THE FIRM
In 2015, a group of young lawyers, fresh out of their roles in government and private practice, made a bold choice — they decided to step away from secure paths and shared a single desk in a small Makati office. It was a modest start, and they faced immediate challenges. There were moments when they wondered whether they should have heeded the wisdom of more seasoned lawyers to wait and gain more experience before venturing out on their own. But the Partners were determined to carve their own path.
As the months passed, the Firm found its momentum and quickly began to grow. In 2017, it was clear that they were ready to take another leap; by 2018, the team relocated to Ortigas to better accommodate the expanding needs of their respective practice areas.
This move was a pivotal moment for the Firm. It was in the Ortigas office that they hired their first two associates, laying the foundation for the Firm’s Legal Team, and expanded their existing Non-Legal Team. With a stronger manpower complement in place, the Firm embraced the opportunity to diversify their expertise, leading to a broadening of its client base.
It was also during this time that the Firm solidified its objective—to go beyond traditional legal services, approaching practice from a more entrepreneurial standpoint focused on cultivating partnerships and building genuine relationships with clients. Their goal of growing with their partners led them to pace their own growth, careful that each client received the care and attention that they deserved.
However, 2020 brought unforeseen challenges. As the global pandemic disrupted daily life, the Firm faced an unprecedented situation. The lawyers in charge of litigation—then the Firm’s core competency—grappled with the suspension of all legal proceedings and the indefinite closure of courts; while the lawyers in charge of corporation law and its allied practices found themselves guiding their clients through the daunting task of keeping their businesses afloat in a regulatory environment that was changing daily.
Amid the uncertainty, the Firm took another bold step: rather than standing still and prudently maintaining their existing staff, the Partners chose to expand their team. This decision was driven by their commitment to support the urgent needs of existing clients in crisis, while at the same time, ensuring they had enough manpower to serve litigation clients once the courts resumed.
The choice was not without its risks. The economic uncertainty cast doubt on whether their existing relationships would hold firm. However, they reasoned that if their mission was to grow with their clients, they could not shy away when their support was needed the most.
The Partners also recognized that the legal landscape was changing in ways that no one could have predicted. This presented another opportunity to adapt and develop new ways that could help current and future clients navigate the “new normal”.
Ultimately, the risk paid off and the Firm maintained their long-standing relationships and forged new ones.
Today, UCV stands as a team of 30 – a long way from a single desk in Makati. But the Firm remains anchored in the same values that carried them through every challenge – a brave commitment to growth, an unwavering entrepreneurial spirit willing to innovate when necessary, and the belief that if you take care of your relationships, then the relationships will take care of you.
PRACTICE AREAS
The Firm began its practice in Litigation and built a strong reputation particularly in Criminal Defense.
They have since grown to a full-service firm expanding its core practice areas to include Corporate Law, Immigration Law, Labor Standards, Labor Relations, Intellectual Property, Financial Technology, Competition Law, Real Estate, Taxation, Insurance Law, Banking, and Legislative Advocacy and Corporate Communications.