Frasers Law Company’s corporate and M&A department has ‘in-depth local market knowledge in Vietnam’, which places it in good stead to advise both international and local corporations on public and private equity matters, M&A transactions, restructurings, merger control mandates and joint ventures. The team is jointly led by founding partner Mark Fraser and Justin Gisz, who is praised for his ‘technical excellence’. Senior associate Ho Thuy Ngoc Tram is also a key contact and an active member of the team.

Commended for its ‘impressive knowledge of the local laws and regulations’, VILAF is highly adept at handling large and complex cross-border M&A transactions, as well as joint ventures and demergers. Hanoi-based partner Anh Dang, whose practice focuses primarily on the energy sector, jointly leads the team alongside Duyen Vo, who is based in the firm’s Ho Chi Minh City office and is well-equipped to handle transactions in the infrastructure and financial services arenas. Phong Tran and Anh Bui are also key contacts in the practice.

At YKVN, the team has a wide ranging breath of expertise, covering private and public M&A transactions based in Vietnam and with cross-border elements, privatisation, private equity transactions, disposals, corporate restructurings, joint ventures, and takeovers. Managing partner and ‘leader in the Vietnamese market’ Truong Nhat Quang heads up the team and alongside his M&A expertise, his practice is also bolstered by his skills in banking and capital markets. Senior partner K.Minh Dang heads the arbitration practice and has extensive experience advising international companies and funds investing into the Vietnamese market. Diep Hoai Nam leads the firm’s Hanoi office and is a specialist in corporate M&A and restructuring mandates. Vu Dzung and Duong Thu Ha are also key figures in the team.

DFDL Legal & Tax acts for clients across the telecoms, finance services, real estate, manufacturing, energy, mining, infrastructure and retail industries on public and private M&A transactions. The team’s workload also includes joint ventures, investments, and private equity transactions. Due to its strong presences across Southeast Asia, including in Vietnam, its client roster includes Chinese, Japanese and Indian investors. Managing director Jérôme Buzenet chairs the practice and advises on M&A, private equity and investment formation and restructuring mandates, while deputy managing director Hanh Tran and head of the firm’s Ho Chi Minh City office is also a key contact, as is head of the Hanoi office Thang Huynh.

Duane Morris & Selvam LLP’s corporate and M&A department handles mandates in the energy, infrastructure and financial sectors. It is well-known for assisting clients in becoming established in the Vietnamese market by obtaining licenses, handling joint venture agreements and restructuring mandates, and supporting them on M&A transactions. Chairwoman and ‘leading legal expert’ Nguyen Thi Lang heads the team from Ho Chi Minh alongside Oliver Massmann, who is based in Hanoi. Nguyen’s client roster includes multinational, foreign and local companies, with a strong focus on M&A and inward investment, as well as commercial mandates. Massmann is a financial accountant and auditor, and skilfully works on general commercial matters, while special counsel Minh Duc Hoang is another key contact in the team. Pham Bach Duong left to Hogan Lovells International LLP in February 2022.

The corporate team at Mayer Brown supports clients on both cross-border and domestic transactional and regulatory matters, and this offering is strengthened by the team’s utilisation of the firm’s global network of offices. The group is chaired by New York-qualified partner David Harrison who divides his time between the firm’s Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City offices. Harrison’s major strength lies in his cross-border expertise, which is further bolstered by his fluency in Vietnamese, French, English, and Spanish. Senior associate and New-York qualified Orsolya Szotryory-Grove is another key contact, as is counsel Hai Thao Nguyen, who has experience in the insurance and real estate industries.

Rajah & Tann LCT Lawyers has a strong regional network which strengthens the team’s M&A offering. Vu Thi Que heads the department and is fluent in Mandarin, thus bolstering her practice which often involves acting for Chinese and Taiwanese investors, with demonstrable experience in the energy and real estate sectors. Trinh Minh Duc and Nguyen Dinh Nha are key contacts in the team, as is Logan Leung, who was promoted to deputy managing partner in June 2022.

Tilleke & Gibbins’ corporate and commercial team has experience advising foreign clients  on setting up and running their businesses in Vietnam. This offering includes support with market entry advice, corporate formation and licensing matters, as well as M&A transactions and joint ventures. It is also praised for its ‘strong sector focus on life sciences and healthcare’. Additionally, due to the firm’s regional focus on Southeast Asia, firms without a presence in Vietnam often partner with the team. Managing director of the firm’s Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City offices Thomas Treutler, ‘who knows the nitty gritty of the corporate and M&A market in Vietnam’, heads the practice alongside Vinh Quoc Nguyen. Kien Trung Trinh is another key member of the team, with experience in the life sciences and labour arenas.

