Vietnam’s top 100 lawyers on Asia Business Law Journal

Asia Business Law Journal, a magazine focusing on the legal and regulatory environment in key Asian jurisdictions, has released its "A-List" of the 100 best practicing lawyers in Vietnam.

The list is based on extensive research, nominations received from in-house counsel based in Vietnam and elsewhere, as well as Vietnam-focused partners at international law firms. Nearly all the A-List lawyers are strategically located in Hanoi, the capital, and Ho Chi Minh City, the economic hub, where most companies and government offices are based.

M&A boom

Vietnam’s mergers and acquisitions (M&As) market has reset to pre-pandemic levels. Many foreign investors have their eyes on M&A across various sectors, with a focus on wind and solar power projects, as the country makes a big push into the renewable energy sector. As investment has poured into the country, demand for legal services has risen.

Tran Anh Hung, a Hanoi-based managing partner at Bross & Partners, is an outstanding lawyer who is very sought after by his clients, says Asia Business Law Journal.

Tran Thang, legal manager at telecom and IT company ZTE Corporation in Ho Chi Minh City, told the magazine that Hung is his go-to lawyer for a number of matters.

Le Hong Phong, a partner at Bizconsult in Hanoi, is considered “one of the best lawyers in Vietnam” on M&A and corporate matters by Julia Ma, general counsel for Asia-Pacific at Techtronic Industries, a Hong Kong-based power tools and outdoor power-equipment maker, the magazine says.

“He has very good communication skills. He is also very well connected and a good listener, which is very important,” Ma is quoted by the magazine as saying.

Huynh Hoang Sang, a Hanoi-based counsel at GE Healthcare Vietnam, a subsidiary of General Electric that sells diagnostic imaging agents and radiopharmaceuticals, also had high praise for Phong, says the journal.

A director at global IP firm AAA IPRIGHT in Singapore who did not wish to disclose his name has trusted Pham Duy Khuong, founder and managing director at ASL Law in Hanoi, for outstanding legal advice over many years.

“He is well known in Vietnam as a top-tier lawyer in the fields of M&A, anti-dumping and trade remedies,” the director told the law journal. “We always refer our friends and connections to work with Khuong, and they are happy and satisfied with the reference.”

Richard Stapley-Oh, a Ho Chi Minh City-based partner at KPMG Law Vietnam, is another prominent M&A lawyer, and is recommended by Chan Lai-Foong, counsel at K&L Gates Straits Law in Singapore.

“I highly appreciate his skill set and capabilities as an M&A lawyer, and his high standards of fair play and integrity,” Chan is quoted as saying by the magazine.

David McDonald, director of consultancy services for capital projects and premises management at WT Partnership in Ho Chi Minh City, also praised Stapley-Oh for his expertise in debt recovery.

“He provided advice on the best options to recover debts by devising a strategy and structuring communication to encourage the debtor to pay while having a great ability to look at all angles of the argument and put forward the best point of view for recovering all debts,” McDonald told the publication.

Stapley-Oh’s colleague, KPMG Law Vietnam partner Bui Thi Thanh Ngoc, is applauded for having “notable professional spirit” by Iris Lee, deputy general director at consultancy and construction firm Mace Vietnam in Hanoi. “She dedicates her time to the case and ensures that the client is well-represented,” Lee says.

On IPO matters, Dang Khai Minh, a Singapore-based senior partner at YKVN, has earned a good name for his top-class legal advice. He has 40 years of experience in a wide variety of international matters, focusing on Vietnam investments and disputes.

Ngo Tuu Duc, legal counsel at American multinational food processing and commodities trading corporation Archer Daniels Midland in Ho Chi Minh City, recommends Minh for his in-depth experience in legal practices.

Duc also commends Minh’s colleague, managing partner Truong Nhat Quang in Hanoi, as “a leading banking and corporate lawyer in Vietnam and author of many legal treatises”.

Focal points

Many lawyers on the A-List are recognized as trusted advisers by their clients for providing results-driven counseling and dedicated representation on various matters, the journal adds.

Truong Thien Thanh, a partner at Thang & Associates in Ho Chi Minh City, is described as “an experienced, hard-working, intelligent and solution-oriented lawyer” by Stefan Kratz, managing director at Phoenix Clean Power, a company specializing in building, investing and operating rooftop solar power in Ho Chi Minh City.

Kratz also recommends Dang Chi Lieu, founder and chairman at DNA Vietnam in Hanoi, for his “excellent knowledge of the market” and for being “fast, professional, highly competent and solution-oriented”.

Vinash Gopalakrishnan, vice president of business development at the power generation company JERA in Tokyo, agrees with that assessment. “He is a very cooperative, customer-centric counsel, and has extensive experience in supporting transactions, specifically in renewables,” says Gopalakrishnan.

Doan Thi Luu Thu, chief accountant at property developer Renaissance Vietnam in HCMC, says that Vina Legal’s managing partner and founder, Duong Quang Long in Hanoi, is her trusted lawyer. “The company and I always feel assurance when receiving his advice.”

Another outstanding name from Vina Legal is partner Nguyen Bao Huy, as recommended by Nguyen Hue, senior human resources manager at the Hanoi-based rail and guided transport infrastructure company Colas Rail Vietnam, for “always showing responsibility and high competency in his consulting service”.

Tran Ngoc Hoang Phuong, a partner at Allen & Gledhill in HCMC, receives the thumbs up from his client, Kamal Sidhu, a Singapore-based senior counsel at American multinational energy corporation Chevron. “Allen & Gledhill Vietnam is a high-quality one-stop shop for advice on Vietnamese law issues and this is largely due to Phuong’s wide-ranging knowledge of Vietnamese law, experience with the expectations of large international clients, and great client responsiveness,” Sidhu says.

Nguyen Linh, a Singapore-based associate director at global risk and strategic consulting firm Control Risks Group, says: “His experience in many different sectors in Vietnam, from banking and finance to consumer issues to property, truly makes him stand out from the crowd. Apart from Vietnam, Phuong also has extensive experience working in other countries in Southeast Asia.”

Asia Business Law Journal list of Vietnam’s Top 100 Lawyers

Compiling the A-List

Nominations were made by professionals at a wide range of Vietnamese and global companies, financial institutions and law firms including AAA IPRIGHT, Archer Daniels Midland, Chevron, CMC Global, Colas Rail Vietnam, Control Risks Group, GE Healthcare Vietnam, JERA, Joseph Liow Chambers, K&L Gates Straits Law, Linea Aqua Vietnam, Mace Vietnam, Mainstream Phu Cuong, Phoenix Clean Power, Piaggio Vietnam, Renaissance Viet Nam, RMIT Vietnam, Sunshine Group, Techtronic Industries, The Arbitration Chambers, Tilleke & Gibbins, TSMP Law Corporation, Uscomtech, VCCorp, WT Partnership, ZICO Law, ZTE Corporation, and many more. The nomination process was backed up by thorough editorial research.

The final list reflects the nominations received, combined with the Asia Business Law Journal editorial team’s more than 30 years of collective experience in documenting and analyzing Vietnam’s legal market. All Vietnamese private practice lawyers were automatically eligible for inclusion in the nominations process, and, as always, there were no fees or any other requirements for entry.