Professional Background

Atty. Ismael L. Sarangaya Jr. is a lawyer, legal educator, and academic administrator whose career spans private practice, litigation, law school leadership, and professional training.

He is the Founder and Managing Partner of Sarangaya Law Offices, where his practice encompasses legal counseling and documentation; civil, criminal, corporate, and labor litigation; real estate and development; corporate law and rehabilitation; administrative and election law; construction arbitration; alternative dispute resolution; intellectual property; and data privacy.

Before establishing his firm in 2020, Atty. Sarangaya spent more than seven years with a prominent law firm in Makati City, progressing from Legal Assistant to Associate and eventually Senior Associate. His work focused primarily on civil, criminal, labor, administrative, election, intellectual property, and construction-related disputes, as well as arbitration and alternative dispute resolution. He also provided general legal counsel and assisted with corporate documentation when required. In addition, he supervised junior associates and reviewed pleadings and other documents for filing before courts, tribunals, and administrative bodies.

Alongside his legal practice, Atty. Sarangaya serves as Associate Dean of the Philippine Christian University College of Law. He has taught at the University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Civil Law, Philippine Christian University College of Law, Universidad de Manila College of Law, Aurora State College of Technology College of Law, University of Perpetual Help DALTA–Molino Campus, and Bulacan State University. His teaching areas include Constitutional Law, Political Law, Public International Law, Conflict of Laws, Public Corporations, Legal Ethics, Civil Procedure, Evidence, and Environmental and Natural Resources Law.

He is also a bar reviewer and a frequent resource speaker on labor and employment law, constitutional law, international humanitarian law, oral advocacy, regulatory compliance, and data privacy. He passed the 2012 Philippine Bar Examinations on his first attempt and is a Certified Data Protection Officer.

Educational Background

Atty. Sarangaya is pursuing a Master of Laws at the University of Santo Tomas Graduate School of Law. He earned his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Civil Law, graduating with First Honorable Mention. During law school, he was consistently named to the Dean’s List and received scholarships and merit awards for excellence in several subjects.

He completed his Bachelor of Arts in Legal Management at Bulacan State University, graduating magna cum laude with a general weighted average of 1.32. His undergraduate distinctions included the Outstanding Student Award, Best in Specialization, academic excellence awards, and a leadership award. He was also a full institutional scholar throughout his undergraduate studies.

His continuing professional education includes advanced courses offered by The Hague Academy of International Law in the Philippines, Leiden University’s Summer School on International Criminal Law, training in environmental law education, international construction and commercial arbitration, human rights education, and law school management.