It’s tough to stay next door with a former partner.
That is why nearly two years after their split, the CMT Law group of former defense secretary Nonong Cruz and former Ombudsman Simeon Marcelo filed a case demanding the highly successful and controversial CVC Law office, or The Firm, be declared dissolved by the court and its assets liquidated. These include the disputed and highly controversial CVC Law Center at the Bonifacio Global City in Taguig.
What could have prompted CMT to finally seek a dissolution of the partnership when former partners in the Arthur Villaraza-led V&A Law firm just agreed to turn over full possession of four floors of the CVC Law Center to CMT only last month?
Well, V&A Law reportedly disconnected the utilities and elevator service to the four floors occupied by CMT in the same building right after the turnover.
CMT as a result was forced to put a contingency plan in place, like arranging for extension offices within the BGC area to serve their clients. CMT also lodged complaints with the building official and city engineer of Taguig City and the Bureau of Fire Protection, arguing that the disconnection of utilities and elevator service to the four floors in CVC Law Center posed a danger to the life, health and safety of the building’s occupants, including the lawyers and personnel of V&A.
Taguig City engineer and building official Marcelo Serpa Juan sided with CMT and ordered the immediate restoration of utilities and elevator service to the CMT floors.
Water and power services were restored in the four floors being occupied by CMT in a matter of days, but inspections by the local government of Taguig and Bureau of Fire Protection continued in the CVC Law Center, which could potentially lead to a possible cancellation of the building’s occupancy permit and a potential lockdown of CVC Law.
So before lives of occupants of the CVC Law Center are further put in danger, CMT deemed it best that CVC Law be dissolved and its assets liquidated.