Head of legal and external affairs | British American Tobacco Vietnam
Chief legal officer - general counsel | Asian Coast Development (Canada)
Deputy CEO in charge of legal and compliance division | VinES Energy Solutions
Country finance controller, head of legal, tax and compliance | ofi (Olam Food Ingredients) Vietnam
Senior legal manager | Industrial and Commercial Bank of China - Hanoi City Branch
Director of legal affairs and organizational capacity development | AstraZeneca
Legal contracts manager | Gelex Group Joint Stock Company
Senior legal manager, legal and compliance | SEA Logistic Partners (SLP)
Vice president, legal | Coca Cola Beverages Vietnam
Spotlight on… Tran Bui currently serves as the vice president, legal and local ethics officer at Coca-Cola Beverages Vietnam. She joined the company in 2019, with her role operating as...
Investment and corporate legal manager | A group of companies in renewable energy
Head of Legal and Compliance | Vietnam Investors Service and Credit Rating Agency
On behalf of The Legal 500, we are truly delighted to introduce our first-ever GC Powerlist: Vietnam 2023! This edition marks a milestone publication for the Vietnamese legal community, as this meticulously researched document represents our inaugural Vietnamese edition of the GC Powerlist series, The Legal 500’s premier title celebrating and awarding the world’s top in-house lawyers. After covering Southeast Asia as a region for many years, we decided it was high time to highlight and recognise the exceptional community of in-house counsel active within one of the world’s most dynamic and rapidly-growing economies, and the excellent corporate counsel who make it work. This research could not have been possible without the cooperation of three of Vietnam’s leading law firms: DFDL Legal & Tax, Frasers Law Company and VILAF, whose expertise and assistance was instrumental in making this edition such a success.
We are proud to present insightful conversations with Vietnam’s finest corporate counsel as we look to celebrate their respective achievements. Our in-depth interviews have yielded fascinating insights into the intricate and often complex world of corporate legal counsel. The publication showcases the many impressive transactions, projects and innovations led by these individuals, the evolving role of in-house counsel in Vietnam, and the trends that are transforming the traditional legal approach to business operations.
In the interviews our research team conducted, there is a noticeably prevailing belief that the scope of the general counsel role should extend beyond its conventional boundaries. The general counsel is not solely a highly skilled legal professional; rather, they are expected to now serve as a business partner responsible for influencing strategic direction and crucial decision-making. For example, Mai Phuong Thao, legal and compliance manager at Roche Vietnam envisions that “in the next five to ten years, the function of the general counsel will undergo significant change due to the constantly shifting and intricate nature of Vietnam’s legal framework. This transformation requires a multidimensional and strategic approach. In addition to providing regulatory guidance, the general counsel’s responsibilities must extend beyond traditional legal activities. They should take on greater responsibilities in the areas of corporate governance and sustainability, including actively shaping the company’s strategy, with a strong emphasis on compliance and risk management, while simultaneously ensuring business effectiveness. Additionally, it is essential for general counsel to interact with the larger legal community and advocate for government policies. This activity not only strengthens their position within their respective organisation but also raises awareness of crucial legal issues, ultimately contributing to Vietnam’s social development”.
Alongside the evolving role of the general counsel, there is the emergence of novel technologies which are transforming the way in-house teams perform. The implementation of AI for research, the digitalisation of contracts, and the creation of repositories all enhance the capabilities of the legal function. However, despite the opportunities there are potential pitfalls that must be considered. a sentiment shared Nguyen Thi Phuc, senior legal manager of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China – Hanoi City Branch. They believe that that the growing digital revolution ‘brings new opportunities and markets … but it also increases regulatory and cybersecurity risks’.
These interviews offer a thoughtful yet engaging understanding of Vietnam’s legal community, providing insight into the mindset of top-tier corporate counsel and the wide array of challenges they must navigate – from regulation to technological innovation and beyond – to play an integral part in their business’s success. By reading these interviews it is clear to see why these individuals are trusted legal and business partners in equal measure.
On behalf of everyone at The Legal 500, and especially our GC Powerlist research team, we would like to extend our congratulations and gratitude to everyone who was featured in this inaugural edition of the Vietnam Powerlist. We thank them for sharing their time and insights, allowing us to celebrate their achievements and acknowledging their rightfully earned spot in this milestone edition. We also look forward to future publications celebrating the achievements of the excellent Vietnamese GC community.
