Myls made a big jump and joined FNS in 1995 as one of its pioneer associates. Having been there during the Firm’s early years, she saw and became an indelible part of the triumphs, challenges, milestones and strides that molded the FNS that we see today. She has not looked back since then, and has prided herself as a loyal pillar of the FNS Team for 22 years. Being a practicing lawyer for 23 years, she has spent, in her words, “more than 95% of (her) legal career” with the Firm.
It has always been her dream to be a lawyer. She shares: “As early as high school, I have been fascinated with the idea of being able to help defend the rights of a person and obtain justice for people in need. I also imagined myself having a fancy job working in a law firm and rendering legal advisory work for clients.” Myls continues, “I have always thought that there will be more exciting opportunities for me if I become a lawyer. Being a private practitioner and being part of a dynamic team of legal eagles is just one of them. Other opportunities indeed await a member of the bar. One could also be a prosecutor or member of the judiciary as a judge or even a justice. There is also the option of being an in-house counsel of a private corporation, or a government lawyer. Indeed, I saw a wide array of opportunities and career options to choose from once I fulfill my dream to become a lawyer. Today. I am exactly where want to be, that is, working in a law firm that helped shape my professional growth, and which continues to give a sublime sense of fulfillment in the work that I do.”
As a pioneer FNS associate, Myls feels truly proud to have witnessed the Firm’s growth and to have risen from the ranks. She happily shares, “I became a partner of the Firm by my own merit and through sheer hard work. I am grateful to my partners who became not only my mentors but family. They have self-effacingly taught me the ropes of the practice, to value my work and my responsibility as a lawyer.” She continues, “I am able to apply the things I have learned from my partners in the cases that I handle for the Firm. Most of these are annulment of marriage, adoption, property settlement, custody, support of children, estate planning, succession, real estate, immigration and corporation law matters. Luckily, all my annulment petitions have been granted by the courts. This is because of my assiduousness and hands-on approach in everything that I work on. Although I am already a partner of the Firm, I do not just leave the work to a junior associate. I make it a point to impart to the junior lawyers the things I learned so they too will be able to hone their own litigation skills. I do not just monitor the junior lawyers’ work. More importantly, I mentor them to be the best they can be.”
Myls heads the Family Law and Estate Practice Group of the Firm. She took her Bachelor of Arts Degree from the Pontifical University of Santo Tomas, cum laude, and graduated from the San Beda University (College of Law) – Mendiola in 1993. Mylene is a member of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (Quezon City Chapter), Inter-Pacific Bar Association, and a Legal 500 Asia Pacific Recommended Lawyer in 2017.
