Vietnam > Banking and finance > Law firm and leading lawyer rankings

Allen & Overy LLP 'scores very highly, with a good mix of technical ability and fast response times - clients are able to maintain good working relationships with the team'. Duc Tran is 'very knowledgeable, accessible and proactive at finding solutions'. Tran and senior associate Quy Nguyen advised Credit Suisse on a $100m loan to NovaLand, and the duo, together with associate Sophie Small, also assisted Deutsche Bank with a $100m unsecured loan to VPBank Finance Company, one of Vietnam's leading consumer lenders. Adam Moncrieff is involved in general banking and project finance work; he advised lenders including Crédit Agricole on a restructuring of the finance facilities for the Cai Mep International Terminal port project in Vung Tau province. In the project finance space, the team also advised a consortium of lenders led by Citibank and also including Export-Import Bank of Korea (K-exim) and Korea Trade Insurance Corporation (K-sure) on the 1.2GW Song Hau 1 coal-fired power project; Moncrieff and Tran led the Vietnam team as part of the firm's overall mandate. Another associate to note is Thuy Huynh, who is 'steady and technically able'. Other areas of expertise include asset finance, syndicated facilities, and dong-denominated loans.

Allens is a popular choice for project finance work. Chung Le in Hanoi is advising the project company on the financing elements of the Nghi Son oil refinery project. Bill Magennis also assists the sponsors and project company with the development of the 1.2GW Vung Ang II coal-fired power project. In Ho Chi Minh City, Robert Fish advised the International Finance Corporation (IFC) on the restructuring of a €4m loan to Bel Ga Vietnam for the expansion of its chicken farms following the borrower's own internal restructuring - in a similar deal, he also advised the IFC on a $6.5m loan to Bel Ga's Myanmar operation. Banking sector M&A deals include Fish, alongside senior associates Mai Loan Nguyen and Ha Nguyen, assisting Commonwealth Bank of Australia with the sale of its Vietnamese operations to Vietnam International Bank. Other clients include the Asian Development Bank.

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer provides 'a very good overall level of service'. Tony Foster in Hanoi is, for some, 'the most experienced and knowledgeable foreign lawyer in Vietnam' - he and Tien Bui, who was recently promoted to counsel and is now heading the firm's Ho Chi Minh City office, as well as recently promoted senior associate Phong Nguyen in Ho Chi Minh City, are handling significant project finance deals for various development banks. On the banking M&A side, Foster, senior associate Ha An and 'very hardworking and thorough' associate Eric Johnson, who was a new hire from Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP's Hong Kong office, advised HSBC on selling its stake in Techcombank. Investments in Vietnamese banks and asset finance are other areas of expertise. Don Stokes, who continues to be involved in Vietnam-related work such as advising a group of lenders on a facility provided to PRASAC Microfinance Institution, is now primarily based in Singapore.

VILAF is a key name for handling the local law elements of major financing projects in Vietnam. Firm chairwoman Vo Ha Duyen, who is based in Ho Chi Minh City, continues to advise the Japan Bank of International Cooperation on the Vietnamese elements of its role as arranger of the financing of the $2.5bn, 1.2GW, Vung Ang 2 coal-fired power project. Duyen, who also handles banking M&A, assisted ANZ with its exit from the Vietnamese retail banking market by selling its business in the country to Shinhan Bank. Other highlights in the banking M&A space include Hanoi-based Nguyen Quang Hung advising Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank on purchasing a 49% stake in BIDV Finance Company for around $50m; Dang Duong Anh, who is also based in Hanoi, handled Shinsei Bank's purchase of 49% of MCredit from Military Bank. Hung also advised Standard Chartered on providing an $80m revolving credit facility to Vietnam Enterprise Investments, which was secured over the assets of the borrower and two affiliated Vietnamese-listed companies - among the first non-Vietnamese loans secured by Vietnamese-listed shares; he also advised on the financing for the construction of a new instant coffee plant. Other work includes Duyen acting for Goshawk on financing several Airbus A321 aircraft used by VietJet. Keppel Land and Bank of China are other clients. Counsel Vu Le Trung is another name to note.

YKVN's banking and finance practice is largely centered around the Vietnamese law elements of significant financing projects. Truong Nhat Quang and Vu Dzung, together with Shearman & Sterling's Hong Kong team, are advising China Development Bank among other lenders on the Vietnamese law elements of financing the 1.98GW Vinh Tan 3 power project. Quang, Eli Mazur (who is qualified in North Carolina) and senior associates Nguyen Van Hai (a new recruit from Mayer Brown JSM) and Pham Thi Hai Ly are advising the lenders on financing the 1.2GW Nam Dinh 1 project. The aforementioned lawyers are based in Ho Chi Minh City. Work for local clients includes Hanoi-based Duong Thu Ha advising Vietcombank on financing a new international terminal at Cam Ranh airport 30km away from Nha Trang. Vu Dieu Huyen in Hanoi is a counsel of note.

