Next Generation Partners

Firms To Watch: Real estate and construction

Led by Gia Long Nguyen in Ho Chi Minh City, who focuses on real estate and hospitality issues, the group at Tilleke & Gibbins advises a broad range of domestic and multinational companies on a variety of property transactions and projects.
The real estate group at YKVN is headed by Truong Nhat Quang in Ho Chi Minh City and has considerable expertise advising developers, private funds and international lenders on transactions in the real estate and construction sector.

Real estate and construction in Vietnam

Baker McKenzie

Baker McKenzie houses ‘a team of professionals with diverse expertise’ with deep knowledge of real estate and property law. The group advises on a broad range of real estate transactions, especially ones involving logistics and industrial real estate, and has unique capabilities in the hotel, resort and tourism sectors. The team is also experienced in the legal aspects of the commercial use of land, and commercial leasing for high-profile individuals. Practice heads Yee Chung Seck and the ‘very responsive and talented’ Lan Phuong Nguyen are both experts in real estate M&A. The group also includes Phuc Thuy Hien Nguyen who is an expert in leasing, environment and construction matters, and Quyet Thang Ho in Hanoi who focuses on hotel management contracts.

Responsables de la pratique:

Yee Chung Seck; Lan Phuong Nguyen


Autres avocats clés:

Phuc Thuy Hien Nguyen; Quyet Thang Ho; Quang Ngoc-Thanh Tran


Les références

‘Baker McKenzie has a team of professionals with diverse expertise which enables the conversation to run with different perspectives and sometimes the specialist is able to input particular insights to support the clients better and resolve issues efficiently.’

‘Lan Phuong Nguyen is a very responsive and talented business partner who always addresses our concerns and challenges.’

‘Good knowledge.’

KPMG Law in Vietnam

Overseen by Richard Stapley-Oh, KPMG Law in Vietnam in Ho Chi Minh City draws on its strength as a global network and advises foreign and domestic clients on a variety of large and complex real estate transactions. Ngoc Thi Thanh Bui has extensive experience with transactions in the real estate sector, as well as handling business reorganisation and debt financing matters for real estate companies, and Pham Huynh Ngoc Han advises a range of multinational, foreign and domestic clients in the real estate sector. The group also includes corporate and M&A specialist Binh Duy Tran who focuses on real estate, Dang Cam Nhung who focuses on real estate M&A and business restructuring, corporate governance, commercial contract drafting and project development, and Nguyen Minh Hoang is experienced in market entry, M&A, foreign investment and corporate matters with a sector focus on real estate.

Responsables de la pratique:

Richard Stapley-Oh; Bui Thi Thanh Ngoc; Geraldine Oh; Tran Duy Binh; Pham Huynh Ngoc Han; Nguyen Mai Phuong; Ly Hoang Nguyen


Autres avocats clés:

Dang Cam Nhung; Nguyen Minh Hoang


Principaux clients

Phu My Hung Development Corporation


PON Holdings B.V.


Principaux dossiers


  • Assisting a Hong Kong based private equity company investing 45% of common shares of a venture used to acquire the entire share capital of 2 project companies in the real estate sector from a Singaporean real estate giant in Vietnam.
  • Advising a UK-based real estate company on an asset deal, being the acquisition of Hôtel Perle d’Orient Cat Ba – Mgallery, a member of the MGallery collection being a 5 star hotel situated on idyllic Cat Ba Island in the north of Vietnam
  • Advising PON Holdings B.V., a global titan in luxury automobile distribution, on all real estate matters part of its larger transactional M&A in its strategic acquisition of majority shares in Automotive Asia

Rajah & Tann LCT Lawyers

Rajah & Tann LCT Lawyers in Ho Chi Minh City has ‘intense knowledge of real estate landscape’ and advises on a broad range of real estate acquisitions and property development matters, including ones involving office, residential and industrial premises. The group also has extensive experience advising on construction agreements, property acquisitions and divestments, project development and land leasing matters. Praised as ‘an outstanding lawyer in various fields and especially in real estate’, practice head Vu Thi Que specialises in regulatory advisory and M&A transactions in the real estate arena. The group also includes Nguyen Dinh Nha who is experienced in a broad range of M&A, corporate compliance and banking related real estate matters, and Cao Dang Duy who focuses on M&A and foreign investment. M&A specialist Huynh Thi Thu Thuy is also a key figure for real estate matters.

Responsables de la pratique:

Vu Thi Que


Autres avocats clés:

Nguyen Dinh Nha; Cao Dang Duy; Huynh Thi Thu Thuy


Les références

‘Vu Thi Que is an excellent lawyer with comprehensive insight into various domains. She’s skilled and cooperative, and is able to identify clients’ concerns in a timely manner and answer them at the legal and practical level.’

