Julito R. Sarmiento

The Co-Managing Partner of Sarmiento Loriega Law Office, Mr. Sarmiento graduated with a degree of Bachelor of Arts, major in Pre-Divinity, cum laude (ranked Top 1% in his graduating class) from the Ateneo de Manila University College of Arts and Sciences and a degree with a Bachelor of Laws, Second Honors (ranked Top 5% in his graduating class) from the Ateneo de Manila University School of Law.

Prior to law school, Mr. Sarmiento underwent a 10-year Seminary training where he graduated Class Valedictorian at Our Lady of Penafrancia Seminary in Sorsogon and continued on at the Jesuit-run San Jose Seminary in Loyola Heights, Quezon City, including two years regency as a Jesuit Volunteer assigned to Ateneo de Davao University in Davao City and the University of San Carlos in Cebu City.

As a law student, Mr. Sarmiento was a founding intern of the Ateneo Human Rights Center, sponsoring him as a legal intern at the International Human Rights Law Group in Washington, D.C. and as a legal volunteer at the International Secretariat of Amnesty International in London, United Kingdom.

Subsequently, Mr. Sarmiento obtained his Master of Laws (LL.M.) and Doctor of Science of Jurisprudence (J.S.D.) (thesis pending) from the Yale Law School in 1993 as a Myres S. McDougal Fellow and World Bank Scholar. He also graduated with a Master of Business Administration degree (M.B.A.), Gold Medalist with highest perfect grade of 4.0 in all subjects in a joint program of the Ateneo de Manila Graduate School of Business and the Colorado-based Regis University.

Mr. Sarmiento’s legal exposure is varied and extensive, having started as a law clerk for Associate Justice Abraham Sarmiento (no relations) at the Supreme Court of the Philippines, rose as a Senior Associate at Sycip Salazar Hernandez & Gatmaitan in record three years, and then served as Vice President, General Counsel and Board Director (as Country Representative of Switzerland-based Glencore AG) of then newly-privatized Philippine Associated Smelting and Refining Corporation.

Mr. Sarmiento worked as a Senior Partner for one of the country’s leading law firms for 16 years where he significantly contributed to its dramatic and quick turn-around. He puts a premium in creating a unique culture marked by the strong productivity of its associates based on work-life balance, generously rewarding hard work, and excellent service to its clients as well as socio-civic engagement with the less fortunate. Mr. Sarmiento and Ms. Loriega, his Co- Managing Partner, are building an even more transformative culture-driven firm in SL Law.

Mr. Sarmiento has focused his legal practice on corporate work and special projects, particularly on energy, infrastructure, mining, environment, foreign investments, privatization, family law, crisis management and social license. Given the challenges of bridging the trust divide between investors in resource-dependent industries and their affected local stakeholders, Mr. Sarmiento established the pioneering Social License Practice. Over the past several years it has successfully enabled investors to prevent deep-seated conflicts, avoid expensive litigation and resolve crisis situations with affected stakeholders.

Mr. Sarmiento was the CEO, President and Co-Founder of WeGen Laudato Si in partnership with the Catholic Church, faith-based groups, local government units and non-governmental organizations to accelerate the just transition towards a more decentralized, distributed, decarbonized, digitized, and democratized energy industry. He is working towards the revival of the mining industry beyond responsible mining with so-called “Green Mines” and “Transformative Mining” that are more socially acceptable and environmentally sustainable.

Mr. Sarmiento is also the CEO and Co-Founder of Enya (Hebrew for “nine”), a Climate Change Adaptation Resettlement Earth (CARE) social enterprise integrating nine systems (organic farming, reforestation, permaculture school, craft system, duck ecology, green business, renewable energy micro-grid systems, green housing and Laudato Si spirituality) in rural communities to build economic sustainability, social cohesion and disaster resiliency based on a whole-of-the-earth approach, particularly with indigenous peoples.

Mr. Sarmiento brings to the Firm the rare combination of rigorous global academic training, excellent expertise in legal practice, deep acumen in commercial operations and the passion for Doing Well by Doing Good. Given his extensive business leadership experience, Mr. Sarmiento provides in a most synergistic manner to the clients a compelling and immense value with high and lasting positive impact. In the Firm, Mr. Sarmiento endeavors to complete his yet unrealized dream articulated in his MBA thesis to transform the law practice as a platform for corporate sustainability and societal transformation.

Mr. Sarmiento has been awarded various recognitions as a Leading Lawyer in Natural Resources Practice by international bodies such as Chambers Asia, Corporate International, and Finance Asia, among a few. Mr. Sarmiento is admitted to the New York State Bar and is a member of the New York State Bar Association, American Bar Association, and the Yale Club.

Mr. Sarmiento, however, is not all-work-and-no-play. On the contrary, he finds both quantity and quality time for family bonding. He has traveled with them to a record 101 countries, including scuba diving with his wife and five children who are all PADI-licensed advanced scuba divers to the best dive spots in the Philippines and around the world. When he is not traveling or diving, Mr. Sarmiento can often be found in the gym burning calories to pay for his all-time favorite vice: eating lechon, or its less sinful version, cochinillo.