Navigating Legal Frontiers, Innovating for Clients: Rajah & Tann LCT Lawyers as A Pan-Asian Powerhouse Strategically Positioned for Future Growth.  

1) What do you see as the main points that differentiate Rajah & Tann LCT lawyers from your competitors?

Rajah & Tann LCT Lawyers is a leading full-service Vietnamese law firm. It is among Vietnam’s most prominent, representing a wide range of multinational and domestic clients on a variety of business and investment matters. With practice groups spanning all areas from banking and finance to litigation and tax, the firm is best placed to serve its clients across a broad platform of practices in all key legal issues affecting their business in Vietnam. Our lawyers bring to the table in-depth knowledge of local laws and regulations, and are committed to providing services of international quality. The firm is the Vietnam regional member of Rajah & Tann Asia – a network of more than 1,000 legal professionals and the first unified, coherent and authentically Asian legal services offering throughout the region. With a footprint in Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam (and dedicated desks serving clients in Brunei, Japan and South Asia), Rajah & Tann Asia is the region’s new “home team” of “Lawyers Who Know Asia”.  

2) Which practices do you see growing in the next 12 months? What are the drivers behind that?

We anticipate growth in China-related investments in the next 12 months, as investors see Vietnam as a key component of their global supply chains – particularly in large-scale manufacturing. Investments from China have been (and are expected to remain) diverse, and we have been witnessing increasing volumes of investor interest in areas such as energy, electronics, consumer goods and even automobiles (particularly EVs). We further anticipate strong demand in arbitration, as the Vietnam International Arbitration Centre continues to play a significant role in promoting ADR within the country. Proposed reforms to Vietnam’s arbitration law are expected to foster growth in this field, by establishing Vietnam as an increasingly arbitration-friendly jurisdiction. We also see growth in our practices that serve investors in the digital economy space, as well as data protection work. The Government has recently enacted new laws in the personal data protection, telecoms, consumer protection and electronic transactions space, and regulations concerning internet and online services are in the pipeline. We foresee this will drive growth in our Technology, Media and Telecommunications (TMT) practice – particularly on regulatory support.  

3) What's the main change you've made in the firm that will benefit clients?

We are constantly honing our domain expertise and developing our practices in specialised areas of law. For example, the firm now boasts lawyers with deep industry knowledge in fields such as real estate, clean energy maritime/shipping and technology, media and telecommunications (TMT). We have further established a dedicated Tax practice, covering both advisory and contentious tax matters.  

4) Is technology changing the way you interact with your clients, and the services you can provide them?

The firm has such adopted technologies to accommodate the “new normal” following the COVID-19 pandemic, and is consistently on the lookout for innovations (including in technology) to create efficiencies in service-delivery for, and enhance relationships with, clients. Rajah & Tann Asia sits at the forefront of technology in the legal industry and (through Rajah & Tann Technologies) offers value-added legal solutions to clients in the new economy. Regional collaboration sits as one of the foundations of Rajah & Tann Technologies, by enabling all regional offices (including our firm in Vietnam) to provide tech-enabled legal solutions that are suitable and adapted for local markets.  

5) Can you give us a practical example of how you have helped a client to add value to their business?

The biggest value that we add to our client’s business is the ability to seamlessly deliver pan-Asian solutions through the Rajah & Tann Asia network – often acting as a “one-stop shop”. For example, in the past year alone:

• We have, in collaboration with our lawyers in Singapore, successfully represented our Vietnamese clients in international arbitral proceedings involving a Vietnam substantive law and Singapore procedural law.
• We have coordinated the delivery of regulatory advice spanning multiple jurisdictions across Southeast Asia, and offer a one-stop shop our clients that seek to “go regional” in Asia.
• We have advised and acted for clients in M&A transactions of companies with a presence across Asia, through coordinating due diligence and finalisation of transaction documents with our lawyers in the region.

 

6) Are clients looking for stability and strategic direction from their law firms - where do you see the firm in three years’ time?

Clients certainly do look for stability and strategic direction from their law firms, but at the same time appreciate firms that are able to innovate (and enhance efficiencies in service delivery). Our strategic direction is to consistently strive to remain ahead of the curve – not just jump on the bandwagon. We see technology playing a greater role in the firm’s offerings in three years’ time (including with the advent of legal practice management and AI-driven solutions) and Rajah & Tann Asia has positioned itself as a network that stands ready to avail of technological innovations where they will maximise value-add for clients. With investment interest in Vietnam showing no signs of wavering, Rajah & Tann LCT Lawyers looks to continue remaining one of Vietnam’s most trusted legal advisors. Furthermore, as the investment appetite of homegrown Vietnamese companies grow, the firm (in its unique position at Rajah & Tann Asia) stands ready to support as a springboard for those companies to expand their investments in the region.