IFLR 1000 (2015) Edition
The rankings and editorials on Rajah & Tann LCT Lawyers released by IFLR are highlighted below.
Rankings:
Banking and finance – Tier 3
Energy and infrastructure – Tier 3
Mergers and acquisitions – Tier 3
Leading Lawyers:
Huy Quang Chau - Energy and infrastructure : Disputes
Vu Thi Que - Energy and infrastructure : Project development, M&A
Financial and corporate
Banking and finance
On February 1 2014, Vietnamese firm LCT Lawyers integrated with Singapore law firm Rajah & Tann (R&T), effectively forming Rajah & Tann LCT Lawyers. Ho Chi Minh City-based partner Brian Ng, supported by partners Vu Thi Que, Nguyen Dinh Nha and Singapore-based Lim Wee Hann, leads the banking group. Ng and Lim transferred to the Vietnamese firm in February 2014 from R&T. Nguyen was formerly with Vision & Associates and joined in March 2013. Overall, the team has been rated highly by clients. “Insightful and practical advice –mindful of and in-touch with emerging market business practises,”says a client.
Vu Thi Que acted on a $1 billion loan transaction on behalf of the lender who is a global manufacturing company with operations in Vietnam. In another cross-border transaction, Brian Ng and the Rajah & Tann teams in Laos and Cambodia worked on the security for issued bonds for Hoang Anh Gia Lai joint stock company worth $175 million.
M&A
Vu Thi Que is head of the corporate and M&A practice leading a group of key partners comprising of Nguyen Dinh Nha, and Pham Manh Dzung. Pham joined the practice in June 2013from the Ministry of Planning and Investment of Vietnam where he acted as head of department. The firm finalised at the beginning of 2014 a $66million hospital project for the Shangri-La Group. Vu advised the developer on several aspects regarding this multi-speciality “health park”in Ho Chi Minh City. R&T LCT Lawyers continues to act on several other projects and M&A deals pertaining to the cement, manufacturing, and education sectors. In a multi-jurisdiction case, the firm was also involved in the voluntary delisting of Armstrong Industrial Corporation representing Polyfoam Asia, in a deal worth $197.5 million.
Energy and infrastructure
LCT Lawyers is a prominent full service law firm in Vietnam with offices in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Danang and Beijing. It recently tied up with regional Singapore-based firm Rajah & Tann, becoming Rajah & Tann LCT Lawyers effectively in February 2014. This follows an active year of gas, mining, manufacturing, transport and utilities projects. R&T LCT maintains an effective real estate and infrastructure practice, acting on several prominent deals on its own or with international firms. “We always appreciate their clear cut legal advice, whilst the legal opinion by law firm tends to be interpretable in various ways, in general,”says a client who’s retained the firm a large-scale project.
The firm handles all aspects of a transaction from agreements to financing. The firm’s infrastructure practice comprises of partners Vu Thi Que, Nguyen Dinh Nha and Pham Manh Dzung. Managing partner Chau Huy Quang is also involved in the dispute settlement resolution of deals.
In 2013, Chau and his team represented Mapletree Logistics Park Phase II (Vietnam)before the Court of Phu Nhuan district and the Court of Ho Chi Minh City in the Construction Contract Dispute with Tri Viet Steel Structure. On the corporate side, Vu advised Pau Jar Group on legal matters related to the Dockland Project, a premium residential complex in District 7. Vu also advised China Taiwan Petroleum Corporation, Excel Corporation and Unishine Chemical Corporation on the construction and development of a manufacturing plant and specialised port in the Dong Nai province valued at $65 million. R&T LCT acted as counsel to Thi Vai Port on increasing in the charter capital contribution rate of Kyoei Steel, Vung Tau Ship Company and VNSteel. The firm advised PetroVietnam Technical Service Corporation on a number of contracts pertaining to the infrastructure and construction in the petroleum sector, whilst also acting as counsel to How Yu Construction Group on a build-transfer contract with two loan agreements worth $290 million.