Russell Meiselman | Your business journey will reach new heights

Our Firm is dedicated not only to the practice of law, but also to the promotion of social consciousness and responsibility. We believe that it is our duty to engage in programs that address pressing social issues and concerns, such as poverty, illiteracy, lack of awareness of one’s rights, and environmental problems.

To mark the meaningful start of our 20th anniversary celebration, the Firm returned to a purpose that had been clear from the beginning: to use the law not only to serve clients, but also to make a difference in the lives of others.

We conducted a legal and community mission to serve the Ayta community situated in Sitio Target, Angeles, Pampanga. In partnership with Fresh Hope for Families, CCT Paglingap Foundation, Inc., through Visions of Hope, the Wholistic Transformation Resource Center (WTRC), and the Ateneo Human Rights Center, our legal and non-legal staff united to provide free legal workshops and consultations, a medical and dental services, and a children’s daycare program. Through the generous support and donations from clients and friends, we likewise built a school kitchen laboratory and installed solar streetlamps as legacy gifts for Sitio Target Integrated School and the Ayta community.

Guided by the theme “Kaanib sa Misyon,” we commemorate two decades of being a steadfast ally to our clients, colleagues, and more importantly, the broader community. The mission was not simply a way to mark twenty years; it reflected a commitment to service that had long been part of GSE Law’s story.

“From the beginning of GSE Law, it was very clear that this was what we wanted to do,” says Founding Partner Atty. Raul Gerodias.

Having been in the practice of law for more than 35 years, Atty. Raul shares that one of his motivations for establishing his own firm was the opportunity to pursue other meaningful endeavors, including legal missions for underserved communities.

“For me, I want my law firm to be values-based, where there is always that desire to do better, to do more, and to serve beyond the confines of the law office or beyond serving our clients,” he explains.

“We want to make a difference in the lives of many people, especially the underprivileged, or ‘yung mga nasa laylayan.”

It is a conviction that has helped shape GSE Law’s identity through the years. While the Firm remains committed to providing its clients with excellent legal service, it also believes that the role of a lawyer cannot always begin and end with a case, a contract, or a legal opinion.

Sometimes, the practice of law means leaving the office, sitting across someone who may never have spoken with a lawyer before, and helping that person understand what the law means in everyday life.

“The desire to do this has always been there,” Atty. Raul says. For him, such work is also a way of paying forward the blessings the Firm has received.

“I think this is something that every lawyer, every law firm should try to do, to pay it forward,” he adds. “GSE has been so blessed, so it is only right that we share those blessings. We are very grateful for the opportunity to do so.”

For one of the Firm’s long-time partners in serving the underprivileged, Atty. Weena Mendoza, former Executive Director of WTRC, the preparation itself was one of the highlights of the mission.

“There were many revelations,” she shares. “I’ve done this many times, but it’s not very often that you have the stars fall into place, where our passion for serving the poor is actually matched by people who want to support serving the poor.”

There was no prolonged debate over how much could be contributed or how many people could be accommodated. The Firm knew whom it wanted to serve and what it hoped to accomplish, she explains.

“They wanted to serve the indigenous peoples and address their legal issues,” Atty. Weena says. “All I needed to do was find the community, find the venue, put together the team, and make it happen.”

“Preparing it was such a joy.”

Each organization brought its own experience and strengths to the mission. Some had expertise in medical services. Others knew the community, understood the logistics on the ground, or had relationships with the school, churches, teachers, and local volunteers.

We mobilized our lawyers and non-legal staff to prepare the legal and daycare programs and support the mission’s many moving parts. Behind every consultation table, medical station, daycare activity, shared meal, and love gifts were weeks of careful planning and countless hands working quietly to bring the mission to life.

Yet the work came together because the people involved shared not only a common purpose, but also a common faith.

“I do not know how else to describe how everything simply came together,” Atty. Weena reflects. “It was not just an alignment between my passion and the passion of the people who wanted to share their gifts. There also had to be an alignment of faith, and I think that was what cemented the whole thing. That was the glue that kept everything together.”

“We all believe in the same Jesus Christ. We all believe in the command to serve the poor, feed the hungry, and house the homeless. And everything just came together.”

For Founding Partner Atty. Dimples Suchianco, serving the community called for the same commitment, discipline, and integrity that the Firm brings to its legal work.

“This mission was not meant to be something we do merely for the sake of holding an activity,” she shares. “Once we make the commitment to serve, we have a responsibility to do it properly and to give the community something that is thoughtful but also responsive to their needs.”

For her, this meant looking beyond what could be accomplished during the mission itself. It required careful preparation, respect for the community, and the willingness to follow through on what the Firm had set out to do.

“We could not simply arrive, give legal advice, and leave. We had to understand the people we were serving, work with our partner organizations who knew the community, and make sure that every part of the program had a clear purpose,” she adds.

“It is GSE’s genuine commitment that has guided all our legal missions through the years. What made Kaanib sa Misyon especially meaningful was the scope of what we were able to do and the number of people who came together to make it happen. We did not compromise on the quality of the work simply because it was being offered for free. The people we served deserved the same care, diligence, and respect that we give to every person who places their trust in GSE.”

