Nilo Divina
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
February 20, 1965
Aurora Divina
Robert Kennedy College
Nilo Divina | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Dean of the UST Faculty of Civil Law | |
| Assumed office 2009[1] | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Nilo T. Divina February 20, 1965 |
| Party | United Citizens of Caloocan Party |
| Parent(s) | Lando Divina Aurora Divina |
| Alma mater | University of Santo Tomas Robert Kennedy College |
| Occupation | Lawyer, Professor |
| Website | DivinaLaw Official website |
Nilo Divina (born February 20, 1965) is a Filipino lawyer, professor, author, and educational administrator. He is the founding and managing partner of Divina Law, a law firm in the Philippines based in Makati.[2] He is a former president of the Philippine Association of Law Schools.[3]
In October 2023, Divina was named one of the top 100 lawyers in the Philippines by the Asia Business Law Journal for six consecutive years, from 2018 to 2023.[4][5] He was also named Managing Partner of the Year in the 2021 Asian Legal Business (ALB) Philippine Law Awards held in November 2021.[6]
In 2022, Divina was named Outstanding Thomasian Alumni for Law and Justice in the University of Santo Tomas' The Outstanding Thomasian Alumni (TOTAL) Awards.[7][8] He was also named Executive of the Year for the Legal Industries in the 19th Annual International Business Awards.[9][10][11]
Divina is an alumnus of the University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Arts and Letters, graduating Bachelor of Arts in Behavioral Science with honors in 1985. He pursued law at the University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Civil Law and graduated magna cum laude as valedictorian in 1989.
Career
Divina started as Clerk of Court at a Regional Trial Court in Pasig. In 1992, he became an associate attorney at Misa, Castro, and Associates. He was also appointed corporate secretary of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, and was promoted to General Manager and Chief Legal Adviser. In 1993, Divina started consultancy services for Equitable PCI Bank he was ultimately promoted as executive vice president, corporate secretary, and general counsel.[12]
In 2006, Divina and another lawyer named Edwin Uy established a law firm in Makati, Philippines that would eventually be known as Divina Law Offices.[13] From 5 lawyers when it started, the firm now has more than 100 lawyers,[14] including those included in the list of Philippines' Top 100 Lawyers by the Asia Business Law Journal.[15] Under Divina's leadership, the firm has been receiving many accolades. In 2021, Divina Law Offices was named a top law firm in the banking, litigation, and restructuring and insolvency in the Philippines Law Firm Awards by the Asia Business Law Journal.[16] In 2022, the firm received a Silver Anvil Award in the 57th Anvil Awards by the Public Relations Society of the Philippines.[17] Divina's law firm celebrated its 16th anniversary in April 2022. It has over 800 clients and handles almost 4,000 cases.[18] The firm also conducts free legal assistance through its program Dulog Legal, which was awarded the Award of Excellence and Communication Management at the 20th Philippine Quill awards.[19]
He authored the law textbooks Handbook on Philippine Commercial Law,[20] Questions & Answers on the Revised Corporation Code,[21] and Divina on Commercial Law: A Comprehensive Guide (volumes 1 and 2).[22] In 2023, he co-authored the "Divina Bar Review Series" with his fellow lawyers from his law office.[23] In February 2024, the second edition of Questions & Answers on the Revised Corporation Code was launched.
He was also part of the board of directors of the United Coconut Planters Bank. He was appointed dean of the University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Civil Law in 2009, succeeding Roberto A. Abad who was appointed by then President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo into the Supreme Court of the Philippines as Associate Justice.[24] During his tenure, the school reestablished its reputation for academic excellence, producing bar topnotchers and upholding high ethical standards in legal education. He implemented scholarship programs, provided financial assistance to students in need, and en[25]hanced academic rigor to ensure that financial constraints would not prevent qualified individuals from pursuing a legal education.[26]
In 2023, Divina opened a restaurant called Café Aurora in Makati City as a tribute to his mother's home-cooked meals.[27][28][29][30][31] The restaurant, which offers Asian-inspired dishes, was renamed Aurora in 2024.[32][33] It was named 2024 Best New Restaurant by Tatler Dining and was named a Michelin-selected restaurant in the inaugural MICHELIN Guide in the Philippines.[34][35][36] In May 2025, He opened a second brand called Bistro Aurora at the Podium Social of The Podium Mall in Ortigas, Mandaluyong City.[37] In 2025, he expanded his ventures further by opening a restaurant called Norlando's in Makati and a fitness and mixed martial arts center called Fight League in Ortigas, Pasig City.[38][39][40]
Awards and recognitions
In 2024, Nilo Divina was recognized at the Stevie International Business Awards. He was awarded the Gold Award for Achievement in Web Writing/Content for his biweekly column in the Daily Tribune, "A Dose of Law," which also evolved into a podcast and TikTok series.[41] Award judges commended Divina's column for simplifying complex legal concepts, making them accessible to both legal professionals and the general public.[42] In addition to Divina's personal awards, his law firm DivinaLaw received the Gold Award for Company of the Year (medium-size) in the legal industry and a Silver Award for its Corporate Social Responsibility Program of the Year in the Asia, Australia, and New Zealand region for Dulog Legal. He also won a Silver Award for Thought Leader of the Year, recognizing his leadership in the business, legal, and education sectors.[43]
Divina has been recognized for the eighth consecutive year as one of the top lawyers in the annual list by the Asia Business Law Journal. In 2025, Divina, along with nine other lawyers from DivinaLaw, was featured in the publication's prestigious A-List, which highlights the top 100 lawyers in the Philippines. Additionally, for the second consecutive year, he was distinguished as one of the legal icons included in the list.[44][45][46][47][48]
In January 2026, Divina was recognized by CentralBooks as the best-selling law book author of all time, and his 2025 Divina Compendious Bar Review Series was named the best-selling law book series of all time.[49]