Hechanova & Co., Inc. (HCI)

The HECHANOVA Group, comprising of four companies, serves the IP requirements of owners and users interested to protect their IP rights in the Philippines.

HECHANOVA & CO., INC., member of the HECHANOVA Group is an IP consulting firm handling patent and trademark prosecution, copyright, domain name, plant variety, product registrations, all types of searches, freedom to operate searches, patent drafting, maintenance services for patents and trademarks, valuation services for trademarks and food technologies, advising on labeling, product registration requirements of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), plant variety registration, advising on advertising materials and registration with the Department of Trade and Industries (DTI), consulting on IP creation and protection, and other non-contentious IP services.

Founded on Dec. 12, 2005 by lawyer Editha R. Hechanova, together with four (4) friends and siblings: chemist Fe Belen Bello, certified public accountant Noemi P. Rivera, economist Brenda P. Rivera, and banker Carmelita Puno, the company has now grown to twenty-eight (28) professionals and support staff. The legal, business, technical and management experience of the professionals comprising the Company, coupled with in-depth knowledge of relevant local, regional and international laws and IP practices allows it to understand and give better advise. True to its slogan of “passion for service, service with integrity”, it has established itself as a reliable IP service provider and has been awarded by the IPOPHL as Top Patent Filer (rank #2) for the years 2010-2014, and Top Trademark Filer (within top 20) for the years 2010-2014 by the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines, during the thanksgiving ceremonies of then Director General Ricardo Blancaflor whose term was expiring on Dec. 31, 2014. HECHANOVA & CO., INC. continues to maintain this status, according to information from the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines IPPHL).

Recent noteworthy engagements include contract awards for patent services for the Technology Application and Promotion Institute (TAPI), the government agency under the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), and valuation services for food handling inventions. TAPI is the implementing agency for the IPR Assistance program assisting Filipino inventors and researchers. President/CEO Editha has just been elected as 2017-2018 President of the Association for PAQE Passers, Inc., an association of professionals who have passed the Patent Agent Qualifying Examination conducted by the IPPHL and, among other activities, conducts training workshops for candidates for the PAQE in cooperation with the IPPHL.

HECHANOVA BUGAY VILCHEZ & ANDAYA-RACADIO law firm, a member of the HECHANOVA Group, was established in January, 2006 By Editha Hechanova, an intellectual property lawyer, Rodinil D. Bugay, a corporate and estate planning law practitioner, and Maria Gladys C. Vilchez, former hearing officer of the IPPHL, all with over 15 years of experience in their various fields then. The firm was joined by Yasmin A. Andaya-Racadio on March, 2014, a taxation expert, formerly with SGV & Co., to strengthen the firm’s tax practice. The expertise of the partners all complement the practice of intellectual property law, particularly in the area of joint ventures when the investments involve IP assets and the tax implications of the different organization structures being considered, the integrity of the subject IP assets, and the nature of said IP assets.

On the practice of intellectual property law, the law firm actively conducts border control measures, oppositions and cancellations, actions for infringement, unfair competition and other IP violations; enforcements, licensing, due diligence, other IP contentious matters, tax issues related to IP; mediation and arbitration. The law firm has been ranked a top tiered firm in the fields of intellectual property law by leading publications such as MIP, Asia IP, WITR, Legal 500, Asialaw. Founder Editha Hechanova has been cited by AsiaLaw as leading lawyer in IP in the Philippines from 2002-2017, ASIA IP Expert from 2013-2017, IP Star 2014- 2017, Who’s Who Legal from 2010 to present. Some major enforcement activities conducted in 2016 include: (i) raid of 14 establishments selling fake and/or colorable imitations of Alpargatas SA (Brazil) products, valued at about US$245,000. Informations (complaints) have been filed with the relevant regional trial courts, (ii) raid of 3 stores/warehouses selling fake products of a Japanese company valued at about US$200,000, with ongoing preliminary investigations, (iii) assistance to the Bureau of Customs (BOC) on raids involving goods the duties and taxes on which have not been paid, and suspected to be counterfeits, and assistance to the BOC also in the matter of participating in product identification workshops for the training of customs examiners and other government agencies involved in anti-counterfeiting activities. The firm has also conducted in 2017, IP diligence audit of a Philippine company for possible joint venture in the logistics business with IPR’s valued at about US$2.0 million; advising, preparation or review of various licensing agreements between foreign investors and domestic partners.

The firm believes that lawyering is not just a profession but a way of life where opportunities to practice the core values of leadership, innovation, relationship and integrity is boundless.

For the HECHANOVA Group, the principle of “passion for service… service with integrity” is paramount.