Team size: 28

What are the most significant cases or transactions that you have been involved in over the past year?

Over the past 12 months, our most significant achievement was Home Credit’s successful private placement of corporate bonds with the aggregate principal amount of VND 2,900 billion in May and June. This milestone is particularly noteworthy as we are the only finance company in Vietnam to accomplish this feat in the recent market environment.

Several key obstacles were encountered during this process, including highly volatile interest rate, complex regulatory framework (both prior and post-closing actions) and huge volume of documentation.

Our legal team have demonstrated exceptional efficiency by providing rapid and effective advice throughout the process. Through diligent review and negotiation, we successfully closed the deals in nearly three months from the start of the initiative. This achievement not only showcases our team’s expertise but also underscores our commitment to supporting the company’s strategic objectives in an evolving and challenging environment.

Based on your experience, what is the key to collaborating successfully with business partners?

Successful collaboration with business partners normally requires many aspects like knowhow and xpertise, shared purposes and goals, commercial mindset, xperience and conflict-solving skills, etc. From my personal expectation, especially when working in big projects with multiple stakeholders, I have the tendency to look first at the “level of dedication” of the team members. A highly dedicated team member will normally be willing to “walk extra miles” to overcome the obstacle, to find the solution, and to see the successful delivery of the project. From my experience, this “trait” is always highly appreciated by many stakeholders.

In addition, I also appreciate the adaptability and proactive engagement. The ability to respond to changing circumstances and to anticipate the needs of our business partners enhances our collaborative efforts and ultimately leads to more successful outcomes.

How do you motivate and manage the other members of your legal team well?

Effective motivation and management of our legal team are achieved through a combination of respect, trust, open communication and facilitating the development of team members (both professional and else).

Are the effects of AI on the legal world overplayed, or underplayed?

AI can be an effective tool to enhance the efficiency and quality of work for lawyers at all levels. However, the widespread adoption of AI in the legal field raises significant concerns regarding data privacy and security. Lawyers often handle sensitive information that requires the utmost confidentiality, and any vulnerabilities in AI systems could expose their clients to compliance issue in data privacy and security sectors, as well as placing lawyers in the risk of breaching confidentiality obligations. Therefore, everyone should continue to carefully examine data privacy and security issues in the development of AI before it can be fully integrated into legal work.