“The standout firm in Vietnam, for its quality, depth and knowledge”
Chambers
Litigation
Our top Vietnam litigation practice has received widespread professional recognition in the region for their work. Clients seek our advice on high-stakes litigation and cross-border disputes, and we are involved in complex commercial litigation throughout the country and internationally.
Clients benefit from our ability to leverage our broad corporate experience to address their unique legal and business interests.
Drawing on our deep bench of trial ready attorneys, we have repeatedly secured precedent setting results that have reshaped the legal and business landscapes for our clients.
We have recently represented a commercial bank in a leading letter of credit case which has now been published by the People’s Supreme Court as a binding precedent. We have also represented a prominent ride-hailing platform in a lawsuit with Vinasun, which has reshaped the transport business in Vietnam. We have extensive M&A, shareholders and white-collar defense experience.
Contacts
Relevant Resources
Recent Accolades
Rankings
| 2024 | Band 1 | Chambers |
| 2024 | Tier 1 | Legal 500 |
| 2024 | Tier 1 | Benchmark Litigation |
| 2024 | Outstanding | Asialaw |
| 2023 | Band 1 | Chambers |
| 2023 | Tier 1 | Legal 500 |
| 2023 | Tier 1 | Benchmark Litigation |
| 2023 | Outstanding | Asialaw |
| 2022 | Band 1 | Chambers |
| 2022 | Tier 1 | Legal 500 |
| 2022 | Tier 1 | Benchmark Litigation |
| 2022 | Outstanding | Asialaw |
Awards
Reputation
“its unmatched dispute group, backed by the largest litigation team in the country, is lauded by clients as well as competitors. Fielding a team of internationally trained and domestically qualified lawyers, YKVN retains both international and domestic clients, in cases both within the jurisdiction and cross-border”
(Legal 500)
“Well known for its commercial litigation, energy and construction related disputes“
(Benchmark Litigation)
“YKVN is the standout firm in Vietnam, for its quality, depth and knowledge.”
“The team is able to offer “nuanced, sophisticated advice” to foreign clients with investments in Vietnam.”
“Formidable local team specialising in representing clients in domestic and cross-border litigation and arbitration. Key areas of strength include project, construction and non-payment arbitrations, supported by additional resources in Singapore.“
(Chambers)
“A diverse mix of internationally-qualified talent enables the practice to advise on cross-border disputes, a speciality likely to grow given Vietnam’s economic liberalisation.”
(Asialaw)
”Responsive”, “good and reliable”, YKVN represents clients at all levels of the Vietnamese court system and in the Vietnam International Arbitration Centre
(Legal 500)
Representative Deals
- Advised a Vietnamese big construction company in a claim against the largest state-owned bank in Russia regarding enforcement of the bank’s multi-million dollar first demand guarantee;
- Represented a former Minister of Vietnam in a criminal economic case;
- Advised and represented a number of state-owned corporations including the large local petroleum corporations in a number of investment transactions and in the negotiation and settlement of a number of domestic and international disputes;
- Together with a Nigerian firm, acted for the local bank’s branch in a Admiralty in Rem case before Lagos High Court of Nigeria;
- Represented a leading Danish construction company in the negotiation and settlement of a dispute with a Vietnamese subcontractor with the Project Management of the People’s Committee of a large centrally-run city in Vietnam;
- Advised a foreign investment company in the negotiation and settlement of more than US $40 million following VIAC arbitration procedures in a dispute over a FIDIC construction contract in relation to a complex of super luxury hotels and apartments;
- Represented a shipbuilding company in the successful negotiation and settlement of disputes with the Dutch purchaser of the vessel and the sub-contractor over a shipbuilding contract of over €13 million following London arbitration procedures;
- Represented a foreign construction contractor before the Supreme People’s Court of Vietnam in a dispute over a FIDIC contract;
- Co-represented/advised Vietnamese state-owned and private corporations in the settlement of multi-million-dollar commercial, construction, and maritime disputes following SIAC, UNCITRAL, GAFTA 125, VIAC arbitration procedures or foreign court procedures;
- Advised a foreign insurance company in settling an insurance dispute over an oil refinery construction contract;
- Advised and/or represented Standard Chartered Bank, the Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Foreign Trade of Vietnam and HSBC in the settlement of credit and financial disputes;
- Advised a foreign-invested company in a US$300 million infra-structure BOT project on a dispute with a municipal government whereby the initially approved invested capital cap was accepted to be increased by more than US$60 million;
- Advised a foreign-invested company to terminate the Construction Contract with Korean contractor involving luxury apartments project in Da Nang;
- Represented an international consultant in settling dispute with Vietnamese developer involving project management agreement of a large recreational project in Long An;
- Advised local developer in the settling disputes with main and subcontractors in construction contracts involving luxury apartments project in Ho Chi Minh City;
- Represented Korean financing company in settling dispute with Vietnamese state-owned in a guarantee agreement of over US$13 million at Ho Chi Minh City’s Court;
- Represented a private equity firm in settling dispute with electronics distributor in convertible loan agreement of over US$6.3 million;
- Advised a foreign-invested company in settling dispute with its shareholder involving loan agreement of over US$2 million in VIAC;
- Advised the foreign owner/operator of a 5-star hotel in Ho Chi Minh City, being charged of tax evasion and involved in a complex dispute with the local BCC partner and tax authority, and helping the investigation be dropped and the BCC transformed into a joint-venture;
- Advised an international education institution on the settlement of the dispute with its partner in a JVC involving the investment process, establishment of an international school in Vietnam worth tens of millions of USD;
- Represented a Vietnam’s largest trading corporation, in a trade dispute worth several million USD;
- Represented a major shareholder of a company operating a large cable-car project worth tens of millions of USD, in winning the lawsuit over a shareholders’ dispute;
- Represented a major foreign fund in Vietnam in an arbitration case at VIAC involving a claw-back valued at tens of millions of USD from a share-subscription agreement with a local joint-stock company;
- Represented a real estate company in a debt recovery case at the Court of District 1, Ho Chi Minh City against a foreign invested company worth US $15 million; and
- Advised an international holdings and investment real estate investor (buyer) on the settlement of the dispute with an international investor (seller) involving a project assignment agreement worth US $22 million.
- Acted for a local petroleum exploration company in a multi-million dollar SIAC arbitration involving a defaulting a foreign oil exploration contractor (co-counsel: Herbert Smith);
- Advised a local petroleum exploration company on a potential arbitration claim under an Iranian oil exploration contract (co-counsels: DLA Piper and Jones Day);
- Advised a local petroleum exploration company in the negotiation and settlement of a claim of more than US$100 million arising from an offshore drilling platform installation contract (co-counsel: DLA Piper);
- Acted for a subsidiary shipyard of the local largest shipping corporation in a SIAC arbitration against a Japanese maritime equipment supplier (co-counsel: K&L Gates);
- Acted for another subsidiary shipyard of the local largest shipping corporation in a London arbitration over a shipbuilding contract dispute against a Dutch company (co-counsel: K&L Gates);
- Acted as legal expert witness on Vietnamese law issues in a SIAC arbitration involving Vietnamese joint venture agreement dispute (lead counsel: Rajah & Tann); and
- Acted for a large local livestock corporation in a GAFTA arbitration in Singapore against an agriculture products trader (co-counsel: K&L Gates).
