VILAF > Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam > Firm Profile

VILAF > The Legal 500 Rankings

Vietnam > Banking and finance Tier 1

With extensive experience in cross-border transactions, VILAF regularly advises high-profile clients across a wide range of industries, including financial institutions, aviation, construction, and renewable energy. The team is led by Hung Nguyen and Duyen Vo, who are located in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City respectively and handle a diverse array of complexly structured syndicated financing arrangements. As an expert in the field, partner Phong Tran is highly sought after to advise on infrastructure project financings. Partner Trung Vu and associate Tung Nguyen  also come highly recommended.

Vietnam > Capital markets Tier 1

Handling a high volume of international capital markets mandates, VILAF has demonstrated stellar activity overseeing IPOs in the real estate sector, as well as benefitting from Vietnam’s healthy start-up environment, to which the firm has been a key adviser. Furthermore, leading work regarding green bonds alongside continued excellence in the debt financing space showcases the firm’s wide engagement in this space. Duyen Ha Vo and Hung Nguyen co-head the group, with both individuals possessing a strong international practice that concentrates on the various issues surrounding IPOs. Phong Tran is revered for his banking and financing work in the energy and aviation sectors, and has been active working with multinational investment banks and financial services corporations on a wide array of mandates.

Vietnam > Corporate and M&A Tier 1

VILAF exhibits a strong corporate offering, acting across a wide array of sectors on multi-billion dollar deals from both the buyer and seller side, landmark joint venture partnerships, and restructurings in the wake of investments from both regional and international capitalists. Over the past twelve months the firm has been able to add a stellar list of clients to an already impressive portfolio, including Vietnamese Pharmaceutical giants, leading continental energy players, and multinational private equity firms. Team head Duyen Vo Ha is singled out for her work regarding financial services and energy clients, with recent matter highlights including vast cross-border acquisitions and mergers. The similar skill set of fellow co-head Anh Dang ensures he is frequently sought out by a host of clients for his expertise pertaining to a number of strategically-significant deals. Phong Tran is another practitioner of note, possessing strong banking and capital market acumen to competently advise on complex regional and international transactions.

Vietnam > Dispute resolution: arbitration Tier 1

The team at VILAF regularly represents its domestic and international corporate clients in arbitrations before the SIAC and VIAC and is well-geared to act on on employment, corporate, projects and infrastructure and insurance disputes. The team is co-led by Tung Ngo, who is a leading contact for disputes in the shipping and maritime space, and Linh Nguyen, who is active across a series of noteworthy cases in Vietnam, Singapore and Japan. Hien Tran's far-reaching expertise is particularly concentrated on tax disputes, with an impressive run him helm high profile deals for a mix of leading industry players. Senior associate Hanh Vo's expertise extends across a broad range of matters, including arbitrations related to construction and real estate disputes.

Vietnam > Dispute resolution: litigation Tier 1

Presiding over both domestic and international disputes with a notable concentration on the construction and energy sectors, the team at VILAF pull together a wealth of expertise to handle issues pertaining to contractual and monetary contentions, employment terminations, fraud investigations and product liability and recall. Furthermore, the group is also well-versed in the enforcement of foreign arbitral award and court judgements. The team is steered by Tung Ngo who is a go-to for the practice’s stellar list of manufacturing, real estate and insurance clients, whereas co-head Linh Nguyen compliments her cross-border prowess with expert litigating skills to handle the firm’s most complex international cases. Hien Tran has been active on a mixed book of cases over the past twelve months, including energy, manufacturing, logistics, and aviation sector centred disputes, while Hanh Vo has played an integral supporting role on matters.

Vietnam > Projects and energy Tier 1

Frequently sought out by foreign investors due to its reputation as a leading player in the LNG and gas sectors, VILAF act on an impressive display of joint ventures, acquisitions, divestments and financing mandates, both domestic and international, showing further expertise regarding regulatory, environmental, contractual and due diligence work. The practice is regularly engaged in high-value transactions pertaining to a wide range of traditional and renewable energy sources, with an increased flow of mandates regarding wind, solar and hydropower. The group is led by three individuals, the first being Phong Tran who also sits in the banking and finance and capital markets practice, leveraging this financing proficiency to advise international lenders on first-of-its-kind funding structures for gas and LNG projects. The other two team heads are Duyen Vo and Anh Dang, who have both been highly active over the past twelve months, with the former demonstrating competence handling the development and construction piece within a strong volume of renewable energy deals, and the latter recognised for his broad expertise spanning both financing and M&A. Lam Nguyen, who has previous experience in a governmental advisory role, has overseen a number of joint ventures, acquisitions and financings.

Vietnam > Real estate and construction Tier 1

The team at VILAF possesses a multifarious practice which is complimented by its considerable international reach, working for a range of pan-Asian developers and investors. Capital markets and disputes work in the real estate space has been a flagship component of the team’s work, which also handles residential housing project acquisitions as well as industrial plot transactions. Hien Nguyen and Ngoc Anh Bui co-lead the practice, with the former noted for her early stage work on construction projects, including designing, contractual, and development advice, and the latter for cross border expertise which focuses on foreign direct investment. Duyen Ha Vo has a far-reaching practice which is particularly strong on financing and banking issues and has been an active presence on the firm’s most consequential client instructions.

Vietnam > Labour and employment Tier 3