VILAF’s dispute resolution practice is widely recognised as a go-to offering in Vietnam for complex litigation and arbitration. With offices in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) and Hanoi, the firm handles high-stakes disputes across a spectrum of industries, from maritime and construction to finance, energy and manufacturing. Known for its particular strength in cross-border matters, the firm is often the Vietnamese counsel of choice in multi-jurisdictional disputes. Its lawyers are frequently appointed as Vietnam law experts in international proceedings, including at VIAC and SIAC, reflecting the firm’s authoritative standing in the local legal framework. They also have a strong track record in enforcing foreign arbitral awards and court judgments in Vietnam.
Key figures in the team include Tung Ngo, the firm’s HCMC managing partner, and Linh Nguyen in Hanoi, both seasoned litigators with decades of experience. They lead a deep bench of dispute lawyers such as Quynh Pham and Hien Tran, who each cover a broad contentious portfolio spanning commercial, construction, insurance, shipping, and employment disputes.
VILAF has made its mark handling some of Vietnam’s most significant and innovative disputes in recent years. In one high-profile international case, the firm defended a global bank in a $400 million aviation financing dispute involving one of Vietnam’s largest airlines. The matter required close coordination between proceedings in Vietnam and England, where the firm’s client obtained a rare anti-suit injunction to halt the airline’s parallel lawsuit in Hanoi. This was among the largest aviation-related disputes Vietnam has seen. Thanks to the injunction issued by the English High Court, the Vietnamese action was withdrawn and the conflict effectively centralized under more favourable conditions for VILAF’s client.
In another highlight, the team is also guiding a foreign award creditor through one of the first-ever enforcement actions for a Singapore court judgment in Vietnam, valued in the multi-millions. The team secured an unprecedented decision from the local enforcement authority to accept the case and begin attaching the debtor’s assets, a breakthrough step in a jurisdiction where enforcing foreign judgments is notoriously difficult.
On the domestic front, VILAF routinely handles complex construction and infrastructure disputes. A notable example was the firm’s representation of a Korean contractor in a protracted $90 million EPC contract dispute concerning a Vietnamese expressway project. Unusually, the contractor was also the parent company of the employer, adding a layer of intragroup complexity to the case. An initial arbitration had gone against the contractor, but the firm’s litigators persuaded the Vietnamese courts to set aside the arbitral award, citing issues of contract scope and potential abuse of power by the employer. This victory gave the client a fresh opening in court and the firm’s lawyers then pressed the dispute through the courts, where ultimately both sides agreed to settle during the appellate proceedings, with all claims and counterclaims withdrawn. The outcome, effectively nullifying an unfavorable award and achieving a negotiated resolution, exemplified the firm’s tenacity in domestic litigation and its skill at turning a case around on appeal. It also set a precedent in Vietnam’s construction sector, illustrating how a well-prepared court challenge can correct or mitigate an arbitral result in large-scale projects.
The firm’s contentious expertise extends to labour and employment disputes. Its employment team recently advised a major financial services company in a sensitive dispute with a former C-level executive who alleged unlawful termination. In court, the lawyers successfully demonstrated that the dismissal was justified overcoming the heavy burden of proof placed on employers in Vietnam and the claim was dismissed in its entirety. In another matter, the firm assisted an international school in Vietnam in navigating disciplinary action against a senior staff member accused of harassment. VILAF guided the school through updating its regulations, conducting a fair hearing, and ultimately defending its decision to terminate the individual.
Through all these matters, VILAF has reinforced its standing as one of Vietnam’s top dispute resolution firms. Clients laud the team’s combination of local savvy and international perspective, whether it’s acting as Vietnamese-law experts in an overseas arbitration or managing a sprawling multi-party case in the Ho Chi Minh City courts. The past year has seen the firm deepen its involvement in cross-border disputes, adapt swiftly to novel legal challenges, and continue to guide big-name clients through crises and controversies. With its core of experienced partners and a pipeline of capable younger lawyers, the firm delivers a disputes practice that is both time-tested and forward-looking.
