What Gulapa Law does

Gulapa Law (legally 'Gulapa & Lim') is a Philippine-headquartered full-service law firm founded in September 2015 by Aris L. Gulapa. The firm provides legal services across 17+ practice areas including Corporate/M&A, Projects and Infrastructure (with emphasis on PPPs), Banking and Finance, Real Estate and Construction, Technology Media and Telecommunications, Antitrust and Competition, Intellectual Property, Dispute Resolution (domestic litigation and international arbitration under UNCITRAL rules), Data Privacy, Energy, Aviation, Labour and Employment, Tax, Immigration, ASEAN Trade, and Government Contracts. It has built a recognized franchise in Philippine flagship infrastructure projects, having represented both private bidders and the Philippine Republic on matters including Clark International Airport expansion, the North South Commuter Railway, the UP-PGH Cancer Center PPP, the Makati Skytrain, and the new Philippine ePassport program.

The firm has grown from 6 lawyers at founding to approximately 40 legal professionals including 8 admitted partners, and expanded internationally through affiliates: Gulapa & Baclay LLP in New York (2017), a San Francisco representative office (2018), Gulapa & Ismael in Cebu (2020), and Gulapa & Aguila LLLC in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam (2023). Gulapa Law monetizes through quote-based professional services fees billed to clients across corporate, M&A, infrastructure, finance, real estate, TMT, competition, IP, and dispute resolution matters, with revenue concentrated in Philippine-headquartered and cross-border mandates between the Philippines, the United States, and ASEAN. No external institutional investment, PE/VC funding, or public listing is evidenced.

Brand reputation is anchored by independent rankings including Tier 1 in Projects and Energy from The Legal 500 (2024), Band 2 in Projects, Infrastructure & Energy from Chambers & Partners Asia Pacific (2023, 2024), Asialaw recommendations across multiple practices, and Asian Legal Business awards including Boutique Law Firm of the Year (2017) and Rising Law Firm of the Year (2018, 2019).

Name

Gulapa Law

Legal name

Gulapa & Lim

Website

https://gulapalaw.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Gulapa Law is a Philippine-headquartered full-service law firm (officially Gulapa & Lim) founded in 2015, serving corporate, infrastructure, M&A, TMT, competition, IP, and dispute resolution clients across the Philippines, United States, and Vietnam via 5 offices and approximately 40 lawyers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Services

NAICS

Legal Services (5411), Offices of Lawyers (541110)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Legal Practice Management & Case Management (BPAEAPAC)

Keywords

• Corporate legal services
• Infrastructure project law
• Mergers and acquisitions law
• Dispute resolution services
• Intellectual property law

Headquarters

HQ city

Pasig City (Manila)

HQ country

Philippines

HQ region

Asia

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Legal Services Fees: Professional legal services billed to clients for corporate, M&A, projects and infrastructure, banking and finance, real estate and construction, TMT, antitrust and competition, intellectual property, and dispute resolution matters.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Gulapa Law is a full-service Philippine-based law firm providing legal advisory and representation across corporate/M&A, projects and infrastructure (including PPPs), banking and finance, real estate and construction, TMT, antitrust, IP, and dispute resolution. The firm serves clients in the Philippines, Vietnam, and the United States through offices in Manila, Cebu, Ho Chi Minh City, New York, and San Francisco.

