VILAF

Vo Ha Duyen and Nguyen Quang Hung head VILAF’s banking and finance group, which, says a client, provides “reasonable solutions for issues and problems needing legal advice”. With one of the largest English-speaking teams in Vietnam, the practice advises financial institutions on regulatory matters and prominent project financing deals. Vo and Nguyen advised Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) and an international law firm on Vietnamese laws during negotiation of the financing for the $2.5 billion Vung Ang 2 power project, which is using a build-operate-transfer model.

The capital markets practice at VILAF, headed by Vo Ha Duyen and Tran Tuan Phong, is an emergent practice following Vietnam’s recent enactment of laws and regulations on debt and equity capital markets. Nguyen Quang Hung advised Vietcombank Securities as the arranger for the D9 trillion ($400 million) corporate bonds issuance by private placement of Masan Consumer, a Vietnamese food and beverage brand. The dong-denominated, non-convertible bonds are one of the largest issues of corporate bonds in the Vietnamese market.

Vo Ha Duyen and Dang Duong Anh lead VILAF’s corporate and M&A group, one of the largest teams in the Vietnamese market. The practice is “deeply knowledgeable of [the] jurisdiction and industries”, says a client. High-profile deals tend to be complex and involve innovative structures. Instructed by GE during its $17 billion global acquisition of Alstom’s power and grid division, Kevin Hawkins advised on the Vietnamese leg of the worldwide deal, involving antitrust, diplomatic, licensing, and political issues, in part due to the French government’s rejection of GE’s initial bid.

With a growing reputation in construction, finance and maritime disputes, the dispute resolution and litigation group at VILAF has more frequently been advising in arbitration cases, in addition to litigation. Pham Si Hai Quynh and Tran Anh Hien acted for a power plant to claim compensation from a shipping company and its protection and indemnity (P&I) club after its equipment was damaged.

Nguyen Thanh Tung heads the energy and natural resources team at VILAF, which has been busy advising on some of Vietnam’s largest energy projects. Tran Tuan Phong and Luu Hoang Ha has been advising a Thai oil and gas company on project development and financing issues on a multi-billion dollar project including land acquisition, government guarantees and investment protection. A client describes the firm as “conscientious [with] attention to detail”.

Given VILAF’s strong banking and finance team, client instructions to the projects and infrastructure practice tend to be in project financing. The practice has been involved in landmark infrastructure projects in Vietnam, such as the $510 million 82-km La Son-Tuy Loan highway. Vo Ha Duyen and Nguyen Thanh Tung advised Bank of Tokyo – Mitsubishi UFJ on a syndicated loan involving 17 regional banks. The team has been reviewing the facility agreements, negotiating a government guarantee, and seeking legal opinions from the Ministry of Justice.