Benedicta "Dick" Du-Baladad
Founding Partner and CEO
Dick is a multi-awarded accountant–lawyer with a joint degree of Masters of Law and International Tax Program (ITP) at the Harvard University, USA.
Prior to setting up BDB Law, she was a partner and Head of the tax department of a leading auditing firm. She is also a former official of the Bureau of the Internal Revenue (BIR) where she served in various posts including the Office of the Commissioner, the Enforcement Service, the Legal Service and the International Tax Affairs Office. She was instrumental in setting up and in designing the organizational structure of the Large Taxpayer’s Service (LTS) of the BIR.
She was named National Leader for Southeast Asia-Corporate Tax in the 2022 edition of Who's Who Legal (WWL) Thought Leaders and recognized as the Tax Dispute Resolution Lawyer by Women in Business Law (2021). She is consistently ranked by Asia Business Law Journal as one of the Philippines’ top 100 lawyers and as the only Elite Tax Practitioner in the Philippines by Asia Profiles. She is a recipient of the CPA Centenary Award of Excellence from the Board of Accountancy and has been awarded as a Distinguished Alumna of the University of Santo Tomas.
Dick was the Co-Chairperson of the Capital Market Development Council (CMDC) from 2019 to 2022, where she played a significant role in the crafting of the 2019–2025 Capital Market Development Blueprint for the country. She was also a consultant of the government in the recent comprehensive tax reform program (CTRP) on the taxation of passive income and financial intermediaries, pension reform and local bond issuance. She is frequently invited to Senate hearings and consultative meetings as a resource speaker and technical expert in the drafting, review, and refinement of pending tax legislation.
She served as a Bar Examiner for Taxation in the 2023 Philippine Bar Examinations, reflecting her recognized technical authority in tax law and her contribution to the development of the legal profession. She has likewise served as a Professor of Taxation at the University of the Philippines – Diliman and the University of Santo Tomas from 1990 to present on an intermittent basis, contributing to the academic training and professional development of future tax practitioners and lawyers.
She further contributes to tax knowledge development through publications, professional speaking engagements, and industry policy discussions.
In 2025, she was officially donned her rank as Lieutenant Colonel in the Reserved Military Force, assigned to the Judge Advocate General Service (JAGS).
In addition to being a writer, she is also a painter, fashion designer and a gardener. She is a mother of 4 accomplished young men.
Areas of Practice
- Tax Consulting and Advisory
- Tax Planning
- Handling Tax Disputes, Assessments and Claims for Refunds
- Tax Litigation
- Transfer Pricing
- Tax Compliance/Due Diligence Review
- Advocacy
Sector Expertise
- Banking, insurance, financing companies, capital market, other financial intermediaries
- Construction and real estate
- Technology
Professional Certifications
- Certified Public Accountant
- Lawyer
- Fellow, Institute of Corporate Directors
Education
- Advanced Management Program
Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania, USA (2007) - Master of Laws and International Tax Program
Harvard University (1997) - Bachelor of Laws
University of Santo Tomas, Manila, Philippines (1989) - Bachelor’s Degree in Accountancy
Magna Cum Laude, St. Louis University (1982)
Publications
- Publisher, The Philippine Internal Revenue Code Book from First to Fifth Edition (Fifth Edition released in 2025)
- Columnist, Business Mirror and Philippine Daily Inquirer
- Author, Taxation of Financial Institutions in the Philippines (2006) - won an Anvil Award of Merit
- Author, Taxation of Banks and Non-Bank Financial Intermediaries (2010)
- Author, Taxation of Insurance Companies (2014)
Professional Qualifications and Memberships
- Chairman, Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD)
- Chairman, Bank of Commerce, Philippines
- Co-Chairman, Tax and Financial Services, European Chamber and Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP), 2024-2026
- Overall Chairperson BIR–PMSG (PCCI), 2023-2026
- Chairperson, Campaign Against Malnutrition and Child Stunting Committee, (MAP)
- President, Management Association of the Philippines (MAP), 2023
- President, Financial Executives of the Philippines (FINEX) 2017
- President, Tax Management Association of the Philippines (TMAP) 2005
- Cluster Chair for Taxation, Investment Promotion and Capital Market, Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) – current
Awards and Rankings
- Highly Regarded Lawyer - ITR Awards 2026
- Women in Tax Leader - ITR Awards 2026
- Band 1 Tax Law Practitioner by Chambers & Partners Asia-Pacific
- Philippines Top 100 Lawyers - A-List 2025, Asia Business Law Journal
- Leading Partner in Tax - The Legal 500 Asia-Pacific 2025
- Elite Tax Practitioner - AsiaLaw 2025
- Philippines Female Lawyer of the Year - AsiaLaw Awards 2025 (Finalist)
- Tax Lawyer of the Year - AsiaLaw Awards 2025 (Finalist)
- Recommended Corporate Tax Leader in Southeast Asia - Whos Who Legal (Now Lexology Index)
- Recommended Corporate Tax Advisory Leader in Southeast Asia - Whos Who Legal (Now Lexology Index)
- Top 15 Female Lawyers in Asia 2024 – Asia Legal Business
Contact Information
Email :
Landline : +63 2 8403-2001 loc. 300