Previous Story
Tydingco out as IPI lawyer
Phillip J. Tydingco
Phillip J. Tydingco will no longer be the general counsel of casino operator Imperial Pacific International (CNMI) LLC effective next week.
He disclosed this yesterday at a hearing before U.S. District Court for the NMI Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona, saying he will no longer be with IPI after Dec. 13 and will not be representing IPI in any cases after that day.
Tydingco told Manglona that Kelley Butcher will be filing a notice of appearance in Pacific Rim Land Development LLC’s lawsuit against IPI.
It was Tydingco who argued IPI’s motion in Pacific Rim’s lawsuit. Pacific Rim used to be a contractor for IPI’s Imperial Pacific Resort project in Garapan.
Tydingco refused to comment when asked later for the reason for his departure from IPI .
Colin Thompson, who is counsel for Pacific Rim, said he was taken by surprise by Tydingco’s decision.
Details of the search warrants executed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation on IPI and several others last Nov. 7 and 8 came to light after IPI, through Tydingco, filed last Nov. 14 in the District Court a motion to stay a civil case lodged against IPI by seven construction employees for alleged injuries they suffered during accidents at the casino resort’s worksite in 2017.
The search warrants that were filed as exhibits in IPI’s motion are sealed, but were leaked on social media.
The search warrants were executed at Gov. Ralph DLG Torres’ office and house, the office of Alfred Yue of Marianas Consultancy Services LLC, Legend Realty Saipan, the Torres Brothers’ law office, and IPI’s accounting office.
Tydingco joined IPI as general counsel in August 2017.
Tydingco used to serve as chief prosecutor and chief deputy attorney general of Guam. He also used to work as assistant attorney general and senior prosecutor with the CNMI Office of the Attorney General’s Criminal Division.