Baker McKenzie's team is 'very responsive and has a high degree of business and legal knowledge'. Oanh Nguyen in Ho Chi Minh City is 'very knowledgeable and responsive, and navigates the complexities experienced by foreign companies doing business in Vietnam well'; she advised a bank on financing an Airbus A321 for Asia-Pacific Aviation Leasing Group intended for use by VietJet Air and, as Vietnamese legal counsel, advised another aircraft leasing company on purchasing and leasing two A321s to the same carrier, which involved registering the ownership of the aircraft and security issues. The firm also handles project finance deals and corporate lending. Other clients include various international banks as well as some borrowers.

At Frasers Law Company, Mark Fraser and Nguyen Thi Lang handle the financing elements of agenda-setting projects, as well as finance work concerning gigawatt-plus conventional power stations. Fraser and senior associate Vo Mai Uyen Thi advised Risen Energy on the $10m financing of a 50MW solar farm in Phong Dien province. Other work includes M&A deals in the banking sector (in which Justin Gisz also has expertise), fintech, cross-border loans, banking regulation matters, and lending disputes. FamilyMart is a client, as are a number of banks from the anglophone Commonwealth and the US. All named lawyers are located primarily in Ho Chi Minh City.

Mayer Brown handles work ranging from project and real estate finance through to advice to development finance institutions. Hoang Anh Nguyen - working alongside the firm's Hong Kong office - advised Vinfast, a new car manufacturer wholly owned by Vingroup, on borrowing $150m from Credit Suisse. David Harrison and Orsolya Szotyory-Grove advised Standard Chartered on selling its 15% stake in Asia Commercial Bank. Harrison and senior associate Huong Thi Nguyen also assisted Novaland with borrowing $30m to finance a residential development in Ho Chi Minh City. Russian development institution International Investment Bank is another key client - Harrison and Szotyory-Grove advised it on lending €30m to the Development Bank of Mongolia. Deutsche Investitions- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft also instructs the team.

EPLegal Limited in Ho Chi Minh City has a particular strength in work concerning hard assets, such as asset finance and oil and gas industry matters. Tony Nguyen advised VietJet Air on aircraft leasing concerning over thirty of its fleet. Cathay United Bank also instructs the team.

At Lexcomm Vietnam LLC, Pham Ba Linh advised the mandated lead arrangers of a $300m multi-tranche syndicated loan, and assisted VP Bank Finance Company with a $50m senior secured loan on APLMA terms. Distressed debt and private placements are other areas of expertise. Transactional work in the banking sector includes Linh and Nguyen Viet Ha advising Daiwa Securities on its purchase of a further 5% stake in Saigon Securities. Named individuals are based in Ho Chi Minh City.

Rajah & Tann LCT Lawyers has a track record advising borrowers, as well has handling bank-side work. Nguyen Dinh Nha and Vu Thi Que are key contacts at partner level, with Samuel Peirce a key foreign counsel. Hoang Thi Thanh Thuy has vessel finance expertise, with Tran Duc Son and Tran Chi Anh leading fintech work.

Vision & Associates handles a range of banking matters, with a particular focus on local law issues. In addition to handling a range of mandates concerning corporate lending, Luu Tien Ngoc advised ANZ Bank on localising its purchase orders for Vietnam. Nguyen Thi Thanh Xuan assisted Doha Bank with opening a representative office in Vietnam. Commodity finance is another area of expertise. Other clients include BIDV and Rabobank. Named attorneys are based in Hanoi.

At ZICOlaw (Vietnam) ltd, Phuong Nguyen advises a number of Malaysian, Singaporean and Chinese banks on their lending activity in Vietnam and has a particular strength in real estate finance. Senior associate Elaine Chew  is also a key contact. Named lawyers are based in Hanoi.

ATS Law Firm handles a range of work concerning domestic and regional lending, primarily for Vietnamese banks and borrowers. Vu Thi Thu Ha and managing partner Tran Gia The lead on key mandates.

DFDL Legal & Tax's Jérôme Buzenet in Ho Chi Minh City advised Impact Investment Exchange - an impact fund - on the provision of a loan to a Vietnamese entity, which necessitated the registration of the loan with the State Bank of Vietnam. He and Hanoi-based Hoang Phong Anh advised Payoneer on various fintech matters. Asset finance, derivatives, and bancassurance are other areas of expertise.

LNT & Partners has a track record advising on project finance, asset finance and banking M&A. Net Le, who is based in Ho Chi Minh City, is a key contact.

Russin & Vecchi, LLC has a particular strength in financial services regulatory matters. Mai Thi Minh Hang in Hanoi has expertise in derivatives matters, advising clients including UBS, Morgan Stanley and Sumitomo Mitsui in the sector. Nguyen Huu Minh Nhut in Ho Chi Minh City is also a name of note.

At Tilleke & Gibbins, registered foreign attorney Waewpen Piemwichai in Hanoi has fintech expertise, while in Ho Chi Minh City, Vinh Quoc Nguyen's practice includes corporate finance deals.