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| SyCip Salazar Hernandez & Gatmaitan | |
|---|---|
| Name | SyCip Salazar Hernandez & Gatmaitan |
| Founded | 1945 |
| Headquarters | Manila, Philippines |
| Practice areas | Corporate law; Tax; Litigation; Intellectual property; Banking and finance; Mergers and acquisitions |
| Key people | Hector V. de los Reyes; Jose C. Campos; Hans B. SyCip |
SyCip Salazar Hernandez & Gatmaitan is a major Philippine law firm founded in the mid-20th century, noted for advising corporations, financial institutions, government agencies, and multinationals on transactional, regulatory, and contentious matters. The firm has longstanding ties with Philippine business conglomerates, international law firms, multilateral organizations, and professional associations, and is frequently cited in discussions of Philippine corporate law, tax law, banking regulation, and intellectual property litigation.
Established in the aftermath of World War II, the firm emerged during the reconstruction period alongside institutions such as the Central Bank of the Philippines and the Philippine Constitution (1935). Early partners were active in legal reforms contemporaneous with the administrations of Manuel Roxas, Elpidio Quirino, and Ramon Magsaysay, and the firm later advised on privatization and constitutional issues during the terms of Ferdinand Marcos, Corazon Aquino, and Fidel V. Ramos. In the 1990s and 2000s the firm expanded its practice areas to meet the needs of Asian integration, engaging with actors like the Asian Development Bank, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and multinational corporations from Japan, United States, United Kingdom, and Singapore. The firm’s development paralleled Philippine legal milestones such as the Republic Act No. 8424 (Tax Reform Act) debates and regulatory changes under the Securities and Exchange Commission (Philippines) and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.
The firm offers services across a range of specialties including corporate and commercial law, mergers and acquisitions, banking and finance, securities, taxation, litigation and dispute resolution, intellectual property, labor and employment, and energy and natural resources. Clients include listed companies on the Philippine Stock Exchange, international banks like HSBC and Standard Chartered, multinational investors from China, South Korea, and Australia, as well as development finance agencies such as the Asian Development Bank and the International Finance Corporation. The firm routinely handles transactions governed by statutes and institutions such as the Republic Act No. 8799 (Securities Regulation Code), the Anti-Money Laundering Council, and matters before tribunals including the Supreme Court of the Philippines and the Court of Appeals of the Philippines.
Headquartered in Manila, the firm maintains offices and representative arrangements across the Philippines and liaises with international law firms in hubs such as London, New York City, Tokyo, Singapore, and Hong Kong. It participates in global networks and alliances that include major international law firm networks and collaborates with firms associated with jurisdictions like Delaware, California, England and Wales, and Hong Kong. The firm’s cross-border work often intersects with institutions such as the World Trade Organization, the ASEAN secretariat, and regional regulators.
Over decades the firm has been engaged in high-profile matters for conglomerates and corporations such as San Miguel Corporation, Ayala Corporation, Meralco, PLDT, Globe Telecom, and major banking groups including Bank of the Philippine Islands and Metrobank. It has represented clients in commercial disputes before the Supreme Court of the Philippines and international arbitration panels under rules of the International Chamber of Commerce and the Singapore International Arbitration Centre. The firm has advised on cross-border mergers and acquisitions involving entities from Japan Tobacco, ExxonMobil, Chevron, TotalEnergies, Shell, and regional investors from South Korea and China Development Bank.
The firm’s partnership has included prominent Filipino lawyers who have held positions in professional bodies such as the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, the Philippine Bar Association, and advisory roles to governmental commissions. Senior partners and counsel have been involved with universities and legal education institutions like the University of the Philippines College of Law, Ateneo de Manila University School of Law, and international organizations including the International Bar Association and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation legal working groups.
The firm has received recognition from international legal directories and ranking organizations such as Chambers and Partners, The Legal 500, and IFLR1000, and partners have been individually ranked in guides and honored by institutions including the Philippine Bar Association and academic award bodies. The firm’s work on corporate transactions, banking finance, and litigation has been cited in listings and league tables covering Asia-Pacific legal markets, and it has been profiled in professional publications alongside major regional firms from Australia, India, and Singapore.
The firm conducts pro bono work and public interest initiatives in collaboration with non-governmental organizations and civic institutions such as Caritas Philippines, human rights groups, and legal aid clinics affiliated with the University of the Philippines. Its CSR activities have involved support for disaster relief after events like Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda), public legal education in partnership with bar associations, and participation in sustainability and compliance programs connected to international frameworks promoted by the United Nations and UNICEF.
Category:Law firms of the Philippines