We are tremendously grateful for her professional knowledge, business acumen and client orientation, to guide us in our business development in Vietnam.” – Chambers Global

Vu Thi Que, a founding partner and Chairwoman of Rajah & Tann LCT Lawyers.

Que has more than 20 years of experience in legal practice and is highly evaluated by clients. Bringing special expertise to the profession with her wide array of legal knowledge and trilingual abilities. Being fluent in both English and Chinese (Mandarin), Que advises various English-speaking and Chinese-speaking clients, as well as other multinational clients, on a wide range of legal and compliance issues.

In M&A transactions, Que has successfully led her team in closing a significant number of deals spanning a broad spectrum of industries. From due diligence to transaction documentation, the Corporate and M&A practice group under Que’s lead has been regarded for its responsiveness and local expertise, as well as for the unique knowledge and ability in matters relating to the Chinese market that Que brings.

Que has additionally been involved in advisory and negotiations for the development of some of Vietnam’s largest real estate and infrastructure projects. Her experience covers developments of entire new townships, commercial and residential high-rise towers, highways, and other infrastructure projects of national significance amidst Vietnam’s rapid economic development of the past few decades.

Que has been approached and is regarded by investors, from promising start-ups to Fortune 500 companies, for her assistance in greenfield and  brownfield projects. These span a broad spectrum of industries, and she has been behind the setup of many successful corporations in Vietnam.

EXPERIENCE

Projects, Infrastructure & Energy

  • Advised a leading Taiwanese state-owned enterprise on the setup of a US$65+ million lubricant oil manufacturing plant with a specialised port.
  • Assisted the Joint Sponsors concerning the commercial presences of J&T Express in Vietnam in relation to the IPO of J&T Express in Hong Kong with value of HK$3.5 billion.
  • Advised a Chinese state-owned enterprise in its cooperation with Vietnam Electricity (EVN) for the development of the US$1.5+ billion Duyen Hai 3 Thermal Power Plant.
  • Advised a leading Taiwanese construction group in a build-transfer contract for the construction of the US$260+ million junction line between Halong City and Bach Dang Bridge.
  • Advised Janakuasa Pte Ltd in the investment and operation matters of its subsidiary in Vietnam in the field of wind power energy Corporate/ M&A.
  • Assisted a leading Taiwanese conglomerate on its set-up and structuring of its US$250 million manufacturing facility in southern Vietnam.
  • Advised PowerChina in connection with its financing transactions for various clean energy projects across Vietnam such as Dau Tieng 1, Dau Tieng 2 and Dau Tieng 3 Photovoltaic Solar Power Plant Projects (420 MW), Truong Thanh Tra Vinh V1-2 Offshore Wind Power Plant Project (48 MW), Bac Lieu Wind Power Plant – Phase III (141MW) and Soc Trang Wind Power Plant – Phase I (30MW), as well as in general project development matters.
  • Assisting EDP Renewables, a world leading renewable energy company, in its acquisition projects in Vietnam.
  • Advised Jiangsu Luneng Energy Co., Ltd on its joint ventures to establish cell production line in Vietnam.

