| Asia Pacific Legal 500 |
Banking and Finance: Tier 2 Vision & Associates is increasingly competing with the international heavyweights for premier instructions. Vision & Associates is involved in high-level deals, such as those concerning Vietcombank.The Lawyer: Pham Nghiem Xuan Bac has 20 years’ experience, advising the likes of ANZ Bank and Citibank. Capital Markets: Tier 3 Vision & Associates has been very active in the flourishing number of IPOs taking place in Vietnam. Vision & Associates is involved in the forthcoming equitisation of Vietcombank and is involved in a number of other significant flotations such as the IPO of state-owned insurance company BaoViet. Corporate/ M&A: Tier 2 A regular collaborator with overseas law firms such as Australia’s Deacons, Vision & Associates has provided Vietnamese advice on numerous big-ticket transactions and has advised an impressive array of leading multinationals on business interest in the province, including Motorola, Unilever, BHP and Keppel Land. The Lawyer: Pham Nghiem Xuan Bac, Managing partner contributes 20 years’ experience. Dispute Resolution: The Lawyer: Le Quynh Anh is an experienced litigator. Insurance: Vision & Associates assisted a foreign-owned insurance group in the acquisition of a strategic share in state-owned insurance company BaoViet Corporation, following its IPO in 2007. The work has led to other key instructions in the insurance sector, such as working for a Japanese insurance group on establishing a presence in Vietnam. Intellectual Property: Tier 1 The firm combines its thriving commercial legal practice with a patent and trade mark agency. The Lawyer: Managing partner Pham Nghiem Xuan Bac is an expert in intellectual property and is a registered patent and trade mark attorney as well as a lawyer (one of leading individuals in the IP field). He was a former patent examiner at the National Office for Industrial Property. Do Quang Hung is also a recommended practitioner, representing the likes of ICI, Gucci and Bayer. Real Estate and Construction: Tier 1 Vision & Associates advises on property, construction and environmental law, providing a comprehensive service for developers and investors in this sector. The Lawyer: Le Quynh Anh has a thriving practice, advising the likes of Keppel Land of Singapore. |
| Chamber Asia |
Banking and Finance: Band 2 Through extensive staffing and excellent market coverage this full-service outfit is able to offer a comprehensive finance service. From project finance to debt capital markets, the well-staffed team provides a one-stop solution for many international and regional banking clients. In addition to acting for traditional financial institutions, it is also popular among borrowers and bond issuers, with users including municipalities and investment funds… Peers opine that “this firm is one of the only real choices”, and it remains a favorite among the multilateral development banks.The lawyer: Pham Nghiem Xuan Bac is classified at Band 2 of Leading individuals in the field. Corporate and Commercial: Band 1 The Firm: This local giant is at the top of its game, and its increasingly prominent profile is touching all corners of the Vietnam market. From its initial IP practice base the outfit has branched out to provide a full commercial service, including foreign investment, fund-led acquisitions and corporate governance. The team has advised many companies on investment and enterprise law, carefully tracking the changes that will affect Vietnam in this post-WTO accession phase. Since the firm integrated with Australia outfit Deacons in 2006, it has also enjoyed a boost to the size and ability of its team, as well as its client base. “The firm is now much more international, and is a top firm by sheer quantity”, declared peers, while clients commented: “The team has an excellent handle on the changing local laws; it provides good value and high-quality, practical advice”. The Lawyers: The “exceptionally sound” Pham Nghiem Xuan Bac [classified at Band 1 of Leading individuals in the field] is the managing partner. His “open and energetic” demeanour, alongside his established commercial acumen, wins him solid peer praise… With more than 12 years of experience, Luu Tien Ngoc is noted for his “plain-speaking delivery and high-quality work”… Le Quynh Anh [classified at Band 3 of Leading individuals in the field] directs the legal arm of Vision & Associates and focuses on import-export issues, donor-funded projects and state decentralisation in the infrastructure area. She “is close to the investors, and so knows all the issues instinctively”. Dispute Resolution: Band 2 The Firm: Praised for its background in IP and its expansive current practice, this large domestic outfit has “an edge on some local issues, which require a lot of work behind the scenes”. The 20-lawyer team assists a wide client base that includes multinationals as well as SMEs. Since the firm took over the cosmopolitan Deacons Vietnam team, it has boosted its cross-border capabilities, making it a more attractive prospect for foreign disputes clients. A further string to the firm’s bow is its constantly active, 25-lawyer IP group, which has a longstanding reputation in enforcement and litigation. The Lawyer: Pham Nghiem Xuan Bac leads the multidisciplinary team, and is a key contact for IP and commercial disputes work. Client/Work Highlights: The team assisted a Japanese conglomerate with the initiation of litigation against ex-staff over alleged breach of contract. The firm represented a leading domestic real estate developer in various matters, including disputes with customers and Intellectual Property: Band 1 The Firm: This full-service outfit has a strong historical basis in IP and has worked hard to maintain its superb reputation in this area. The team of nine lawyers serves a diverse client base that includes computer companies, websites and Japanese conglomerates. Anti-counterfeiting measures, including raids, form an important part of the practice, and here the team acts for some of the most famous global brands. The firm is also highly active working on contentious trade mark challenges, providing its effectiveness before the NOIP. Peers comment: “Vision can do everything – it is very pro-active and clearly one of the major players”. The Lawyers: “Dynamic and approachable”, Pham Nghiem Xuan Bac (classified at Band 1 of Leading individuals in the field) is the firm’s managing partner and his invaluable IP knowledge wins him many fans. Peers describe him as “an extremely well-known and experienced lawyer who is excellent for anti-infringement actions.” Le Thi Kim Dzung (classified at Band 1 of Leading individuals in the field) is partner in charge of the IP practice. A former patent examiner at the NOIP, she is praised for her dedication to maintaining the firm’s top IP reputation. Do Quang Hung (classified at Band 2 of Leading individuals in the field) is deputy director of the IP practice. He has over a decade of experience dealing with patents and trade marks throughout the region. Clients/Work Highlights: The team assisted an international clothing company with its action against a website selling counterfeit goods. The firm also helped a global sports brand to co-ordinate an anti-counterfeiting drive, preventing shops from stocking and marketing illegal goods. Real estate & Projects: Band 1 The Firm: Bolstered by its recent union with Vietnamese office of Deacons, this sizeable outfit is gaining excellent experience across the real estate sector, acting for large local groups, foreign-invested enterprises and foreign companies as well as major developers working on high-end residential and commercial properties, including resorts and hotels. The firm’s lawyers and investment management specialists also advise prospective investors on rights over land in Vietnam and legal trends that may affect the law. The firm is praised for its “good performance and timely delivery”, while clients laud the lawyers as “some of the most qualified in Vietnam”. The Lawyers: Le Quynh Anh is a general commercial and construction contact. |