Highly driven by his holistic pursuits, the managing partner of Gorriceta Africa Cauton & Saavedra now finds himself at the top with a full panorama of the landscape.
Mark Gorriceta is a natural planner. Once a week, he carves out a dedicated time slot for his family of five to go on a run, play a round of golf, or pedal in the city. Aside from this, he makes it a priority to be home during the leisure hours of evening—just in time for dinner—where he can listen to how the day went for his family, or what activities they are currently preoccupied with.
It’s easy to miss how Gorriceta so effortlessly meshes his family and personal life. In fact, we can say they have become one. “I have various interests and passions, so I try to share these with my family,” the marathoner, single-digit golfer, and triathlete shares. “This also opens doors for quality family time.”
Even when Gorriceta was growing up, he was a family-oriented person. His family members were entrepreneurs and served as role models, and they provided him with a sharp business acumen that he would benefit from years down the road as the managing partner of his firm. “In the fields of capital markets, mergers and acquisitions, and securities law in particular, it is critical to know the commercial underpinnings of companies to fully grasp the rationale behind the laws in place—something which I’m already familiar with,” he smiles.
All is flux
But technology and innovation law aren’t landscape paintings that you look at. Instead, they are rolling fields of grass and wildflowers. Always in flux, changing. For the average person, this would mean having to constantly keep up with the industry, albeit grueling. What the managing partner of Gorriceta Africa Cauton & Saavedra sees, however, is a thrilling and adventurous space where opportunities for pioneering legal work spring up.
The Philippines’ most highly-awarded firm in the field of technology and innovation law is led by dynamism. Among the many stellar lawyers, Gorriceta’s name is etched as the country’s leader. “I strive to be a leader with a growth mindset; I’m always looking for ways to improve my leadership skills and effectiveness,” he says. On the other hand, he also aims to equip the firm with the ability to adapt to changing market conditions by partnering with top training providers in the country.
On the record
Each of Gorriceta’s accolades validates his commitment to his craft, but when asked to share the award most meaningful to him, he refers to the prestigious Asia Business Law Journal recognizing him as one of the Top 100 Lawyers in the Philippines for three consecutive years—2020, 2021, and 2022. This annual A-list of the top lawyers is put together by thousands of in-house counsels, law firms, and financial institutions both locally and globally, and holds a special significance for the corporate tax lawyer as it acknowledges his expertise and hard work despite his relatively short career of under twenty years.
Collective focus
Outside his private practice and position in the firm, he actively engages with the business community and various industries by being a member of various associations such as the Management Association of the Philippines, Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines, Fintech Philippines Association, and Blockchain Council of the Philippines, among others. These associations provide an environment where he can collaborate with key industry leaders and facilitate stakeholder discussions, executive and expert training, and networking events that improve camaraderie within the industries they represent. Looking into the digital financial ecosystem in the Philippines, many innovative ideas have also emerged in this field in the past five years. These include virtual currencies, e-wallets, crowdfunding portals, trading exchanges, Web3 technology, and artificial intelligence.
“While it’s challenging to pick one particular innovation, our firm’s most impactful period was probably during the height of the pandemic,” Gorriceta tells us. “We helped businesses, even non-tech entities, pivot to digital business segments to ensure their survival.” Additionally, their firm assisted fintech companies in obtaining regulatory licenses from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, which enabled Filipinos to carry out financial transactions despite mobility restrictions. “Ultimately, as tech lawyers, the digitization of the Philippine economy is our contribution to our country and fellow countrymen during this period of difficulty,” says Gorriceta.