‘Profession with swift response. Vu Thi Que’s command of Mandarin is great.’

‘The team has solid understanding of the legal landscape in real estate and high sense of business acumen in the field, creating an seamless and efficient experience for me. Each individual in the team has their own strengths and knows how to interact to make it best for the client. Their intense knowledge of real estate landscape is what makes their legal counseling stand out of the crowd.’

Principaux clients

Asia Green Group


Setia My Phuoc Limited


Wagon Group


Shandong Innovation Group


Kingclean Group


Boustead Project


Capitaland Vietnam


IDEC Group Asia


Richemont Group


JD Group


Principaux dossiers


  • Assisted Shandong Innovation Group with the establishment of their investment project in Nghe An Province, Vietnam including acquiring and sub-leasing industrial land area in an industrial park for the implementation of the project.

VILAF

VILAF has an expert construction and real estate practice that advises foreign and domestic developers on a range of projects, in addition to real estate clients engaged in M&A transactions, real estate financing, EPC contracts, business development, bond issuance and project investment. Leading the group, Nguyen Truc Hien in Ho Chi Minh City advises a diverse group of real estate clients on a broad range of projects and transactions, and Ngoc Anh Bui in Hanoi focuses on M&A, foreign direct investment and corporate restructure in a variety of sectors, with a focus on real estate. Also in Hanoi, Anh Dang is knowledgeable in real estate transactions. The group also includes Tung Ngo and Duyen Ha Vo in Ho Chi Minh City who both advise on a diverse range of real estate projects and transactions.

Responsables de la pratique:

Hien Truc Nguyen; Ngoc Anh Bui


Autres avocats clés:

Anh Dang; Tung Ngo; Duyen Ha Vo in Ho


Principaux clients

Sycamore


Vingroup


Frasers Property Vietnam


Union Bank of Taiwan Co., Ltd


Green Planet Distribution Centre JSC


Marubeni Corporation


Principaux dossiers


  • Advised Sycamore, CapitaLand’s affiliate, on the acquisition of Thanh Thanh Binh Duong housing-urban area complex in Binh Duong province
  • Advised Vingroup in its issuance of US$250 million exchangeable bonds to institutional investors, the first ever concurrent exchangeable bonds issue and buyback in Vietnam.

Bizlink Lawyers

With ‘exceptional insight’ in the market, Bizlink Lawyers has a seasoned real estate and construction group that advises clients on all types of property projects and transactions. The group regularly assists on matters relating to regulatory requirements for property projects, contract negotiation, procedures and licensing, and is highly experienced in project formation, advisory work such as drafting sample house sales contracts, tax, land fee and conditions for house sales, as well as legal advice on tax, price escalation, contracts and dispute resolution for construction contractors. The group is led by Do Trong Hai, based in both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, who has extensive experience with a broad range of real estate transactions and projects, and Nguyen Thi Men in Hanoi who focuses on real estate and construction, foreign investment, and corporate matters and M&A.

Responsables de la pratique:

Do Trong Hai; Nguyen Thi Men


Les références

‘The team is very knowledgeable. It has exceptional insight that helps the company assess the risks and rewards more effectively when dealing with its business partners and customers.’

Principaux clients

Vietnam Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Industry and Trade (VietinBank)


Eurowindow Holding Joint Stock Company


Westlake View Real Estate Limited Liability Company


Phan Vu – Van Tuong Investment Joint Stock Company


Citra West Lake City Development Company Limited


Principaux dossiers


  • Advised Vietnam Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Industry and Trade (Vietinbank) on transferring a complex project to another developer.
  • Advised a Vietnam based company primarily engaged in real estate sector on pursuing the right for the development of a project of a multi-functional building with a total investment capital of over USD 71 million.
  • Advised Citra Westlake City Development Company Limited on transferring a complex sub-project with total investment value of over USD 53 million to another developer.

Frasers Law Company

Commercial firm Frasers Law Company has expertise in a broad range of matters relating to real estate, including all aspects of M&A, complex fund and private equity transactions. Representing a broad range of domestic and international companies and investors, the group is also particularly knowledgeable in the industrial real estate arena. The group is led by Mark Fraser in Ho Chi Minh City who has a broad practice with a focus on real estate.

Responsables de la pratique:

Mark Fraser


Principaux clients

Asian Development Bank


Quanta Computer


Terminal Investment Ltd


Lineage Logistics


Deneast Vietnam Co., Ltd.