Product overview

Gulapa Law is a Philippine-based law firm providing comprehensive legal services across multiple practice areas. The firm operates as a unified legal practice offering core services including Corporate/M&A, Projects and Infrastructure (PPP projects), Banking and Finance, Real Estate and Construction, Technology Media and Telecommunications, Antitrust and Competition, Intellectual Property, Litigation and Dispute Resolution (including international arbitration), Data Privacy compliance, Energy, Aviation, Labour and Employment, Tax, Immigration, ASEAN Trade, and Government Contracts. The firm has expanded internationally with offices in Manila (headquarters), Cebu, New York, San Francisco, and Vietnam. Gulapa Law is officially known as Gulapa & Lim and has grown from 6 lawyers in 2015 to approximately 40 legal professionals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• General Corporate Legal Services Legal advisory on corporate governance, commercial transactions, and business operations for Philippine private enterprises and foreign investors.
• Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) Legal counsel for share and asset acquisitions, mergers, capital restructuring, and corporate rehabilitation for Philippine and cross-border M&A transactions.
• Projects and Infrastructure (PPP) Legal representation for major Philippine infrastructure projects including Public-Private Partnerships (PPP), flagship infrastructure developments such as Clark International Airport, North South Commuter Railway, Makati Skytrain, and UP-PGH Cancer Center.
• Banking and Finance Legal advisory on multi-jurisdictional corporate and debt restructuring, loan agreements, and project financing matters for Philippine and cross-border banking clients.
• Real Estate and Construction Legal advisory on real estate transactions and construction projects, including FIDIC contract template preparation for development and infrastructure projects in the Philippines.
• Technology, Media, and Telecommunications (TMT) Legal services for media, gaming, software, and mobile application sectors including smart city development and technology transactions.
• Antitrust and Competition Compliance advisory on the Philippine Competition Act with training from US, Japan, Singapore, and EU jurisdictions.
• Intellectual Property IP protection and licensing services including inventions, copyrightable works, software industry IP, and proprietary information.
• Litigation and Dispute Resolution Domestic and international arbitration, commercial tax civil and criminal litigation before Philippine courts and government agencies.
• International Arbitration International arbitrations under UNCITRAL Rules and investor-State arbitrations (contract-based and treaty-based).
• Data Privacy Compliance advisory under the Data Privacy Act including privacy impact assessment, security breach reporting, and data privacy training.
• Government Contracts Legal advisory on procurement, disposal of assets, lease, and government dealings with compliance to regulatory bodies including Commission on Audit, DBM, and GPPB.
• Energy Legal counsel for power generation investments, EPC contracts, O&M contracts, and renewable energy development.
• Aviation Legal advisory on airport PPPs, EPC and O&M contract structuring, and Philippine aviation industry operations.
• Labour and Employment Human resource management legal advice and labour dispute representation.
• Tax Tax structure optimization with local tax proficiency and tax policy development advisory.
• Immigration Philippine and US immigration services (US in collaboration with affiliate Gulapa & Baclay LLP).
• ASEAN Trade Southeast Asian trade law advisory covering tariffs, rules of origin, import-export rules, and trade law.
• Doing Business in New York US business advisory through affiliate Gulapa & Baclay LLP for Philippine and ASEAN investments into New York and the United States.

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully represented both private bidders and Philippine Republic in major infrastructure projects including Clark International Airport, North South Commuter Railway, and multiple PPP projects
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Gulapa & Baclay LLPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNew York affiliate established in 2017 as the first Philippine-based law firm to set up presence in NYC. Serves Philippine-based clients with US-related matters and assists US companies with investments and transactions in the Philippines and ASEAN region.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Morales & Marco (MMLA): Philippine mid-sized full-service law firm active in corporate, M&A, and projects. Comparable boutique-tier competitor for mid-market Philippine mandates and cross-border matters.
• Puno & Puno Law Offices: Philippine full-service firm with strong banking, corporate, and infrastructure practices, including PPP work. Direct peer for Philippine enterprise and government-side mandates at similar boutique-to-mid-tier scale.
• SyCip Salazar Hernandez & Gatmaitan: Largest full-service Philippine law firm based in Manila with broad corporate, M&A, projects and infrastructure practice. Most direct Philippine competitor for major PPP and cross-border mandates; comparable in serving government and enterprise clients but at significantly larger scale.
• ACCRALAW (Angara Abello Concepcion Regala & Cruz): One of the largest Philippine full-service law firms with deep corporate, infrastructure, energy, and dispute resolution practices. Direct peer competing for the same marquee PPP and enterprise clients.
• Villaraza & Angangco (V&A Law): Philippine full-service firm with prominent corporate, M&A, TMT, and dispute resolution practices. Direct peer competing for Philippine enterprise mandates and frequently appearing in the same Chambers and Legal 500 rankings.
• Romulo Mabanta Buenaventura Sayoc & De Los Angeles: Established Philippine full-service law firm with strong corporate, M&A, banking, and dispute resolution practices. Direct competitor for Philippine enterprise and infrastructure mandates with comparable international orientation.
• Quisumbing Torres: Member firm of Baker McKenzie International in the Philippines, providing full-service legal advice including corporate/M&A, banking and finance, TMT, and competition. Direct peer for multinational and cross-border mandates entering the Philippine market.

Regional players

• ZICO Law: ASEAN-focused legal network with member firms across Southeast Asia including Vietnam and the Philippines. Regional peer for cross-border ASEAN mandates that overlap with Gulapa's PH-Vietnam footprint.

Broad incumbents

• Mayer Brown: Global law firm with established Asia projects, energy, and infrastructure practice and growing Southeast Asia presence. Broader incumbent competing for the same large-scale PPP and project finance mandates.
• Baker McKenzie: Global Magic Circle firm with deep presence across Asia including the Philippines (via Quisumbing Torres member firm) and major US and Vietnam offices. Larger, established competitor for the largest cross-border and PPP mandates Gulapa also targets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gulapa-law-office

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Gulapa Law