Pham & Associates

The firm
Established in 1991, Pham & Associates is the oldest intellectual property law firm in Vietnam. Over the years, the firm has developed into one of the leading IP law firms in the country, with strong practice groups in both prosecution and contentious matters. Our firm is one of the biggest filer of patent, trade mark and industrial design in Vietnam each year and is also renowned for acting on appeals and oppositions before the National Office of Intellectual Property , infringement court actions and providing expert opinions.

In addition to intellectual property services, since 2001 the company also advises and provides legal services on business laws, including corporates, investment, real estate, commerce, tax, finance, banking and labor law.

The staff

The firm has over 120 full-time employees, including 14 attorneys at law, 34 intellectual property attorneys and 28 consultants. Our professionals, as having both scientific/ engineering and law backgrounds with good skills of communicating, analyzing and critical-thinking, they are capable of drafting comprehensive legal documents and structuring an arguments related to intellectual property right prosecution and contentious matters. Our patent attorneys can work in various technical fields, including chemistry, mechanics, electronics, bio-technology, pharmaceuticals, energy, material science and telecommunications. They are fluent in English and are able to read French or German or Russian.

The firm permanent staff is supported by 25 contracted collaborators, on a part-time basis, being researchers, experts from universities and R&D institutions and some qualified translators who can accurately translate patent applications, prior art, foreign references and discovery documents related to patent litigation.

As a founder and managing partner, Mr. Pham Vu Khanh Toan has a profound understanding of intellectual property, is very creative and able to come up with solutions. He has been building a good team around him – the key factor for sustaining development and ensuring the long-term success of the firm.

Areas of practice

Intellectual Property: patents, industrial designs, trademarks, trade names, trade secrets, geographical indications, copyright and related rights, domain names, plant variety protection, IP dispute resolution and litigation, licensing, and IP assets management and evaluation.

Business Law: corporate, investment, real estate and construction, commerce, tax, finance and banking, shipping, insurance, employment, and dispute resolution.

Equipped with a self-developed, demand-driven IP management software, the firm is capable of accomplishing fast and flexible patent, trademark searches, supervising status of IP rights prosecution and contentious matters settlement at all stages to ensure the services are delivered on time with the highest possible quality and reasonable costs.

Aside from its tier 1 ranking in Vietnam for patent prosecution and litigation, Pham & Associates is particularly experienced in handling trade mark oppositions and cancellation actions before NOIP and in handling IP infringements by administrative measures. These strengths originate from the in-depth understanding of governing laws, business environment in Vietnam and the reliable relationship with competent authorities that has been built up over years.

Currently the firm represents more than 2,000 clients in around 50 countries across the world, including well-known names such as Adidas Group, Honda Motor Co, Ltd, Panasonic Corporation, Yamaha Corporation, Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd, Perfetti Van Melle SpA, Microsoft, Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca AB, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Procter & Gamble, Colgate-Palmolive, Pfizer Inc., Bosch, Kikkoman, Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, Akzo Nobel N.V, Vietnam Airlines and VietinBank.

Recent awards and rankings

Pham & Associates was ranked Tier 1 in Vietnam for patent, trade mark prosecution and contentious matters (consecutively from 2008-2019) by Managing IP; winner of the Vietnam Patent Firm of the Year Award (consecutively from 2009-2018) and shortlisted as one of five firms for the Vietnam Trademark Firm of the Year Award (consecutively from 2009-2018) by Asia IP; winner of ‘Intellectual Property Advisory Firm of the Year’s award 2014, 2015, 2017 by Corporate Intl Magazine global UK; Top-five Leading Firms in Vietnam in IP field in 2016, 2017 by Chambers and Partners in the UK.

In 2017 the firm’s trademark ” Stylized PA- Pham & Associates, figure” registered for Class 42. Counseling and representing services on copyright and related rights; counseling and representing services on industrial property rights; Technology transfer services” under the name of Pham & Associates was recognized as a well-known trademark in Vietnam by the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) within the framework of the “Well-known Trademark Project” co-organized by the MOST and the International Trademark Association (INTA). This trademark was also recognized as a well-known trademark and is in the list of the Top 50 leading well-known trademarks in Vietnam in 2018 by the Vietnam Intellectual Property Association (VIPA).