LNT & Partners

Sought after by a range of property developers in Vietnam, LNT & Partners has expertise in a broad range of real estate projects and transactions, and is highly capable advising on cross-border mandates. The group’s key areas of knowledge include due diligence for real estate acquisitions, advice on deal structure, assessment of land and property, property tax issues, and working with authorities on licensing matters. The group is led by Tran Thai Binh in Ho Chi Minh City who advises on a wide variety of real estate financing structures and regulatory issues,  and Le Net in Hanoi who is particularly well-versed in real estate disputes. Also in Hanoi, Vu Thi Thinh specialises in projects in the coal and thermal power sectors, and Le Thanh Hieu advises real estate companies and power companies on negotiating transaction documents and managing risks on transactions.

Responsables de la pratique:

Tran Thai Binh; Le Net


Autres avocats clés:

Vu Thi Thinh; Le Thanh Hieu


Mori Hamada Vietnam Hanoi Office

Overseen by Takeshi Mukawa in Hanoi, Mori Hamada Vietnam Hanoi Office has broad international and domestic experience advising on a variety of real estate matters. With a particular focus on foreign clients looking to invest in Vietnam, the group is especially knowledgeable in M&A and real estate transactions. Also in Hanoi, key figures in the team include Ha Thi Dung who has expertise in M&A, bond deals, syndicated loan transactions and project financings in a variety of sectors, with a focus on real estate, and Hiroki Kishi who advises a wide variety of international clients in sectors such as energy and infrastructure, real estate and banking and finance. The group also includes Kenji Nishio in Ho Chi Minh City, who has ‘extensive experience in the Vietnam market’ and specialises in cross-border M&A, capital market transactions, and residential and industrial real estate development.

Responsables de la pratique:

Takeshi Mukawa


Autres avocats clés:

Ha Thi Dung; Hiroki Kishi; Kenji Nishio


Les références

‘MHM Vietnam’s team is very responsive to the clients. Root cause analysis is always on top, which helps the client to deeply understand the issues and make right decisions.’

‘Kenji Nishio has extensive experience in the Vietnam market, especially for the real estate and construction sector. He has a special method to understand his clients and the commercial know-how to get the deal done.’

Principaux clients

GAKKEN Holdings Co., Ltd.


Daibiru Corporation


Nomura Real Estate Development Co., Ltd


Mizuho Bank, Ltd.


ThaiNamthip Corporation Limited


Mizuho Bank, Ltd.


Noritz Corporation


NTT Urban Development Corporation, and its Singapore subsidiary, NTT UD Asia Pte. Ltd


SENKO Group Holdings Co., Ltd.


Capgemini Asia Pacific


NTT e-Asia PTE Ltd.


Principaux dossiers


  • Acted for Daibiru Corporation in its acquisition of a major office tower and retail development in Hanoi’s business district.

APFL & Partners Legal Vietnam LLC

APFL & Partners Legal Vietnam LLC advises clients such as developers, construction companies, banks and financial institutions, property companies and managers, as well as engineers, on all aspects of project implementation. The group has particular expertise in industries such as power and energy infrastructure, and projects involving office buildings, shopping centres, hotels and resorts. Key figures in the team include Nicolas Audier who focuses on M&A, banking and finance and capital markets with experience in the real estate matters, Etienne Laumonier in Ho Chi Minh City, as well as Nicolas Picard and Antoine Logeay in Hanoi.

Autres avocats clés:

Nicolas Audier; Etienne Laumonier; Nicolas Picard; Antoine Logeay


Principaux clients

Central Group


Canal+


Apave International


HAVAS


L’Oréal


Accor


CMA-CGM


Securitas


Principaux dossiers


ATS Law Firm

The real estate specialists at ATS Law Firm handle all aspects of property development, including sales, acquisitions, leases and sub-leases. Representing clients such as developers, private equity funds and investors, the group focuses on real estate transactions and licensing, land use and property leases, construction, infrastructure and real estate financing sources and debt restructuring. Practice head Vu Thi Thu Ha in Hanoi has a broad practice with extensive experience in the fields of real estate, construction, energy and trading. Also in Hanoi, Tran Thi Minh Chau advises a broad range of domestic and foreign clients on cross-border transactions, and has considerable capabilities in real estate.

Responsables de la pratique:

Vu Thi Thu Ha


Autres avocats clés:

Tran Thi Minh Chau


Les références

‘ATS has a team of lawyers with extensive experience and diverse fields of operation. They have style and professionalism in the consulting process to bring the highest benefits to customers.’

‘The team of lawyers truly understands the client’s work requirements and always proposes additional opinions to ensure optimisation of the client’s benefits.’

