Sangalang & Gaerlan Business Lawyers provides practical, strategic guidance in labor, corporate, regulatory, and commercial matters for Philippine and international businesses.
Sangalang & Gaerlan, Business Lawyers • General Professional Partnership
Operating and scaling an enterprise in the Philippines requires more than textbook statutory interpretation—it demands clear-eyed counsel attuned to commercial realities, workplace dynamics, and regulatory expectations.
Sangalang & Gaerlan Business Lawyers advises founders, boards of directors, human resource executives, and foreign investors on the legal and regulatory realities of investing, operating, and growing in the Philippines. From structuring market entry and governing corporate entities to resolving sensitive labor disputes and navigating regulatory inspections, our partners deliver measured, defensible, and commercially sound solutions.
Read more about our firm & governance philosophy →Seasoned legal strategy across corporate governance, labor relations, commercial transactions, and conflict resolution.
Leadership backgrounds in the NLRC-DOLE, the Philippine Senate, corporate boards, and enterprise operations.
Duly registered and compliant with the SEC, BIR, PhilGEPS, and local government authorities in Quezon City.
Structuring domestic corporations, one-person corporations, and partnerships; drafting articles, by-laws, and shareholder agreements; and serving as Corporate Secretary to maintain SEC good standing.
Proactive labor compliance, executive employment contracts, workplace policies, disciplinary due process, reorganization and redundancy programs, and representation before the DOLE and NLRC.
Drafting, reviewing, and negotiating high-value commercial agreements, vendor and supply arrangements, joint ventures, licensing, service level agreements, and credit security documentation.
End-to-end compliance management across Philippine agencies including the SEC, BIR, DOLE, OSH standards, local government permits, and specialized industry licensing bodies.
Advising international founders and foreign corporations on nationality rules, Foreign Investments Act compliance, subsidiary or branch setup, and incentives registration (PEZA / BOI).
Alignment with the Philippine Data Privacy Act of 2012 (NPC requirements) and GDPR standards, including privacy impact assessments, data sharing agreements, and DPO advisory.
Comprehensive legal, corporate, labor, and regulatory due diligence for share and asset acquisitions, corporate restructurings, and strategic investments in Philippine businesses.
Title verification, commercial lease structuring, land and condominium conveyancing, corporate asset holding structures, and family business succession safeguards.
Strategic legal representation and administrative defense for businesses responding to BIR Letters of Authority (LOA), Subpoena Duces Tecum, and deficiency tax assessments.
Bespoke in-house briefings and workshops for boards, C-suite executives, and HR leaders on Philippine labor standards, corporate governance, data privacy, and occupational safety.
Many of our domestic and international clients engage Sangalang & Gaerlan on an ongoing monthly retainer—gaining direct partner access for day-to-day employment questions, contract reviews, and board governance without the overhead of a full in-house legal department.
We translate complex Philippine statutes into actionable business decisions. Rather than halting commercial momentum with abstract legal objections, we engineer compliant pathways that protect your enterprise while advancing operational goals.
Informed by decades of experience across the NLRC-DOLE, the Philippine Senate, and private enterprise, our counsel reflects how regulations are actually administered by the SEC, BIR, DOLE, NPC, and local government units.
Your business matters are not delegated down a chain of unsupervised juniors. Clients work directly with Founding Partner Atty. Apollo Sangalang and Managing Partner Atty. Marvyn Gaerlan from strategy through execution.
Guided by our commitment—“We WIN With INtegrity”—we build durable legal foundations that withstand regulatory scrutiny, investor due diligence, and workplace challenges over the long term.
Our founding partners combine senior government and legislative experience with technical fluency in corporate operations, labor strategy, total rewards, and regulatory compliance.
Atty. Apollo X.C. S. Sangalang brings over 30 years of multidisciplinary experience in business legal strategy, Philippine labor law, corporate governance, and public service. Admitted to the Philippine Bar in 1995 after completing his legal studies at the University of the Philippines College of Law, he advises corporate boards, founders, and executive teams on high-stakes workplace governance, conflict prevention, and regulatory strategy.
Prior to founding Sangalang & Gaerlan Business Lawyers, Atty. Sangalang served in key government and institutional roles—providing him with rare insight into how labor and business policies are crafted, interpreted, and enforced in the Philippines.
Atty. Marvyn A. Gaerlan leads the firm’s transactional, regulatory compliance, and operational practice. Combining an analytical engineering background with extensive legal practice, he counsels domestic and multinational companies on labor and employment relations, commercial contracts, corporate structuring, and workplace risk management.
A Certified Total Rewards Professional (CTRP) and accredited compliance practitioner, Atty. Gaerlan bridges legal requirements with practical human resource architecture, compensation design, data privacy governance, and occupational safety standards.
A Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and lawyer with over 15 years of prior leadership in corporate accounting and tax compliance. She advises domestic and foreign clients on corporate registrations, taxation, labor relations, contracts, and HR compliance manuals.
Associate Dean of the Philippine Law School, Bar Reviewer in Labor and Taxation Law, and author of the Masacayan Business Law Trilogy. Holds a Master of Laws (UST), Doctorate in Business Administration, and CPHR/CHRP credentials.
Graduate of the UP College of Law (Scholar) and BS Economics (cum laude) from UP Diliman. A Certified Total Rewards Professional (CTRP) specializing in corporate formation, commercial contracts, workplace investigations, real estate, and AMLC compliance.
Graduate of the FEU Institute of Law and Law Professor at Quezon City University. Advises domestic and international clients on corporate registration, labor and employment law, real estate transactions, and civil/criminal litigation.
Having begun his career as a paralegal associate under Atty. Sangalang in 2014, he now serves as Junior Partner and Law Professor at Far Eastern University, focusing on corporate, commercial, labor, civil, and administrative proceedings.
Holds a Juris Doctor from the Ateneo Law School and a BS Legal Management degree (Honorable Mention) from Ateneo de Manila University. Leads the firm’s litigation practice with a strong record in complex, high-exposure labor and commercial disputes.
Every effective legal engagement begins with clarity. Prospective corporate and business clients may request a confidential, obligation-free 10–15-minute online exploratory call before engaging the firm for paid legal consultation or representation.
During this initial conversation, we verify that there is no conflict of interest, gain a high-level understanding of your commercial objectives or legal concern, and outline the most appropriate scope of engagement—whether a targeted executive consultation, a specific transactional project, or ongoing corporate counsel.
1. Free 15-Minute Discovery Call: Complimentary and obligation-free for qualified business inquiries, scheduled via our Appointments Portal or email to assess fit and conflict clearance.
2. Formal Paid Legal Consultation: When substantive legal analysis, document review, or strategic advice is required prior to a project or retainer, formal consultations (Online or In-Office, Mon–Sat 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM) are scheduled with our partners at standard professional rates (+ 12% VAT):
| Counsel | Format | Consultation Fee (Excl. 12% VAT) |
|---|---|---|
| Atty. Apollo X.C. S. Sangalang (Founder) | Online or In-Office Session | PhP 8,000 / hour |
| Atty. Marvyn A. Gaerlan, CTRP (Co-Founder & Managing Partner) | Online or In-Office Session | PhP 6,000 / hour |
| Managing & Junior Partners (Attys. Pattugalan, Masacayan, Racelis, Manalo, Baro, Gallardo) | Online or In-Office Session | PhP 5,000 / hour |
Whether you are establishing a Philippine subsidiary, navigating a sensitive employment matter, or seeking ongoing corporate counsel, our team responds promptly to executive inquiries.
