Gatmaytan Yap Patacsil Gutierrez & Protacio, formerly known as Caguioa & Gatmaytan (C&G), welcomed Aris L. Gulapa as a partner in the firm, effective October 17, 2011.

Aris specializes in corporate and commercial transactions, particularly banking and structured finance, real estate transactions, project finance, and investments.  He also has substantial experience in trade regulation (particularly ASEAN trade law), competition law (he assisted Harry First, the former Chief of the Antitrust Bureau of the Office of the Attorney General of New York, in analyzing global trends in antitrust law enforcement), and licensing, distributorship, and other intellectual property concerns.  He has advised and assisted leading banks and financial institutions, multinational corporations and other clients in the course of his diverse practice in Manila, Singapore, Vietnam, and Tokyo.

Aris obtained his degree in Legal Management (Honorable Mention) from Ateneo de Manila University in 1999. He graduated with honors from its College of Law in 2003, ranking fifth in his class.  He was admitted to the Philippine Bar in 2004.  Aris obtained his Masters of Law (LL.M.) in Trade Regulation in 2011 at New York University, where he was a recipient of the Arthur T. Vanderbilt scholarship.

Prior to joining Caguioa & Gatmaytan, Aris worked at SyCip Salazar Hernandez & Gatmaitan (December 2003 to June 2006); Kelvin Chia Partnership (Singapore and Vietnam offices, July 2006 to June 2008); and Anderson Mori & Tomotsune (Tokyo office, July 2008 to June 2010).

Aris has re-joined the faculty of Ateneo de Manila University College of Law, where he will teach trade regulation and other subjects.

Aris co-wrote the book “Indigenous Peoples and the Law: A Commentary on the Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act of 1997 (R.A. 8371)”, which CD Technologies Asia published in 2008.


C&G is pleased to announce the promotion of Erdelyne C. Go to senior associate, effective January 1, 2013.


In January 2013, Alfredo Benjamin S. Caguioa was appointed by President Benigno Simeon C. Aquino III as Chief Presidential Legal Counsel and withdrew from C&G.  The firm changed its name from Caguioa & Gatmaytan to Gatmaytan Yap Patacsil Gutierrez & Protacio.