Principaux clients

Ecopark Corporation Joint Stock Company


Vietnam Joint Stock Commercial Bank For Industry And Trade (Vietinbank)


One Heritage Joint Stock Company


Big Lotus (Tan Thuan) Company Limited


Devcom Development And Construction Management Company Limited


Cau Go Trading Company Limited


Shimizu Vietnam Company Limited


Principaux dossiers


  • Advised a recognised multi-industry corporation specializing in investment and professional urban development in Vietnam, on a litigation case against a construction company.
  • Advised Vietnam Joint Stock Commercial Bank For Industry And Trade (Vietinbank) on a construction contract with a multi-national company.
  • Advised One Heritage Joint Stock Company on two contracts with its business partner.

Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu

Housing a team with ‘a wealth of knowledge and experience in real estate matters’, Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu specialises in providing legal assistance to Japanese investors on real estate development, construction, acquisition, ownership and leasing mandates in Vietnam. The group is co-led by Motohisa Nakagawa in Ho Chi Minh City who has a ‘sharp mind with commercial sense’ and Keigo Sawayama in Hanoi, both of whom have considerable expertise handling real estate matters.

Responsables de la pratique:

Motohisa Nakagawa; Keigo Sawayama


Les références

‘Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu have the ability to handle seamlessly and efficiently sophisticated real estate transactions.’

‘Motohisa Nakagawa possesses sharp mind with commercial sense, and excellent communication skills.’

‘The team has a wealth of knowledge and experience in real estate matters in Vietnam, which enables them to provide appropriate legal advice.’

Principaux clients

Shimizu Corporation


Daibiru Corporation


Mitsubishi Estate Co., Ltd.


One MEA Holdings Pte. Ltd.


Nishimura & Asahi

Overseen by foreign investments expert Hikaru Oguchi in Tokyo, Nishimura & Asahi advises a broad range of multinational and Vietnamese corporations on cross-border M&A in the real estate sector. In Ho Chi Minh City, Vu Le Bang specialises in inbound investments in Vietnam, including in the real estate sector, and Ha Hoang Loc is experienced in real estate projects and financing. In Hanoi, Akira Hiramatsu, Shiro Muto, Nguyen Thi Thanh Huong and Phan Thien Huong are key figures in the team.

Responsables de la pratique:

Hikaru Oguchi


Autres avocats clés:

Vu Le Bang; Ha Hoang Loc; Akira Hiramatsu; Shiro Muto; Nguyen Thi Thanh Huong; Phan Thien Huong


Principaux clients

Samty Co., Ltd.


Nishi-Nippon Railroad Co., Ltd.


Hankyu Hanshin Properties Corp.


Principaux dossiers


  • Advised Samty Co., Ltd. on its acquisition of a 90% stake in S-VIN2 Vietnam Real Estate Trading Joint Stock Co. from a subsidiary of Vinhomes Joint Stock Company, that is engaged in the condominium development and leasing of residential properties in Vietnam.
  • Advising Nishi – Nippon Railroad Co., Ltd. on the Waterpoint Township Project, a 165-hectares of land in Waterpoint Township including traffic knots of roadway, waterway and railway directly connecting Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta.

Vina Legal

With ‘good knowledge and experience in dealing with construction projects’, Vina Legal acts for foreign and domestic clients on a broad range of projects, such as those involving railways, highways, shopping malls and office and apartment buildings. The group is led by Duong Quang Long in Hanoi, who advises foreign investors and large domestic corporations, showcasing considerable experience in the real estate sector.

Responsables de la pratique:

Duong Quang Long


Les références

‘I appreciate their support and quick responses.’

‘The service is very good.’

‘Vina Legal team is stable, understands our business well, has good knowledge and experience in dealing with construction projects, terms of FIDIC contract and construction law and regulations.’

Principaux clients

Thaiholdings


Colas Rails S.A (France)


VSL (France)


Aon Vina Co., Ltd (South Korea)


Lotte Hotel (South Korea)


Bitexco Group


Vietnam Steel Corporation


Sunshine Group


Hung Thinh Land Group


Thaigroup


VIG Group


BNB Group


Gotec Land JSC


Van Truong Phat Group


Bong Sen JSC


Sa Pa Lao Cai JSC


Nam Phuong Energy JSC


BNP Global JSC


Tan Thanh Long An Group


Nam Land Group


Power Consulting Joint-Stock Company


Truong Son Construction Corporation


INVESTCOM JSC


Bao Viet Holdings


VietinBank


Cuu Long Infrastructure Development and Project Management Corporation


Principaux dossiers


  • Advised Thaiholdings to develop a hotel management contract with TUI Betriebsgesellschaft mbH for the management of TUI BLUE Han River Hotel.
  • Advised Colas Rail S.A to deal with legal issues the implementation of the EPC contract under the construction of one of the first and largest city subway lines in Hanoi between Nhon and Hanoi Railway Station.
  • Advised Nexif Energy to employ and develop EPC construction contracts with contractors to build a large Song Giang hydro power plant in Nha Trang, Vietnam.