Running a business in the Philippines — or setting one up for the first time — is a serious undertaking. Regulations shift. Compliance gaps can cost you. And bad legal advice can do more damage than no advice at all.
That's why Sangalang & Gaerlan, Business Lawyers exists.
We are a Philippine law firm built specifically for entrepreneurs, business owners, and investors who need practical, ethically sound, and results-driven legal guidance. We go by Paladins of Law — because we don't just give legal opinions. We fight for your business.
WHO WE SERVE
Local MSMEs — from sole proprietors and family businesses to growing startups and cooperatives
Foreign investors and multinational companies seeking to establish or expand operations in the Philippines
Corporate officers and HR professionals navigating labor law, regulatory compliance, and data privacy obligations
Business owners who want to protect what they've built — and build it right from the start
WHAT WE DO BEST
Our firm specializes in business, labor, and corporate law — the legal disciplines that matter most to your bottom line.
Setting Up & Structuring Your Business
We guide you through every step of business formation — from choosing the right structure (corporation, OPC, partnership, cooperative) to securing your licenses, permits, and regulatory clearances. Foreign investors benefit from our expertise in BOI and PEZA incentives, investor visas, and foreign equity regulations.
Legal Compliance & Data Privacy
Compliance is not a one-time checkbox. We help businesses stay ahead of their obligations under the Labor Code, the Data Privacy Act (RA 10173), the Anti-Sexual Harassment laws, and occupational safety standards — before regulators come knocking.
Corporate Governance
Good governance protects your company from the inside out. We provide corporate secretarial services, draft and review commercial contracts, and advise on corporate housekeeping — so your business runs clean and crisis-ready.
Labor & Employment Law
From hiring contracts to employee discipline to termination procedures, we help you manage your workforce legally and confidently. We've handled thousands of labor disputes, and we know how to keep you out of them.
Contracts, Disputes & Collections
We draft, review, and enforce commercial agreements — and when counterparties don't hold up their end, we pursue your remedies through demand, negotiation, arbitration, or litigation.
WHY CLIENTS TRUST US
Business-first thinking — We don't just cite the law. We help you understand what it means for your operations and how to comply without disrupting your business.
Transparent, practical advice — No legal jargon for its own sake. We give you clear options, honest assessments, and strategies you can actually implement.
Proven track record — Decades of experience across corporate, labor, and regulatory matters, with clients ranging from one-person startups to listed companies.
Accessible and responsive — We're available via iMessage, WhatsApp, and Viber, because your business doesn't wait for office hours.
Ethically committed — Our motto isn't marketing. Every strategy we recommend must be legally compliant, morally right, and ethically sound. Full stop.
OUR MOTTO
WIN With INtegrity (WIN-WIN)
OUR MISSIONS
First Mission:
To be God's instruments in doing justice, making peace and creating abundance for all, especially for our clients, families, friends and loved ones, and for God's people, through our God-given time, treasures and talents in legal and paralegal works.
Second Mission:
To deliver winning results through ethical and moral strategies and solutions in the fields of business and labor laws, ensuring 100% client and team satisfaction and retention.
OUR CORE VALUES
Faith, Integrity, Justice, Excellence and Abundance
OUR CODE
All our lawyers are licensed by the Supreme Court to practice law in the Philippines. We are bound by our Revised Lawyer's Oath, and we strictly abide by the lawyer's ethical standards under the Code of Professional Responsibility and Accountability (CPRA), as well as our Privacy Policy.
Grip of Faith
Shield of Integrity
Scale of Justice
Blade of Excellence
Gold of Abundance
OUR TRADEMARK
"Paladins of Law, WIN With INtegrity" is a trademark licensed to the Sangalang & Gaerlan, Business Lawyers, a general professional partnership registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission of the Philippines.
OUR STORY
The firm was co-founded in 2016 by Atty. Apollo X.C. S. Sangalang and Atty. Marvyn A. Gaerlan — two lawyers who shared a conviction: that businesses deserve legal partners who are not just brilliant in the courtroom, but honest in the boardroom.
Atty. Sangalang ("Atty. PoL") brings over 30 years of legal experience spanning private practice, government service (NLRC, UP, the Philippine Senate), labor law education, and media. He is twice recognized as an outstanding alumnus of the University of the Philippines. He serves as the firm's chief legal conflict strategist.
Atty. Gaerlan is a lawyer-engineer with deep expertise in Data Privacy Act compliance, labor law, corporate law, and OSH standards. He is a DOLE-accredited occupational safety consultant (SO4), a certified Total Rewards consultant and the firm’s Data Privacy Act and Anti-Money Laundering Law resource person. Beyond the law, he is an active professional speaker, writer, and Catholic lay minister.
Together, they built a firm that lives its motto every single day: WIN With INtegrity.
OUR LEGAL TEAM
Today, the firm is manned by eight (8) lawyers.
In 2017, the founders promoted their Associate, Atty. Gerald Dick B. Baro, a law professor at the Far Eastern University, to Junior Partner. And in 2019, they promoted another Associate, Atty. Gerard Nelson C. Manalo, a law professor at Quezon City University, to Junior Partner. Both Atty. Baro and Atty. Manalo started as working students and paralegal associates of Atty. Sangalang in 2014.
Atty. Baro is currently the Chief of Staff of the Vice Governor of the Province of Bulacan. He was granted permission to continue his private law practice. Aside from litigation, he specializes in labor and employment law, corporate and business law, data privacy law, marriage and family law.
Atty. Manalo is currently Chief, Provincial Legal Office, Province of Bulacan and concurrently, Chief of Staff, Office of the Governor, Province of Bulacan. He also has permission to continue his private law practice. He specializes in labor and employment law, corporate and business law, and real estate and property law, aside from litigation.
Atty. Nathalie L. Pattugalan CPA was promoted to Junior Partner in late 2019. She specializes in labor and employment law, corporate and business law, contract law, and investment law, as well as immigration law, trademarks and copyrights. As a Certified Public Accountant-lawyer, Atty. Nathalie is currently the firm’s Managing Partner and General Manager.
Another Junior Partner is Atty. Christian Andrew L. Gallardo, who is a graduate of the Ateneo Law School. He is our current Partner-in-Charge for Litigation who has already won several multi-million worth labor cases within his 5-year practice of law. He also started as a working student and paralegal associate of the firm.
The firm has another Junior Partner - Atty. Nadine D. Racelis, a graduate of the University of the Philippines - College of Law. She is a Certified Total Reward Specialist under the ASEAN Total Rewards Institute. She is also engaged in handling labor, civil and criminal law litigation. She is currently active in the Corporate Governance Advocacy of the firm with Atty. Pol with the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI).
The newest Junior Partner and member of the firm is Atty. Earl Louie M. Masacayan, a graduate of University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Civil Law and Masters of Law from the same university. He is an author of bar review books on tax, commercial, labor and social legislation. He is currently a Tax and Labor Law bar reviewer of Villasis Law Review Center and Associate Dean of the Philippine Law School.
The partners of the firm are supported by eight (8) experienced full-time legal staff.
Recognitions and Registrations
Recognitions and Registrations
Top-Rated Law Firm in Lawzana.com
Top-Rated Law Firm in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines
Rated 5.0 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ on Google by 315+ Satisfied Clients
Duly registered with the
Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC)
Duly registered with the National Privacy Commission (NPC)
Page updated
Report abuse