Legal services in the Philippines
Legal and regulatory support for operating with confidence in the Philippines. Corporate, commercial and employment matters handled by experienced advisors.
Operating with confidence under Philippine law
Philippine law blends civil law codes with common law influences, overlaid with active regulators and courts that take procedure seriously. For a business, the practical consequences are concrete: contracts are enforced as written, employment is strongly protected, and transactions that skipped due diligence are expensive to unwind.
Labor law deserves particular respect. Employees enjoy security of tenure, termination requires both a lawful ground and due process, and disputes default to reinstatement with back wages when employers get it wrong. Getting contracts, policies and separations right the first time costs a fraction of defending them after.
Our legal team works alongside our incorporation, compliance and property practices, so advice lands with full knowledge of your structure and obligations rather than in isolation.
Legal support for the Philippine market
Practical advice and representation as you set up and operate, delivered by advisors who work with foreign and local businesses every day.
Corporate secretarial services
Board governance, resolutions, statutory registers and SEC-facing corporate housekeeping maintained to standard.
Contract drafting and review
Commercial contracts drafted and reviewed to protect your position under Philippine law, from supplier agreements to leases and service contracts.
Labor and employment law advisory
Hiring, contracts, policies, discipline and separation handled in line with the Labor Code, reducing dispute risk as your team grows.
Corporate and property due diligence
Counterparties, targets and properties investigated before you commit, with clear findings on ownership, liabilities and red flags.
Litigation support
When disputes arise, we support your case strategy, documentation and coordination with counsel through to resolution.
How an engagement runs
Scoped clearly, delivered predictably.
Scoping consultation
We understand the matter, the commercial context and the outcome you need, and confirm scope and fees before work starts.
Document and fact review
Contracts, records and correspondence reviewed so advice rests on the actual position, not assumptions.
Advice and drafting
Clear recommendations and documents drafted to be enforced under Philippine law, written in plain language.
Implementation support
We support signing, filing, negotiation or the dispute process through to the result.
Why work with ILA
Business-first advice
Recommendations framed around your commercial goals, not just legal theory.
Local depth, regional reach
Philippine expertise coordinated with our Indonesia and Hong Kong practices for cross-border matters.
One ongoing partner
The same team supports your contracts, compliance and disputes as your business grows.
Common questions about legal support
Generally yes, provided they are validly executed and not contrary to Philippine law or public policy. Choice of foreign law and arbitration clauses are commonly used and respected, though enforcement mechanics matter, and we draft with enforcement in mind.
Probation may run up to six months, and the standards for passing it must be communicated to the employee at hiring. Miss that step and the employee may be deemed regular from day one, so we make sure contracts and evaluations are set up properly.
Yes. Rank-and-file employees who have worked at least one month in the year are entitled to 13th month pay, released not later than December 24. It is a statutory obligation, not a bonus.
Only with a recognized ground and due process: documented standards, notices and a genuine opportunity to be heard. Poorly handled dismissals routinely end in reinstatement and back wages, so the file is built before the decision, not after.
For companies: corporate records, ownership, liabilities, litigation, permits and tax standing. For property: title, encumbrances, tax status and ownership history at the Registry of Deeds. You receive findings and red flags in plain language before you commit.
Doing business in the Philippines?
Book a free consultation and we will help you get the legal foundations right.
