Philippines-based VAL has merged with Inicio Law to broaden its spectrum of practice areas as the firm approaches its 10th anniversary in 2027.
With the merger complete, the firm will officially be known as Vasig Abarquez Ner Urgello Lim Law, though it will continue to operate under the VAL name.
With the addition of Inicio Law’s practices, VAL has expanded beyond its established strengths in litigation and dispute resolution, labour and employment, arbitration, matrimonial and family law, and property and estate matters to include corporate and commercial law, taxation, special projects, regulatory matters and business advisory services.
“This merger comes at an opportune time for us. As we approach our 10th year, it gives us an opportunity not merely to celebrate how far we have come, but to redefine what VAL can become in its next decade. This is not simply about becoming larger. It is about becoming more complete,” Ely Vasig, founding and managing partner of VAL, told Asia Business Law Journal.
The merger also increases the firm’s headcount as it now comprises around 30 lawyers and 22 non-legal professionals across five offices – Makati, Bonifacio Global City, Metro Manila, Cebu and Davao.
As part of the new structure, Vasig said Paolo Abarquez would become a founding partner, while Alexander Ner, Maria Pia Altea-Urgello, and Mary Aubbrey Leigh Lim would be name partners.
Abarquez will co-head the litigation and dispute resolution practice group, as well as lead the matrimonial and family, property and estate, and arbitration practices.
Ner will head the taxation practice group, drawing on his experience in tax advisory and controversy, customs matters, cross-border transactions, corporate restructuring and regulatory compliance.
Altea-Urgello and Lim will co-head the corporate law and special projects practice group, with the former possessing more than 25 years of experience in corporate and commercial law, M&A, banking and finance, energy, infrastructure, insurance, regulatory compliance, data privacy and employment.
Lim, who is also a certified public accountant, specialises in corporate and commercial law, M&A, banking and financial services, fintech, technology, foreign investment, restructuring, licensing and regulatory compliance.
“The track records of Inicio Law and VAL reflect the same commitment to excellence and the same resolve to place our clients’ needs front and centre. Our different backgrounds and experiences strengthen the combined firm because we are fundamentally aligned in our vision, culture and purpose,” Vasig said.
“The merger allows us to leverage each other’s core strengths while building a larger and more stable platform.”
With VAL’s 10th anniversary on the horizon, Vasig said the firm’s priority would be to set a roadmap for the next decade.
“As we approach 10 years, our focus is increasingly on what we want the next decade to look like … We want to build an institution whose reputation exceeds its headcount, known for excellent lawyers, strong judgement, deep expertise, close partner involvement and consistently high-quality work,” he said.
Continuing to look ahead, Vasig said it was important to combine the strengths of VAL and Inicio to build a full-service law firm with a strong presence and reputation in the Philippines.
“VAL and Inicio have spent their respective histories continuously trying to become better firms. By coming together, we now have the opportunity to pursue that ambition as one stronger and more complete institution,” he said.
“As we enter our 10th year, our goal is clear: to build VAL into one of the very best full-service law firms in the Philippines. From this point forward, there is no VAL on one side and Inicio on the other. There is only VAL.”
