses Foundation, Past President Stop Trafficking of Filipinos, Trustee of Ballet Philippines, and Consultant People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), Legal Adviser INA Foundation, and Member, Women for Women Foundation (Phils) Inc. Atty. Kapunan is Founder of the King Kapunan Leukemia Foundation for Children in honor of her son King.
Atty. Kapunan is the daughter of Retired Supreme Court Justice Lino M. Patajo and Cristeta Taaca Patajo, Past Dean of Manila Doctors School of Nursing and VP Academic Affairs UDMC and member Professional Regulations Board for Nursing. She is the widow of former RTC Judge Eduardo Roden E. Kapunan, her Classmate in UP Law School. She has five sons, three grandsons and nine dogs. All her sons (except one Architect) and grandsons are lawyers or future lawyers. Her eldest son, Lino, is now Co-Partner in her Law Firm. Ceasario Rex, third son is a new lawyer specializing in IPOs and Mergers and Acquisitions.
Atty. Kapunan has 2 weekly columns- in Business Mirror where she discusses corporate/ business concerns and in Pilipino Mirror where she gives free legal advise especially to marginalized sectors. On the lighter side, she authors a monthly column in Women Today on lifestyle issues. Atty Kapunan has a regular Saturday program " Laban Para Sa Karapatan " 11-12 at DWIZ 882 AM radio. She was Life Style Contributor of DZRJ (2010-2015) and co-anchored at DZRH a Saturday afternoon program on legal rights (2015) Atty. Kapunan was TV Host (up to 2007) of a Weekly Advocacy Program “Legally Speaking” in Channel 19.
Atty. Kapunan is an awardee of the prestigious TOWNS Awards (The Outstanding Women in the Nation’s Service) in the field of Corporate Law (1995) and was Bar Examiner in 1988 in this field of law. She was a recipient in 1998 of The Outstanding Women of the University of the Philippines Awards. In 1992, the Womens Lawyer Circle (WILOCI) awarded Atty. Kapunan with the “Child Defender” award. In 1995, she received from Zonta International the Outstanding Zontian Award and in 1997 the Rotary International District Governors Award for World Community and as Legal Adviser. In 1996, she was a recipient of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Plaque of Recognition for her invaluable support to the Southern Police Command. Recently, Atty. Kapunan was recognized as one of the Most Influential Filipino Women in the World by the Filipina Womens Network (FWN) 2016.
Atty. Lorna Patajo-Kapunan graduated from the University of the Philippines AB Political Science (1973) and LLB (Law) 1978 where she was a consistent awardee of the Order of the Purple Feather and a member of the Editorial Board. Atty. Kaounan had seminar courses in Japan Institute of Invention and Innovation (JIII) Tokyo (1997); World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO) Asian Region, Taejon Republic of Korea, (November 1998); National Institute of Humanitarian Law, San Remo Italy (September 2005); Summer Course International Humanitarian Law, Magdalene College, Cambridge University, London UK (July 2010). She founded in 2011 the Kapunan Garcia & Castillo Law Offices where she is currently Senior Partner. Although recognized as one of the leading litigation lawyers in the country because of her high profile cases, her legal expertise is extensive and includes licensing law, franchising, intellectual property law, corporate and commercial law, joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions, international humanitarian law, family law, estate law and succession.
Atty. Kapunan is an expert on Family Law and has lawyered for many celebrity clients, but she also has a number of pro-bono cases for battered women and abused children, which has gained her the reputation of being an advocate for Womens and Childrens Rights. She was a past chairperson of UNIFEM Philippines (now UN Women) and has authored three Primers on the Legal Rights of Women and the Domestic Violence Law (RA 9272). She is co-author with Dra. Estrella Tiongson-Magno and Guadalupe Reyes-Juan of the 2016 published book “When Marriages Go Awry (Aray!)”.
Atty. Kapunan also is an expert on Intellectual Property Law, specializating in Trademarks and Unfair Competition. She was Past President and Chairman of the Intellectual Property Association of the Philippines (IPAP), former Councilor of the Asian Patent Attorneys Association (APAA) and Past Chair of APPA’s Copyright Committee; Past President of the Asean Intellectual Property Association (AIPA). She is a member of the Licensing Executive Society of the Phil. (LES) and the Association Internationale Pour La Protection De La Propriete Industrialle (AIPPI).
Atty. Kapunan is also an advocate for the environment. She has the distinction of being the first to have obtained a Writ of Kalikasan from the Supreme Court for her West Tower/Barangay Bangkal oil spill case. She sits in the Advisory Board of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
She is legal counsel for Kilusang Makabansang Ekonomiya (KME) which advocates economic nationalism and champions the fight against poverty and corruption in all branches of the Government. She is an advocate for reforms in our justice system- so that “those who have less in life should have more in law!” She also is an advocate for the protection of equity/royalty rights of artists, performers, broadcasters and for incentives to Filipino inventors-and has continuously worked for strengthening and promoting Culture, Arts and Sports in the Philippines.
Atty. Kapunan started her distinguished career in law with Angara Abello Concepcion Regala and Cruz (ACCRA) where she was as a senior associate until 1986. She served as a senior partner of Roco Kapunan Migallos Perez & Luna Law Offices from 1986. She was Founder and a Senior Partner of the Kapunan Lotilla Garcia & Castillo Law Offices from 2009-2011. Her Firm owns the distinction of being the first and only law firm to have been conferred the Institutional Spirituality Quotient (ISQ) Award by the Bishops/Businessmen Conference (BBC-June 2008). Her Firm is the sole Philippine member of the International Lawyers Network (ILN).
Atty. Kapunan was a professional lecturer at the European-based International Center for Legal Studies and was a lecturer of various subjects including “Media and the Client” “Family Law” and “Ethics” for the Mandatory Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) required by the Philippine Supreme Court. She is a member of the UP Women Lawyers Circle (WILOCI) and was Past Regional Vice President for Asia and Country Head Federation Internationals de Abogadas (FIDA).
Atty Kapunan sits in Boards of major corporate clients as Corporate Secretary and Director and is involved in various socio-civic groups. She is presently Governor/Legal Adviser of the Philippine Red Cross, Past President and Chairman Womens’ Business Council (WBC), Past Director of Cultural Center of the Philippines, Past President Rotary Club of Sampaguita and past District Legal Adviser Rotary District 3800, Past President and Area Director of Zonta Foundation, Past Trustee of Rustan’s Essenses Foundation, Past President Stop Trafficking of Filipinos, Trustee of Ballet Philippines, and Consultant People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), Legal Adviser INA Foundation, and Member, Women for Women Foundation (Phils) Inc. Atty. Kapunan is Founder of the King Kapunan Leukemia Foundation for Children in honor of her son King.
Atty. Kapunan is the daughter of Retired Supreme Court Justice Lino M. Patajo and Cristeta Taaca Patajo, Past Dean of Manila Doctors School of Nursing and VP Academic Affairs UDMC and member Professional Regulations Board for Nursing. She is the widow of former RTC Judge Eduardo Roden E. Kapunan, her Classmate in UP Law School. She has five sons, three grandsons and nine dogs. All her sons (except one Architect) and grandsons are lawyers or future lawyers. Her eldest son, Lino, is now Co-Partner in her Law Firm. Ceasario Rex, third son is a new lawyer specializing in IPOs and Mergers and Acquisitions.