The Law Firm of CONTACTO NIEVALES & Associates or simply "CNLEXFIRM", was established primarily to meet the growing demands for the protection of patents, trademarks, copyrights and other similar rights otherwise known as Intellectual Property Rights, as well as its Enforcement as spurred by the emergence of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in the early 1990's as the universal body policing and enforcing parity in the field of Intellectual Propery Protection in all countries worldwide.  The WTO ushered in the era of strengtening Intellectual Property Protection in the Third World Asian and Central American economies; ultimately in India by the late 1990's and in China in 2004.

     Countless global companies that had heavily invested in research and development in the economic boom of the early 90's rushed to consolidate their gains in Intellectual Property Rights Protection heralded the way for Atty. Ted Contacto, then as a Senior Partner-in-charge of the Intellectual Property Department  in the The Law Firm of VILLARUZ BORJE CONTACTO & Associates, a prestigious Manila based law firm catering to Corporate, Labor and Intellectual Property Rights & Enforcement Practice to form a firm on his own by virtue of the appointment of its Senior Partner - Atty.  Francisco H. Villaruz, Jr., (a corporate and criminal lawyer par execellance) as an Associate Justice of the SANDIGANBAYAN (the Anti - Graft Court of the Philippines) and the hiring of Atty. Cesar P. Borje (an expert in labor law) as an In - House Counsel of Philippine giant San Miguel Corporation.  The Law Firm of VILLARUZ BORJE CONTACTO & Associates was thus dissolved in 1998, but the challenge to pursue Intellectual Property Rights Protection & Enforcement was continued by Atty. Ted Contacto after the dissolution.

     The extensive and burgeoning practice of Atty. Ted Contacto in Corporate and Intellectual Property Rights Protection (including trademark filings in the European Union via CTM) & Enforcement earned him a respectable clientele in Asia, specifically the Philippines, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Hongkong, China, the United States of America, London, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Sweden, Finland, Hungary, Greece, Liechtenstein, South Africa and the former member states of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic and serving an international clientele presupposed international travel that was debilitating  to the needs of client companies already based in Manila needing his immediate attention.  A collaboration with a topnotch lawyer along the same field of interests was thus inevitable.

     The entry of Atty. Frank J. Nievales, Jr., who was the former Legal Officer of the Bureau of Food & Drugs (the U.S. equivalent of  FDA) and former Special Counsel of The Law Firm of VILLARUZ BORJE CONTACTO & Associates, as Senior Partner finalized the collaboration to what is now know as The Law Firm of CONTACTO NIEVALES & Associates or simply "CNLEXFIRM", as it is now widely known; thus ushering in a potent mix of expertise in Intellectual Property Protection & Enforcement and Product Liabiltiy/Food & Pharmaceutical Registration and Protection.  The acronym "CNLEXFIRM" is composed of the “CN”, which are the initials of the senior partners and the latin word “LEX” meaning law or simply adherence to the rule of law as exemplified by "CNLEXFIRM" to its clients.

     "CNLEXFIRM" had its first office at the Chanelay Tower in Roxas Boulevard, fronting Manila Bay in 1998.  In the year 2002, as the firm expanded and to streamline the Firm’s computer and electronic capabilities, "CNLEXFIRM" finally moved to its present office address at 11th Floor, MARC 2000 Tower, 1973 Taft Avenue, Malate, Manila, due to the new building’s strategic location and its state of the art electrical and electronic amenities geared to better serve companies of the 21st century.

     "CNLEXFIRM" has Associate Counsels handling a myriad of litigation in the Intellectual Property Protection & Enforcement, Corporate, Criminal and Environmental Law and on a “call basis’, the practice of Election, Political and Constitutional Law to its clients who are duly elected officials of the Philippines.  "CNLEXFIRM" maintains an in – house Trademark and Patent Agent, a Certified Public Accountant for various Tax and Investments Consulting, an It Department and an Energy & Local Government Consultant.

     Today,  "CNLEXFIRM" Management are only in their 40’s – but "CNLEXFIRM" manages a broad spectra of satisfied local and foreign clientele, 95% of which have been with the Firm for more than a decade.  The permanence of clientele speaks volume of "CNLEXFIRM's" Credo: Client Trust, Honesty and Satisfaction.