During the mission, our lawyers conducted individual legal consultations and group workshops covering concerns relevant to the Ayta community, including their rights as indigenous peoples.

For people living far from law offices, courts, and government agencies, even a seemingly simple legal concern may be difficult to address. Where does one begin? Which office should receive a complaint? What documents are required? What protections does the law provide to indigenous communities?

Sometimes, the hardest part is simply finding someone who will listen.

Teacher Analyn Ablong, an IP Resource Teacher, expressed the community’s appreciation for the legal advice they received. “Napakalaking tulong po sa amin ang mga legal advice nila, lalo na tungkol sa mga karapatan namin bilang mga katutubo,” she shares.

The mission, however, did not treat the community’s needs as purely legal.

Alongside the consultations were medical and dental services, a daycare program for children, as well as love and legacy gifts for the school and community beneficiaries.

That wider approach mattered to us. Families do not arrive at community service missions as isolated legal questions or medical cases. Parents may bring their children because there is no one to leave them with. A person seeking legal advice may also need medical attention. Students also need safe, functional spaces in which to learn.

The mission tried to see not only the concern being raised, but the whole person raising it.

For Atty. Pia Co, the mission challenged her expectations about who would be doing the teaching.

“It was very enlightening because what I expected was that they would be the ones learning from me, but I actually learned a lot from them,” she recalls. She describes her conversations with members of the Ayta community as personal, insightful, and informative. She adds, “while I was able to help them, they were also able to impart knowledge to me.”

Kaanib sa Misyon also offered a timely pause, not from the practice of law, but an opportunity to rediscover its broader purpose.

Atty. Jade Oblianda shared that the mission served as a reminder of what the legal profession also stands for. “I’m grateful that I’m in a law firm that prioritizes these kinds of initiatives,” she shares. “The working culture right now can be pure hustle, but through initiatives like this, we are reminded of the purpose of our profession, which is to shed light on injustices and help people in far-flung areas understand the law.”

Meanwhile, Founding Partner (and currently the Firm’s Managing Partner) Atty. Toby Estrella found particular value in seeing the Firm’s younger lawyers and non-legal staff take part in the activity.

“One thing I truly value is that many of our new lawyers and non-legal staff were able to join us,” he says. “It’s good for them to experience that this is more than just a program; it is our passion.”

“GSE is not simply about legal work,” Atty. Toby emphasizes. “It’s about giving life, giving more to others. That, to me, is a real blessing.”

He also recognized the many people who made the mission possible. “We thank God, our partners, our clients, and all our stakeholders in this endeavor.”

The Firm’s clients and stakeholders may not have been physically present during the mission, but their trust has allowed GSE Law to grow, build its capabilities, and share its resources with others. In that sense, the blessings entrusted to the Firm travel farther.

“We have always believed that in giving, we also receive,” Atty. Toby reflects. “Nothing can truly measure the joy, goodness, and grace that we experience when we give of ourselves to others.”

We later returned to Sitio Target Integrated School to turn over a newly completed kitchen and laboratory facility, together with solar-powered streetlights for the school and the surrounding community.

The kitchen provides a more suitable space for food preparation for the school’s faculty and the students. The laboratory gives students an area for practical learning. The solar-powered streetlights help improve visibility and safety to the community after sunset.

We believe that while these may be practical contributions, their value is lasting as they will continue to serve students, teachers, and the Sitio Target community long after the Firm’s 20th anniversary celebration.

Kaanib sa Misyon later received the Gold Award for Community Impact and Civic Engagement from the American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines.

The recognition affirmed the shared efforts of the Firm, our partner organizations, volunteers, and school personnel. The award, however, was never the reason for the mission. Its greater value lies in the people served, the knowledge exchanged, the relationships formed, and the shared experience of bringing together different people and organizations for one purpose.

Kaanib sa Misyon reflects the kind of institution the Firm has always aspired to be: a steadfast ally to its clients, colleagues, and to the broader community.

For Atty. Raul, the legal and community mission carries forward a commitment present since the Firm’s inception: to practice law with purpose and to pay forward the blessings it has received.

For Atty. Dimples, the mission embodies the Firm’s commitment to serve with the same care, discipline, and integrity it brings to its legal work.

For Atty. Toby, it is a mission that the Firm must continue. “What do I aspire for?” he asks. “That we, in GSE, may continue this mission and continue to respond to the call to give and share.”

For the Firm’s younger lawyers and staff, the mission offered an immersive experience of service beyond the workplace.

And for the Sitio Target community, the hope is that we came not simply as visitors, but as partners and allies.

Indeed, our twentieth anniversary is not only a celebration of the Firm’s achievements, but also a reminder of our continuing responsibility to serve others.

Our mission continues: to remain an ally, to be men and women for and with others, and to use the law for the coming years not only to build a successful practice, but also to help build communities marked by dignity, justice, and hope. ■ Ben Enciso