Atty. Jesus M. Manalastas obtained his Master of Laws from the University of Pennsylvania in 1977. He received his Bachelor of Laws, Cum Laude (Class Valedictorian), from the University of the Philippines in 1972 and obtained the second-highest score in the Bar examinations given that same year. He received his Bachelor of Arts, Magna Cum Laude, from De La Salle University in 1968. He was the Editor-In-Chief of The La Sallian (De La Salle University) from 1967 to 1968 and Vice-Chairman of the Philippine Law Journal (U.P. College of Law) from 1971 to 1972. He was a consistent member of the Jose Rizal Honors Society at De La Salle University and the Order of the Purple Feather at the U.P. College of Law. He is a member of the international honor societies of Phi Kappa Phi and Pi Gamma Mu.
He started his career in 1973 as an assistant attorney in a major law firm (ACCRALAW), where he worked his way to a partnership in 1979. and subsequently became a founding member of PECABAR. He is a member of the International Bar Association (Section of Business Law), and the Wharton Club of the Philippines. He is currently a member of the Board of Directors of Philippine Plaza Holdings, Inc., Financial Times Electronic Publishing (Philippines), Inc., and Norsk Hydro (Phils.), Inc., among others. He was the Firm’s Managing Partner from 1996 to 2008.
He currently serves as Of Counsel to the Firm.