Corporate Regulatory / Mergers & Acquisitions

  • Assisted The Coca-Cola on its US$1.02 billion sale of its stake in the Coca-Cola subsidiaries with bottling business in Vietnam and Cambodia to its bottling partner, Swire Pacific Ltd., a Hong Kong-based conglomerate.
  • Assisted Marubeni Growth Capital Asia in purchasing minority shares in AIG Asia Ingredients Corporation in conducting legal work from the outset, including legal due diligence on the targeted land, assets, and target company, as well as preparing and reviewing transactional documents, assessing merger filings, and providing legal advice as needed.
  • Assisted Richemont in advising on the investment structure and businesses and investments models in Vietnam. And assisting them in obtaining retailing licenses for its retailing boutiques in Vietnam.
  • Assisted a Japanese sogo shosha on the incorporation of a general trading company to distribute several hundred HS codes, one of the first of its kind in Vietnam.
  • Assisted a Japanese investor in a share transfer among a group of Singaporean companies in the construction industry.
  • Advised Lombard Asia III L.P. in drafting the amendments and registration with SBV of an offshore loan with a Vietnamese company.
  • Advised JCB International on setting up its presence in Vietnam, as well as advised on the structuring of its credit card issuance programs with leading Vietnamese financial  institutions.
  • Advised a prominent Southeast Asian broadcaster on its market entry and cooperation with a Vietnamese entrepreneur to deliver VOD in Vietnam, to be among the first foreign-owned VOD providers in Vietnam.
  • Assisted a Japanese investor in acquiring a more than 20% equity stake in a Vietnamese listed logistics company, one of the few successful acquisitions in this restricted line of business.
  • Assisted a major American educational organisation on its internal restructuring and acquisition plans to bolster its presence in southern Vietnam.
  • Advised a leading Korean conglomerate on deal structuring and assisted in drafting all transaction documentation for a takeover of a major Vietnamese manufacturer.
  • Assisted Hong Leong Group in its US$1.2 billion acquisition, together with TPG, of Columbia Asia, which includes two full-service international hospitals in Vietnam.
  • Assisted BioMar Group, a Danish group, one of the leading suppliers of high-performance fish feed to the aquaculture industry in its share sale transaction of Viet-Uc, one of Vietnam’s leading seafood groups operating in shrimp and fish hatcheries and shrimp farming in Vietnam, including conducting legal due diligence, drafting of transactional documents and general legal advice.
  • Assisted Kirin Holdings Company Limited, a Japanese beer and beverage holding company, to acquire possibly 100% of the ordinary shares of Blackmore, a leading pharmaceutical company which is listed on ASX (Australia) and having its subsidiary in Vietnam.
  • Acted for IMCD N.V, leading global distributor, formulator and experts solutions provider of specialty chemicals and ingredients in its acquisition of the entire issued share capital of Brylchem Pte. Ltd and the assets of Chemipac Pte. Ltd and CMS Marketing Trading Company Limited.
  • Assisted Organon International, one of the Singapore-based leading pharmaceutical corporations, in expanding its business and operation into the Vietnamese market.
  • Assisted a Malaysian investor in its acquisition of gaming and casino rights in a five-star hotel in Vietnam.
  • Assisted a leading Taiwanese conglomerate on its set-up and structuring of its US$250 million manufacturing facility in southern Vietnam.

Construction & Real Estate

  • Assisted Shandong Innovation Group, one of the leading listed manufacturing companies in China  in the fields of deformation and casting aluminum alloy, aluminum sheet, strip, foil, car wheel, casting steel and casting iron, along with trade and logistics in acquiring an industrial land area for its project investment of nearly US$170 million in Vietnam.
  • Advised Paujar Group, a Taiwanese conglomerate, on its development of the Docklands residential project in District 7 and their Flemington condominium project District 11, Ho Chi Minh City.
  • Assisted Mapletree in legal matters relating to the Mapletree Binh Duong Industrial Zone, Binh Duong Province and the sale of this industrial zone to BW Industrial.
  • Assisted Mapletree in certain legal matters relating to the Mapletree Logistic Park in VSIP 1, Binh Duong Province.
  • Acted for the garments arm of the Far Eastern Group in its US$1+ billion expansion in the garments industry in southern Vietnam, including in land procurement for its manufacturing  megaproject in industrial parks.
  • Advised Keppel Land, a major Singaporean real estate developer on its numerous investment projects in central Ho Chi Minh City.
  • Advised the Nam Long Group on matters of structuring and development for its residential projects in Ho Chi Minh City via a joint venture with two Japanese conglomerates.
  • Advised a Chinese real estate developer on its planned multibillion dollar project development in Vietnam, including the exploration of PPP models.
  • Advised a Hong Kong property developer on its planned joint venture with one of Vietnam’s largest property groups for the development of a mixed-used development in HCMC.
  • Advised a leading Singaporean real estate developer on its development (and subsequent sales and leasing arrangements) of its shopping complex and commercial real estate developments across southern Vietnam.
  • Advised a leading Japanese real estate company in its joint venture with Becamex Binh Duong for its development of a condominium project in Binh Duong Province.
  • Advised a Chiaphua Group on its restructuring and multiple compliance matters pertaining to its residential development in District 2, including spearheading one of Vietnam’s first property splits by a foreign-invested company under the latest Law on Land.
  • Advised Core Pacific Group, a leading Taiwanese real estate developers in its project development in Vietnam.
  • Advised China Fortune Land Development (CFLD) in its incorporation of the 100% foreign owned company in Vietnam and provided regulatory advice.
  • Assisting IDEC Asia on land acquisition transactions in both the north and the south of Vietnam for its warehouse developments.
  • Assisted Boustead Projects in a number of its industrial land projects in Vietnam.
  • Assisted JD Group in a number of its industrial land projects in Vietnam.
  • Assisted Ascendas REIT in a number of its industrial land projects in Vietnam.
  • Assisted Hua Fu Group in its sublease of a large-scale land area in Long An province for its project development in Vietnam.
  • Assisted China Petroleum Corporation Taiwan, Unishine Chemical Corporation, and Excel Chemical Corporation in the sublease of a large-scale land area in Ong Keo Industrial Zone to implement an investment project of lubricant production and wharf operation.

