The Legal 500 - Asia Pacific (2022)
Banking and Finance – Tier 3
Corporate and M&A – Tier 2
Data Protection – Tier 1
Dispute Resolution: Arbitration – Tier 2
Dispute Resolution: Litigation – Tier 2
Labour and Employment – Tier 1
Projects and Energy – Tier 3
Real Estate and Construction – Tier 1
Shipping and Aviation – Tier 1
Tax – Tier 1
TMT – Tier 1
Leading Lawyers:
Chau Huy Quang – Shipping and Aviation; Tax; Dispute Resolution: Arbitration; Dispute Resolution: Litigation
Vu Thi Que – Labour and Employment; Real Estate and Construction; TMT
Next Generation Lawyers:
Logan Leung – Corporate and M&A; Dispute Resolution: Arbitration
Data Protection
Rajah & Tann LCT Lawyers' data protection offering is a subset of its TMT practice. The firm is particularly prominent in advising social media and e-commerce companies, and it is noted for its expertise in assisting with data protection reviews, cybersecurity issues and regulatory matters. Practice head Vu Thi Que is experienced in advising Chinese and Japanese investors.
Labour and Employment
Rajah & Tann LCT Lawyers’ team is equally skilled in contentious and non-contentious employment work, including restructurings, investigations and the employment aspects of corporate transactions. It is notably active in sectors such as insurance, financial services, healthcare and technology. Practice head Vu Thi Que has particular experience of advising Japanese, Taiwanese and Chinese investors that are investing in Vietnam. Logan Leung is another key individual in the team, as is senior associate Le Quynh Nhi.
Real Estate and Construction
Rajah & Tann LCT Lawyers' practice is led by Vu Thi Que, who is a fluent Mandarin speaker, and is sought after by clients from mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong. She has experience of advising Chinese developers on tie-ups and acquisitions of Vietnamese real estate companies. Also notable is that the firm attracts a steady flow of work from developers based in Singapore, including Mapletree and Keppel Land. Elsewhere, contentious matters are another key workstream; Chau Huy Quang is an expert in construction and real estate tenancy disputes. Newly promoted partner Trinh Minh Duc is another name to note at the firm.
Shipping and Aviation
Rajah & Tann LCT Lawyers' practice, which is jointly led by managing partner Chau Huy Quang and Logan Leung, is particularly active in wet shipping matters. Its work in this space covers vessel arrests, salvage, collisions, cargo damage claims, liquidations, financings and regulatory compliance. With the firm having an extensive network of offices across Southeast Asia, it is well-placed to handle cross-border matters. Tran Thi Phuong Thao has joined Allen & Gledhill (Vietnam).
Tax
Rajah & Tann LCT Lawyers is particularly active in contentious tax matters, particularly in the context of investigations by the Vietnamese tax authorities and appeals against their decisions. Chau Huy Quang, who heads up the team, has extensive experience of defending clients against the General Department of Taxation and local customs authorities. Trinh Minh Duc was recently promoted to partner.
TMT
Reflective of its presence in the technology industry, Rajah & Tann LCT Lawyers acts for global technology companies, start-ups and rising players. Led by Vu Thi Que, its team advises clients on issues concerning software, hardware and the Internet of Things. Logan Leung is experienced in handling tech-related M&A and venture capital transactions. Elsewhere, the firm is a major player in the fintech arena; its work in this area covers securities trading platforms, bitcoin, cryptocurrency, P2P lending and payments. Trinh Minh Duc was recently promoted to partner.
Corporate and M&A
Rajah & Tann LCT Lawyers' corporate and M&A team is notably active in private equity transactions and matters with a nexus to real estate, as well as handling a steady flow of general M&A work. With the firm having a wide regional footprint across Asia, it is often seen in projects of a similar scale. The practice is led by Vu Thi Que, who is a fluent Mandarin speaker and regularly acts for Chinese clients. She is supported by Logan Leung and Trinh Minh Duc, who were promoted to the partnership in 2020 and 2021 respectively.
Dispute Resolution: Arbitration
Rajah & Tann LCT Lawyers' team undertakes advocacy in Vietnam, which involves all major institutional rules. In addition, with the Vietnam practice forming a key part of the wider regional offering, it is well-placed to advise on multijurisdictional disputes across Southeast Asia. Chau Huy Quang has an interest in investor-state disputes in Vietnam. Another key individual is Logan Leung, who has experience of acting as counsel in arbitration cases adjudicated under the rules of the ICC, SIAC and CAA, among others. The firm's recent cases spanned areas such as construction, healthcare and energy.
Dispute Resolution: Litigation
Rajah & Tann LCT Lawyers has a strong track record in real estate and construction disputes, with other core strengths including logistics, manufacturing, consumer goods and insurance cases. Managing partner Chau Huy Quang has experience of construction and foreign investment matters, among other areas. Senior associate Quach Vu An Khoa is also recommended.
Banking and Finance
Rajah & Tann LCT Lawyers is a first port of call among many financial institutions across Asia, as well as corporate borrowers. The team has been increasingly active in project finance mandates recently, particularly in relation to energy projects. Regulatory work has also been an area of growth, notably in the fintech space, where the group's expertise includes cryptocurrency, P2P lending and payment intermediation. The team is jointly led by Nguyen Dinh Nha and Vu Thi Que. Trinh Minh Duc made partner in June 2021.
Projects and Energy
Rajah & Tann LCT Lawyers is at the forefront of advice to foreign investors investing in Vietnam's growing clean energy industry. Practice head Vu Thi Que is experienced in advising investors from China, Taiwan and Japan. The team, which includes recently promoted special counsel, also demonstrates regulatory and projects expertise in the oil and gas industry. Nguyen Dinh Nha is a project finance expert. Trinh Minh Duc made partner.