Championing Integrity: BPI Wealth Legal wins at the 2025 ALB Philippine Law Awards

BPI Wealth, the asset and wealth management arm of the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI), has once again earned distinction on the regional stage, with its legal team named Banking and Financial Services In-House Team of the Year at the 10th Annual Asian Legal Business (ALB) Philippine Law Awards. The recognition affirms BPI Wealth’s continued leadership in championing integrity, innovation, and sound governance across the financial services sector.

Organized by Thomson Reuters and Asian Legal Business, the ALB Philippine Law Awards celebrates the country’s most outstanding legal practitioners and corporate legal departments for their contributions to business and the profession. The win underscores the pivotal role of BPI Wealth Legal in advancing responsible finance and enabling the company’s mission to help Filipinos build a more secure financial future.

Atty. Christiane Alonzo-Velasco, Head of Legal and Operations at BPI Wealth, accepted the award on behalf of the team. In her remarks, she shared, “At BPI Wealth, we see our role not just as lawyers, but as partners in building a more inclusive and financially literate Philippines. We’re proud to help shape policies that strengthen trust in finance and influence how responsible growth takes root in our industry. This award honors that purpose, and the people behind it.”

BPI Wealth Legal was also recognized as a finalist in several major categories, including Innovative In-House Team of the Year and In-House Team of the Year. Atty. Alonzo-Velasco was individually shortlisted for both Woman Lawyer of the Year and In-House Counsel of the Year, while team member Atty. Kim Gia Gatapia was named a finalist for Young Lawyer of the Year—a testament to the team’s breadth of expertise, collaboration, and leadership in the field.

As the largest standalone trust corporation in the Philippines, BPI Wealth serves a diverse clientele of retail, institutional, and high-net-worth investors through a wide range of investment and wealth management solutions. BPI Wealth Legal plays a crucial role in ensuring that BPI Wealth’s operations, products, and governance practices meet the highest ethical and regulatory standards while supporting the organization’s growth and innovation agenda.

This latest recognition reflects BPI Wealth’s ongoing commitment to operational excellence and principled stewardship. Beyond ensuring compliance, BPI Wealth Legal continues to help shape policies and frameworks that uphold investor confidence and drive financial inclusion across the industry.

Through this achievement, BPI Wealth reinforces its position as a trusted partner in wealth management—one that not only delivers value to clients but also helps build a stronger, more transparent, and more financially empowered Philippines.