From our editorial team on this project:
Joe Boswell | Global Editor, The Legal 500 Powerlist Series
Jugroop Singh | Research Analyst
Legal 500 was proud to host the second edition of the GC Powerlist: East Africa 2025 in Nairobi, honouring the top General Counsel, Chief Legal Officers, Legal Directors, and senior in-house legal professionals across Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Rwanda. This year’s reception brought together over 100 of the most influential and innovative corporate counsel from the region, and was an unrivalled success, cementing Legal 500’s role as the leading voice in recognising in-house legal excellence across Africa.
The evening was opened by Joe Boswell, lead editor of the GC Powerlist publication at Legal 500, who highlighted the growing prestige of the East Africa edition and the increasing challenge of selecting honourees from such a deep (and rapidly growing) pool of talent.
Guests were then treated to some particularly relevant insights from distinguished speakers. Rachel Musoke, Head of ENS Uganda, delivered a thoughtful welcome that reflected on the importance of collaboration between private practice and in-house teams. This was followed by a powerful keynote from Habil Waswani, Company Secretary & Director Legal Services and Regulatory Compliance at Kenya Airways, who shared reflections on leadership, regulatory stewardship, and the evolving role of corporate counsel in East Africa.
The highlight of the evening was the certificate ceremony, where this year’s honourees were formally recognised. Certificates were presented by senior representatives of ENS, including Désiré Kamanzi (Head of Rwanda), Rachel Musoke, Nigel Shaw (Head of Kenya), Donald Nyakairu (Executive, Uganda), Dieudonne Nzafashwanayo (Executive, Rwanda), Rahema Nakirya Ssemyalo (Executive, Uganda) and Binti Shah (Executive, Kenya) whose participation underlined the depth of the firm’s support for the GC Powerlist initiative.
The GC Powerlist: East Africa 2025 reaffirmed The Legal 500’s commitment to shining a spotlight on the region’s most talented in-house lawyers. With an even stronger field of candidates, this year’s edition stands as a powerful testament to the influence and expertise of East Africa’s legal leaders. Habil Waswani’s excellent speech, which got a raucous reception from those in the room, is reproduced below with his permission:
‘My name is Habil Waswani, and I have been an inhouse legal practitioner for the past 21 years in different sectors (having done law-firm practice for 2 years before that). Tt is indeed a true privilege and honour for me to be here tonight, surrounded by the sharpest legal minds and calmest crisis-handlers the East African corporate world has to offer.
First, let me thank the Legal 500 and ENSAfrica teams, for organising such a fantastic event and for bringing us together in such style. Congratulations to each of tonight’s honourees. You represent the very best of general counsel in this very dynamic corporate space the businesses we support operate in. Strategic, ethical, resilient, and, let’s be honest, often underappreciated leaders of industry.
I am so happy that this evening is not about contracts, or compliance checklists, or board packs. Tonight is about celebrating you, the people behind all of that. The steady hands guiding companies through complexities, uncertainties, and ensuring that the opportunities that lie within those difficult circumstances are lawfully realized.
We all know the role of GCs has evolved. We are no longer tucked away at the end of a corridor marked “Legal” or labelled the proverbial “cost centres”. These days, the GCs sit at the big table – helping drive corporate strategy, shaping desired culture, providing leadership and safeguarding business reputations. We have become indispensable partners to businesses, interpreters, navigators, protectors… and on some (many) days, therapists with law degrees. And yet, we mostly do it all so quietly. No victory laps, no press releases. Often, success for us means the expected disaster didn’t happen.
But tonight, we break that rule. Tonight, we raise a glass to the GCs who’ve blazed the trail courageously, with clarity, conviction, and tremendous resilience that only matches the expectations of the Leadership Guru John Maxwell when he said, “resilient leaders don’t wait for the storm to past — they learn to dance in the rain”. You have managed to balance growth and governance, risk and reward regularly. And, of course, always managed to deal with those 10pm messages: “Hey, just a quick question…Are you able to talk right now…?”
Let this evening serve as a reminder that you are not just experienced legal advisors. You are leaders — spear heads and enablers of execution — and without a doubt critical pillars of business strategy.
To all the honourees, congratulations once again for the well-deserved recognition. This is for the heavy lifting that you do, the standards you uphold, and the impact you make – quietly, consistently, and brilliantly so. You’ve earned this spotlight.