John Anthony Almerino

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John Anthony Almerino ("John") is a lawyer at Badayos & Badayos Law. His expertise spans corporate governance, regulatory compliance, digital assets, and venture-backed startups.

Previously, John worked as a legal and compliance consultant for a U.S.-based law firm, specializing in capital markets, mergers and acquisitions, securities law, digital assets, and investment adviser compliance. He also served as in-house counsel for a mid-sized real estate developer in the Philippines, managing a billion-peso property portfolio.

Earlier in his career, John was an associate lawyer at ACCRALAW, one of the largest and most prestigious law firms in the Philippines, where he focused on civil litigation, labor law, criminal law, environmental compliance, and corporate advisory work. Before becoming a lawyer, he served as a legal researcher in an academic institution and as an executive assistant to a justice at the Court of Appeals.

Outside legal practice, John is the co-founder of EZLex (ezlex.ph), a legal tech startup focused on improving efficiency in legal service delivery. Its flagship product, affidavit.ph, simplifies notarization processes. He also serves as Head of Customer Success at Upstock, a U.S.-based equity management platform, assisting clients with RSU-based stock compensation solutions.

John graduated as valedictorian from the University of San Carlos – College of Law in 2019. He was a recipient of the Chief Justice Artemio Panganiban Foundation of Liberty and Prosperity Scholarship. He also earned a Magna Cum Laude distinction for his bachelor’s degree in Political Science, majoring in International Relations and Foreign Service, from the University of San Carlos in 2015.