Welcome to VILAF

One of the first business law firms in Vietnam.

VILAF’s development is attributable to the contributions of its lawyers. From a small group of lawyers initially working with Clifford Chance in 2000, VILAF’s legal team has grown to 50 lawyers and legal experts. Many of our lawyers have been working with international law firms in Vietnam since the birth of Vietnamese investment law, and are recognized as the leading lawyers in Vietnam.

Being Vietnamese and with extensive international experience and working relationships with several international law firms, our lawyers are in the best position to advise our clients on local law and the practice of Vietnam. VILAF’s unique position provides the highest level of legal service to our clients.

The ward, “National Law Firm of 2008” has gone to VILAF-HONG DUC, a Vietnamese law firm. This is the third year in a row that the firm has received the honor. The annual award is given by the international Financial Law Review (IFLR) to one law firm in each country in the Asia – Pacific region with the best track record in giving local law advice on some of the most innovative international finance deals.

Is the glass half empty or half full? On September 5 2007, the government promulgated Decree 139/2007/ND-CP ("Decree 139") detailing some provisions of the Law on Enterprises passed by the National Assembly on November 29 2005 (the "Law on Enterprises"). Decree 139 provides specific guidelines on the establishment, management, operation, restructuring and liquidation of enterprises operating in Vietnam, including domestic and foreign-invested enterprises. Decree 139 reflects the commendable efforts made by the Vietnamese Government to attract foreign direct investment into Vietnam and encourage the transparent operations of enterprises. 
 

Singapore, Friday June 29, 2007. The Asian Legal Business magazine held a banquet to recognize the leading law firms in the Asian-Pacific region involved with international transactions.

The finalists included offices of international law firms in Vietnam. The award for “Vietnam Deal Firm of 2007” went to VILAF-Hong Duc. 

In 2006, for the first time in Vietnam, a 100 percent Vietnamese owned law firm, VILAF, won the Vietnam National Law Firm of the Year award from the International Financial Law Review (IFLR). This award is anaccepted benchmark for legal practice in Asia and is presented annually by IFLR to one law firm in each country in the Asia-Pacific region with the best track record in giving local law advice on some of the most innovative international finance deals.

Many foreigners are keen to invest in the trading (import/export) and distribution (commission agents’, wholesale and retailing) sectors in Vietnam. However, foreign involvement in these areas is largely dependent on Vietnam’s commitments to open these sectors in international agreements. The Government has recently released Decree 23/2007 implementing the Commercial Law (“Decree 23”) establishing a legal framework for foreign-invested enterprises (“FIEs”) wishing to engage in trading and/or distribution in accordance with Vietnam’s WTO commitments.