What is the current legal landscape for Sports Law in your jurisdiction?

Sports law in the Philippines is at its infancy. Not a lot of people in the Philippines know that it exists, much less consider it a viable field of practice. People are introduced to it only when a legal dispute breaks out in a highly charged match or if news outlets cover a scandal involving athletes. Sadly, there are a lot of stories where the popularity of a sport develops quickly or the career of an athlete rockets without the proper legal foundations to protect against risks and liabilities. Sadder even are the lack of protection of national athletes who sometimes face disciplinary sanctions and suspensions without the lack of due process. Whether this lack is based on pure ignorance or hubris is hard to say, but the truth is, the legal side of sports is often forgotten in the Philippines—to the detriment of the sport itself and the athletes. Hence, ILC Law has really made a conscious effort to push sports law into the mainstream through its practice, writing (via Partner Mickey Ingles’ sports law blog Batas Sportiva), and education (through the Sports Law Institute and Learning Center). Hopefully, sports law in the Philippines continues to develop hand-in-hand with the growth of the sports industry in the upcoming years.

What three essential pieces of advice would you give to clients involved in Sports Law matters?

Three essential pieces of advice:

1. Get good and reliable counsel: a good lawyer by your side is like having a good conscience. A strong relationship with a trusted lawyer is key to moving forward in the proper and “protected” way, whether in your career as an athlete or in your business.
2. Manage risks by having a strong legal foundation: we’ve seen sports businesses and relationships fail because the law was an after-thought rather than a key consideration. It is essential to build with legal, not despite it.
3. Don’t burn bridges: as the Philippine sports industry is relatively small, relationships matter. Your “adversary” today can be your ally tomorrow.

What are the greatest threats and opportunities in Sports Law in the next 12 months?

The opportunity and threat are the same: it’s how well the Philippines handles international events in the country. Does the country handle them well enough to cash in on banked goodwill in the future? Or does the usual plague of corruption and inefficiency turn away future opportunities for hosting events?

In 2023, we hosted the FIBA Basketball World Cup. In the second half of 2025, the country played host to the FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship and the inaugural International Series Philippines for golf. The Philippines will also host the inaugural FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup. The opportunity for sports law in the Philippines with future international events held in the country is creating a more robust framework or playbook that will not only protect commercial interests in these events but also streamline processes to ensure these events run as smoothly as possible with the least amount of bureaucracy and red tape. Government support will be essential, with the threat coming from too much government interference in the form of corruption and possible self-serving interests getting involved with future events.

How do you ensure high client satisfaction levels are maintained by your practice?

Providing sound legal advice is a minimum for ILC Law. As the only sports law firm in the Philippines, clients come to ILC Law because of our in-depth knowledge and expertise. However, it is the non-legal skills and intangibles which ensure high client satisfaction levels.

Prompt responsiveness is an often-underrated skill that we value highly in ILC Law. Quick turnaround in our responses ensure that our clients feel heard and seen, regardless of the complexity or simplicity of the issue or matter.

Given the volatility and political nature of most sports law issues in the Philippines, we always provide clients with non-legal and practical insights that help manage expectations for both timelines and results. Clients appreciate these non-legal insider views, as these cannot be provided by artificial intelligence or online search engines.

Finally, clients also value our network of contacts. As the Philippines leans favourably towards relationships, our clients welcome how ILC Law is able to provide creative and practical solutions based on relationship building.

What technological advancements are reshaping Sports Law and how can clients benefit from them?

Artificial intelligence is at the forefront. Clients have been using AI for their own legal work, either through contract drafting or research purposes. Of course, these come with certain pitfalls, such as the dearth of Philippine-focused AI legal tools. In the end, we always advise clients to have their AI-drafted contracts reviewed by an actual human lawyer.