Apolinario began his legal career as a supervisor at the Tax Division of R.G. Manabat & Co., C.P.A.s, a member firm of KPMG International, where he gained valuable experience in local and international tax advisory and compliance. He later joined Cayetano Sebastian Ata Dado & Cruz, a Philippine law firm, where he immersed himself in trial work involving corporate and other commercial disputes, family relations, adoption, penal prosecution and defence, labour and employment issues and energy law. He has rendered independent legal counsel opinions in connection with listing of securities with the Philippine Stock Exchange.

In 2017, he co-founded LexAsia Consultancy, Inc. (LexAsia), a Philippine-based consultancy firm that helps foreign and local companies set-up their business and manage regulatory risks.

In the same year, he joined the Sappaya Group of Companies as assistant counsel, and thereafter took on the role of corporate counsel where he worked and managed fintech contracts, trust transactions and corporate restructuring across Asia and Europe.

The following year, he co-founded Caymo Benedicto & Co., a law firm that focuses on corporate, family and criminal litigation. In the same year, he was accredited as a Mediator by the Thailand Arbitration Center.

He is a product of the San Beda University College of Law – Manila and holds a Master of Laws in International and European Law degree from Ghent University. Apolinario believes in continuous learning and has attended trainings in Commercial Arbitration (Philippine Institute of Arbitrators – 2016), Intellectual Property (Universität Bonn – 2016 and World Intellectual Property Office – 2017) and Legal Technology and Operations (Bucerius Law School – 2019).

Apolinario is a foreign affiliate of PracticeForte Advisory, and forms part of the Advisory’s expert panel of cross-border lawyers and mediators.