Founding and Managing Partner
Roan I. Libarios (RIL) is the founder and Managing Partner of Libra Law, which he steers based on a shared vision that also makes up the firm’s core ideology—"Valued for Results and Trusted for Integrity.”
In leading the firm, RIL takes charge in aligning its direction, priorities, and practices to advance its three-fold mission—to deliver value to the client, promote growth of the law, and participate in nation-building.
At present, he specializes in PPP transactions for nation-building, harnessing private capital to develop public infrastructure at no financial cost to the government. His varied background in private practice and government service provides him with invaluable insights in structuring PPP proposals and solutions. As transaction advisor and counsel, he guides big ticket clients in navigating the challenges in the life cycle of PPP transactions, including post-award compliance and contract implementation.
Aside from PPP transactions, RIL also handles complex litigation where he brings his core skills in critical thinking and writing, honed early on during his stint as Editor-in-Chief of the U.P. Philippine Collegian. In handling disputes, RIL is an advocate of solid case preparation, guided by the precept that more cases are won in the boardroom than in the courtroom.
RIL is also a leader of the Philippine bar, having served as National President of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP), the official organization of all lawyers in the country. Aside from heading the IBP, he also served as Chair of the Presidents of Law Association (POLA), an association of presidents of leading bar organization in Asia-Pacific. He was also Philippine country representative to LAWASIA.
An advocate of constitutional reform, he was also named to the 25-man Consultative Committee to Review the 1987 Constitution created under Executive Order No. 10 by President Duterte.
RIL started his law practice in his home province, making his mark in human rights advocacy and litigation. As a young practitioner in Agusan del Norte, he established his legal mettle early on, successfully instituting petitions for certiorari as private petitioner to overturn rulings of the lower courts that now form part of jurisprudence. (People vs. Executive Judge, CA-GR SP. No 16383, January 31, 1989; People vs. Placer, SC-GR, 87932, July 20, 1989; People vs. Calo SC-GR No. 88531, June 18, 1990; Sanchez vs. Comelec, SC-GR. 94459-60, January 24, 1991; Libarios vs. Dabalos, AM No. RTJ-89-286, July 11, 1991).
From private law practice, he entered public service in 1992. At 31, he became the Vice Governor of Agusan del Norte and, subsequently, Congressman of the 2nd District. While in Congress, he became the youngest member of the 11-man House Prosecution Panel in the first Senate impeachment trial of a sitting President.
After his stint in Congress, RIL relocated his private practice to Metro Manila to broaden his legal horizon, establishing Libra Law in 2001. While in private practice, RIL involved himself in the national bar in different capacities, including serving as the Editor of the IBP Law Journal, as well as in the academe with a brief stint in the U.P. College of Law, teaching Constitutional Law.
At one time, he also served as a member of the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) Peace Panel. As a leader of the bar, he was also appointed by the Philippine President to the National Fact-Finding Panel on the Hongkong Tourists Luneta Bus Tragedy. He also served as Lead Convenor of the Legal Network for Truthful Elections (LENTE), a national organization of lawyers and advocates working for clean, honest, and credible elections.
His involvement in bar reform and justice administration spans membership in the Supreme Court Committee on Bar Matters and Legal Education, the Supreme Court Committee on Revision of Civil Procedure, Board of Judges in the Supreme Court Search Committee on Judicial Excellence, and Governing Board of the Mandatory Continuing Legal Education (MCLE).
RIL obtained his degrees in Political Science (1980) and Law (1984) from the University of the Philippines, Diliman.