Banking and Finance:

Tier 2

New to our banking and finance rankings, Vision & Associates, gained notable expertise when it recently integrated with the Vietnam offices of Deacons, retaining the vast majority of staff.

Corporate:

Tier 2

Vision & Associates moves up the rankings following the integration of the Vietnam offices of Deacons into its practice. Lawyers from Deacons… have significantly expanded the team’s capabilities and made Vision & Associates one of the largest law firms in Vietnam with 20 lawyers. The firms already had a close working relationship, but the union formally ties Deacons’ international expertise to V&A existing strength in consulting and IP, while maintaining the firm’s access to Deacons’ wider network of offices.

Dispute resolution:

V&A is stronger for the arrival of the team from Deacons, following the firms’ merger in July 2006.

Insurance:

Ranking: The only Vietnamese among recommended firms

V&A has taken on the considerable insurance expertise of Deacons following the firms’ merger.

IP:

Tier 1

The reputation of V&A, which recently merged with Deacons, pervades the IP market. The lawyer: Managing partner Pham Nghiem Xuan Bac [leading individual in IP] is very highly regarded for his depth of knowledge and experience. Le Thi Kim Dzung, Do Quang Hung and managing partner Pham Nghiem Xuan Bac stand out in Hanoi…

Real estate:

V&A was formerly listed as a local contact point of Deacons, but the firm have merged, passing on Deacon’s notable skills and reputation.

Corporate/M&A:

Tier 3

Vision & Associates’ three-partners Hanoi practice is headed by Le Quynh Anh. Her principal practice areas include foreign investment, general corporate and commercial, as well as banking and finance. She is supported by … and Luu Tien Ngoc. In 2004-05, the firm acted for Keppel Land International on the restructuring of its investment in the country.

Dispute Resolution:

Vision & Associates has a strong track record in this area. The firm has represented leading clients such as Vietnam Daewoo Motor Co, Hanoi Daewoo Hotel and Olam International in a range of disputes. The firm is particularly adapted at debt recovery, commercial disputes and undertaking out-of-court negotiations.

Intellectual Property:

The firm’s specialist team is highly experienced, acting for clients such as Yahoo!, Pe Biosystems and Motorola.

The Lawyer: Pham Nghiem Xuan Bac is one of the leading IP specialists in Vietnam

Tier 3

Vision & Associates is an active firm. It is advising a growing number of Vietnamese clients, as well as representing foreign investors and investment funds buying shares in local joint stock companies. It also advised three large state-owned corporations on their restructurings. The firm has corporate ties with foreign firms including Deacons and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, and good connections with government authorities.

Dispute resolution:

Vision & Associates represents client in relation to debt recovery, and other disputes involving commercial and construction contracts. It also handles out-of-court negotiations.

Intellectual Property:

Tier 1

This firm has a specialist IP department which handles licensing, franchising and technology transfer.

Band 1

The Firm: Vision & Associates’ lawyers are known as “the experts in state-owned enterprises.” By way of illustration, the firm was the government’s industry consultant and senior adviser working alongside KPMG, the World Bank and the Ministry of Finance on a government paper titled “Diagnostic audit of a number of state-owned enterprises in Vinafood”. It also acted as a consultant on the World Bank and Department for International Development pilot restructuring project for sustainable, equitable and efficient economic development in sectors dominated by state-owned enterprises. Possessed of more than 20 lawyers and 40 patent and trade mark attorneys and business management consultants, the “localised” firm comprises teams handling general legal practice, IP and investment and management consultancy. It is also making aggressive inroads into Vietnam’s international market, with projects such as successfully assisting Oxford English UK in establishing a 100% foreign-invested company in Vietnam, which is the first in the education industry.

The Lawyers: (Classified at Band 1 of Leading individuals in the field), Pham Nghiem Xuan Bac’s reputation extends further than his established profile in state-owned enterprise reform and development, to take in foreign investment, corporate governance, restructuring and IP. He was the lead lawyer on preparation of the World Bank’s standard bidding document for district town water supply concession contracts and advised Drew & Napier on the issuance of a performance bond valued at US$1 million. Le Quynh Anh has also been heavily involved in most of the significant deals of the firm.

The Clients: The firm generally represents major local and international banks and other corporations ranging from small to medium-sized companies to large multinationals. Besides carrying out a significant volume of work for key client the World Bank, the team has successfully acquired Unilever Vietnam as a new client, acting for its manufacturing, sale, import and export matters since last year. Also on the client list are: Asian Development Bank; the Department for International Development; the Danish International Development Agency; Motorola and IBM.

Overview:
V&A among the domestic firms whose practices have grown both in quantity and quality of work.

Corporate and Commercial:
Tier 3
V&A is structured into legal, IP and investment and management consulting practice groups. Under the direction of respected managing partner Pham Nghiem Xuan Bac, the firm has recently advised a European company on setting up a 100% foreign-invested company in Vietnam, and advised a Japanese company on a technical assistance agreement. The firm enjoys strong corporate ties with Deacons, Freehills and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and is particular noted for its connections with government departments and authorities.

Dispute resolution:
V&A has litigated on behalf of the Hanoi French hospital.

Intellectual Property:
Tier 1
Vision & Associates handles transfer licensing, registrations of patents and trade marks and is held in high regard by peers.

Corporate/Commercial
Tier 1
The Firm: Peers were impressed by the quantity of commercial and privatisation work this firm attracts, mentioning its strengths in finance, corporate and IP matters. One described it as “the best local firm in Hanoi.”

The Lawyers: Pham Nghiem Xuan Bac [one of leading individuals in the field] remains prominent. Alongside lawyers from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, he advised ANZ Bank on a facility agreement with a state-owned corporation in Vietnam. He also led the team that advised Copenhagen Development Consulting on an economic reform project in Vietnam funded by Danida. Another height for Bac was advising Hong Kong company American Indochina Resort on the establishment of a real estate trading operation in Vietnam.

The Clients: The firm has co-operated with Deacons in working on a legal report for World Bank on a potential design-build-operation-lease model (DBOL) for a water supply project in the country. It also advised Korean company Kumho Trading on establishing operations in Vietnam for the manufacture and export of potteries, porcelains and handmade products. Other major clients include: Asia Development Bank; Mekong Project Development; GTZ; Unilever Vietnam; ANZ; Cargill; Motorola; IBM; Deawoo; Vidamco and Telstra.

Company and Corporate transactions:
V&A is classified at Recommended firms

Dispute resolution:
V&A is classified at Recommended firms.

IP:
The Firm: V&A is classified at Leading firms.
The Lawyer: Mr. Pham Nghiem Xuan Bac is classified at Recommended individuals.