Mr Tony Nguyen > EPLegal Limited > Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam > Lawyer Profile

EPLegal Limited
311 I9 THU THIEM RESETTLEMENT HOUSING AREA
AN PHU WARD, THU DUC CITY
HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM
Vietnam

Work Department

Project & Energy
Construction 
Banking & Finance
Shipping & Aviation
Dispute Resolution (Arbitration & Litigation)

Position

Founder, Sr. Partner of EPLegal

Career

Tony is among the few top-tiered project & energy lawyers in Vietnam who are highly regarded by Chambers, Legal500, Asialaw Profiles and other international publications. He is dual-qualified and practices in both Vietnam and England and Wales as a senior partner of EPLegal.

Tony has spent nineteen years practicing in the projects and energy industry.  Prior to co-founding EPLegal in 2010, Tony worked in managerial and legal positions in leading oil & gas operators and contractors in Vietnam such as PTSC, Cuu Long JOC, and PVTrans. Tony has 2 decades of massive transactions experience through various development and financing projects related to drilling campaigns; oil and gas production operations; sales and purchasing and technical services contracts; chartering of vessels/FPSO/FSO; and EPC/EPIC contracts. He acts as leading counsel and works on both contentious and non-contentious matters in energy and infrastructure construction contracts and related dispute settlement, including hydropower plants, thermal power plants, refineries and solar energy installation projects, etc.

Tony is a counsel acting in litigation and ADR dispute cases in Europe, Asia and often represents clients in disputes in Vietnam International Arbitration Center (“VIAC”) and international institutions such as THAC, SIAC, ICC, LCIA, GATT, NUTS. He is the first mediator and Vietnamese fellow member certified by CIArb. In 2017, he was appointed by VIAC to be a member of the Scientific Advisory Council and actively participated in training, research and drafting of VIAC rules and sets of VIAC rules. In 2019, he became one of the arbitrators of VIAC and also be elected as the Chair of Committee of prospective CIArb Branch in Vietnam. In January 2020, he was appointed as Deputy Director of Vietnam Mediation Center (“VMC”). He is also the Managing Director and co-founder of Vietnam Institute for International Arbitration (“VIArb”), the first independent organisation of arbitration and ADR training institute in Vietnam

Languages

Vietnamese, English, basic Mandarin.

Memberships

  • Fellow and Arbitrator of Chartered Institute of Arbitration (CIArb)
  • Certified Contract Management Expert (IACCM)
  • Ho Chi Minh City Bar
  • Brussels Bar (B-List) of Belgium
  • Deputy Director, Vietnam Mediation Center (VMC)
  • President of Steering committee of prospective Chartered Institute of Arbitration branch Vietnam
  • Fellow of Chartered Institute of Arbitration (FCIArb)
  • Accredited Mediator, Chartered Institute for Arbitration in UK
  • Arbitrator, Member of Expert Advisory Board at VIAC
  • Fellow Arbitrator, International Dispute Resolution & Risk Management Institute (IDRRMI)
  • Board Member, Mediation & arbitration expert, Vantage 10
  • Vice President, International Court of Dispute Resolution Online (ICDRO)
  • Association for International Petroleum Negotiators (AIPN)
  • International Bar Association (IBA) – Energy Section;
  • Cofounder, CISG Vietnam Group
  • Law Association for Asia and the Pacific
  • Hong Kong Business Association Vietnam;
  • Legal committee of American Chamber of Commerce Vietnam (AMCHAM Vietnam)
  • Expert, International Association of Contract & Commercial Management (IACCM)

Education

  • Bachelor of International Law, Institute for International Relations (Hanoi)
  • Master of Law (International Trade Law Award), University of the West of England (UK)
  • Master of Business Administration (major in Finance), Solvay Brussels School of Economics & Management (Belgium)
  • Graduate Diplomat of Law (BPP University, UK)
  • Legal Practice Course (De Monfort University, UK)
  • Basic Petroleum Technology Training Course (VietnamPetroleum Manpower Training College)
  • Contract Management & Strategies (by MDT International – UK)
  • Maximo 6.2 Purchasing Training Certificate (by Baker Energy)
  • Negotiating skills (by Asian Institute of Technology)
  • Training courses in Quality Management and HSE

Leisure

Football, reading books

Lawyer Rankings

Vietnam > Shipping and aviation

EPLegal Limited has a strong shipping law practice that is highly capable of handling transactions, insurance cases, and disputes in the sector. Founder and senior partner Tony Nguyen, managing partner Annie Ngo, and Tuyen Nguyen, having joined the firm from a real estate development corporation in April 2023, jointly lead the 15-strong team, which advises clients in relation to the registration of vessels, shipping finance, and ship arrests, among other issues. Associate John Nguyen is regularly involved in the practice’s shipping-related cases and has experience in the registration of vessels and flagging out, the preparation of documents for ship arrest, vessel sales and purchase agreements, and damage disputes.

Vietnam > Dispute resolution: litigation

A firm which ‘stands out’ due to its ‘combination of national and international expertise’EPLegal Limited has been active representing insurance, shipping and energy companies in a range of cases. Team heads Tony Nguyen and Annie Ngo are able to bring considerable proficiencies in real estate, civil transaction and commercial issues to the fore on multifaceted cases involving land assessment and division disputes, contract obligations, and financial obligations. Tuyen Nguyen, who joined from a real estate development corporation in April 2023, has quickly immersed herself in practice matters and has taken the position as third team head.

Vietnam > Projects and energy

Oil and gas projects form the cornerstone of the practice at EPLegal Limited, with the firm positioned to act on the transaction, financing and regulatory pieces of projects. Joint team heads Tony Nguyen and Annie Ngo leverage previous oil and gas industry experience to advise clients on a range of issues, with the former possessing a strong litigation background and the latter a detailed regulatory understanding. Tuyen Nguyen joined the group from a real estate development company in April 2023, acting as the third team head and bolstering the group’s corporate and M&A offering.

Vietnam > Dispute resolution: arbitration

EPLegal Limited wields the capabilities to handle disputes involving multi-jurisdictional industry players in the energy and infrastructure sectors. Practice co-head Tony Nguyen leverages extensive market experience, including in in-house positions at oil & gas operators and contractors, to handle a range of energy and utilities arbitrations. Co-head Annie Ngo wields similar industry experience, specialising in handling disputes surrounding oil, gas and renewable energy projects. Tuyen Nguyen joined the practice as the third department head in April 2023 and bolsters the team’s offering through her expertise in construction-related issues.