Regional firm DFDL has a strong foothold in the Vietnamese market supported by its core strengths in banking and finance, corporate and M&A, and tax. Drawing on over 20 years of experience, DFDL has built a reputation as a solid legal and tax services provider, capable of advising on complex cases. Key figures include managing partner Martin Desautels, banking partner Jerome Buzenet and head of the Hanoi office Dai Thang Huynh. The firm strengthened its practice with the addition of Patrick Keil as senior legal adviser in April 2025. Keil joined from the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade), bringing expertise in corporate and M&A, mining and infrastructure, projects and energy, and technology matters. Partner Kevin Hawkins departed in July 2024 to take an in-house position, having focused on corporate and M&A, projects, employment and real estate.
Work highlights
Advised a Thailand-based energy developer on financing five operational solar projects in Vietnam. The transaction involved structuring multiple offshore and onshore syndicated loans with comprehensive security packages and navigating new State Bank of Vietnam regulatory requirements under Circular 12/2022, establishing important precedents for cross-border project financings in Vietnam's renewable energy sector.