ACSV Legal’s client roster includes companies across Southeast Asia that are looking to expand their businesses, in addition to international and local businesses who seek assistance with corporate and commercial transactions. The group advises clients on private equity transactions and restructuring mandates, as well as business-related operation matters. Founder and managing partner Mark Oakley leads the team and focuses on foreign direct investment into Southeast Asia. Special counsel Elaine Chew is praised by clients as an ‘exceptionally solution-oriented lawyer’, and special counsel Hieu Pham handles cross-border M&A transactions and joint ventures.

Hogan Lovells International LLP advises foreign companies on their inward investments into Vietnam, as well as M&A and private equity transactions and ongoing operations. The practice is well-placed to leverage the firm’s strong and well-established Southeast Asian network. Samantha Campbell and Gaston Fernandez jointly lead the team from Singapore and Ho Chi Minh City respectively. Fernandez has been in Vietnam since December 2021, previously located in the firm’s Miami office. His fluency in English, Spanish and Mandarin places him in good stead to advise on cross-border mandates. Counsel Ngoc Nguyen recently rejoined the team in January 2022.

Lexcomm Vietnam LLC’s corporate and M&A team is adept at advising international clients on acquiring Vietnamese targets. The group’s offering also extends to joint ventures and corporate formation and reorganisation. Its client roster includes sellers, buyers financial investors and fund managers. Energy and infrastructure are areas of strength for Nguyen Viet Ha, who jointly leads the team alongside Luong Van Trung, who advises on the transactional and contentious side of M&A mandates.

LNT & Partners’ corporate department is well-equipped to handle M&A transactions and merger clearances, joint ventures and foreign direct investments. The team acts for an impressive roster of clients in the pharmaceutical sector, with other industry focuses including education, manufacturing, energy and construction. Co-founder of the firm and head of the practice Quyen Hoang has a wide-ranging client base, including insurance companies, developers, and hotel chains, while Net Le, who is also a co-founder of the firm, is key contact in the team, alongside Hong Bui, Minh Vu, and Tuan Nguyen.

Allen & Gledhill (Vietnam) was established in October 2020 as part of the firm’s wider initiative to expand into Southeast Asia. The M&A team are especially strong in handling transactions regarding energy projects, in addition to advising clients on joint ventures, reorganisations and investments. Managing partner Hsiu-Hau Oh leads the team, and Tran Thi Phuong Thao and Phan Vinh Nhan are also notable names.

Based in Ho Chi Minh City, boutique corporate firm Dilinh Legal has experience across the manufacturing, life sciences and technology sectors. Founding partner Diep Hoang and Michael Lee co-lead the team; Diep has a strong practice supporting Taiwanese investors on establishing their presence in the Vietnamese market, and Lee is also active on many of the team’s transactions. Associate Trang Nguyen is another key contact with a ‘broad and deep understanding of Vietnam’s enterprise laws’.

DL & Partners’ corporate and M&A team supports multinational corporations and state-owned companies on their investment mandates and regulatory issues. Tran Viet Dung leads the practice and focuses on M&A transactions, and Dung Le is another key contact in the group. Both lawyers are based in the firm’s Ho Chi Minh City office.

Boutique corporate firm DNA Vietnam LLC is based in Hanoi and was established in 2020 by Dang Thanh Son and Dang Chi Lieu, who both have previous experience in large law firms, as well as Vietnamese conglomerates. The team undertakes a broad spectrum of work relating to M&A transactions, including regulatory issues. It also handles foreign investment and the daily operations of running a business. Additionally, its membership of the global network Alliott Global Alliance bolsters the group’s cross-border capabilities.

At KPMG Law in Vietnam, the team advises clients from the real estate and construction industries on a range of mandates, including reorganisations, licensing and commercial agreements, and regulatory approvals. TMT is also a strong focus for the group, and growing areas of interest include education, health and logistics. Due to the team’s proficiency in Mandarin, it has a strong client base from China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Richard Stapley-Oh, who qualified in Australia, leads the firm’s Vietnam and Cambodia offices. Ngoc Thi Thanh Bui, Binh Duy Tran and Han Huynh Ngoc Pham are also key contacts in the team.

MHM Vietnam HCMC Office has been active in Vietnam since 2004 when its first office opened in Ho Chi Minh City, and in 2021, the firm opened its first office in Hanoi to extend its network. Its sector expertise includes energy, real estate, logistic, manufacturing and TMT, and the group’s client base covers Japanese companies, as well as domestic and international property developers and investors. Takuya Eguchi chairs the practice with a strong focus on cross-border M&A, joint ventures and regulatory compliance. Nguyen Ngoc Phuc has been based in the Ho Chi Minh office since joining the team from ZICO Law in February 2022.