Competition, Customs & Trade

  • Advised a major Chinese company on exportation of e-bikes from Vietnam to the European Union under EVFTA including the determination of origin of goods.
  • Advised a major foreign-invested company in Vietnam on labelling regulations and origin determination for its exported semi-finished industrial gloves products.
  • Advised a Chinese client on regulations for obtainment of a certificate of origin in Vietnam for its battery products.
  • Advised a Chinese company on determination of the origin of the furniture chairs manufactured in Vietnam which use raw materials imported from China.
  • Advised a Nutreco Group, a leading animal nutrition in the HS Code classification for the importation of its equipments to be imported into Vietnam.
  • Advised several China-based manufacturers on structuring the re-allocation plan for their investment into Vietnam to be entitled to incentives under international treaties which Vietnam is a signatory.

Employment

  • Assisted Coca-Cola Vietnam on various labour issues, conduct the training Competition policy and Commercial Handbook for employees in Vietnam.
  • Assisted Xiaomi in labor issues in Vietnam, as staffing service and transition from fixed-term agreement to indefinite term agreement with relevant provisions under laws on employer’s obligations to its employees.
  • Assisted Richemont Group in multiple employment matters for its business deployment in Vietnam.
  • Assisted National Australia Bank, one of the four largest financial institutions in Australia, in a detailed review of the payroll system rules from a Vietnam perspective.
  • Advised Dynatrace, a US software company on employee recruitment and employee benefit policies, drafting the employment contract for both local employees and  expatriates.

MEMBERSHIPS / DIRECTORSHIPS

  • Founding Mediator/Vice President, Vietnam International Commercial Mediation Center (VICMC)
  • Accredited Mediator – The Center for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR) – England
  • Liquidator – The Ministry of Justice of Vietnam
  • Visiting Lecturer of Dong A Law School, Dong A University, Busan, South Korea
  • Visiting Lecturer of Taiwan Academy of Banking & Finance, Taipei, Taiwan
  • Visiting Lecturer of the Vietnam Judicial Academy – The Ministry of Justice of Vietnam
  • Visiting Lecturer of the Singapore Business Federation
  • Member, International Bar Association
  • Member, Law Asia
  • Member, Vietnam Bar Federation
  • Member, Ho Chi Minh City Bar Association
  • Member, China Business Association Ho Chi Minh City Branch
  • Member, Taiwanese Chambers of Commerce Ho Chi Minh City Branch

PUBLICATIONS

  • “Local practice rules the Law”, Tsinghua Law Journal (Beijing, China), Nov 2003 (published in Chinese).
  • “Practical Implementation Encumbrances of the Law on Investment and Law on Enterprises in Vietnam” – Dong A Journal of International Business Transactions Law (Busan, South Korea) Volume 8/December 2012 (published in  English)
  • “Digging deeper in Mining M&A”, Vietnam Investment Review (Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam), August 26 – Sep 1, 2013 (published in English)
  • “M&A Opportunities in Mining Sectors for Foreign Investors”, M&A 2013 Journal (Hanoi, Vietnam), July 2013 (published in Vietnamese)
  • “Vietnam – Merger Control”, Global Legal Insight 2014 (published in English)
  • “Pitfall on new land law every investor should avoid”, Vietnam Investment Review (Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam), August 11-17, 2014 (published in English)
  • “M&A deal: Notes on Competition law”, Saigon Times (Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam), December 18-2014 (publish in Vietnamese)
  • “New M&A growth blocked by lack of legal clarification”, Vietnam Investment Review (Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam), August 3-9, 2015 (published in English)
  • “Change to Real Estate Law begets challenges”, Vietnam Investment Review (Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam), August 3-9, 2015 (published in English)
  • “Risks in dual nationality”, Saigon Economy (Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, 31 July 2016 (published in Vietnamese)
  • “Business Opportunities in Vietnam” hosted by Brainworks Co., Ltd. to help Japanese companies in consideration to expand their businesses in Vietnam. Sailing Master, winter 2020 (published in Japanese).

AWARDS

Location(s)

Practice Area(s)

Qualifications

  • LLB, Tsinghua University, China
  • MBA, Andrew & Griggs University, USA
  • Qualified Lawyer - Vietnam Bar Federation
  • Qualified Lawyer - Ho Chi Minh City Bar
  • Accredited Mediator - The Center for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR) - England
  • Accredited Mediator - The Vietnam International Commercial Mediation Center (VICMC) - Vietnam
  • Liquidator - The Ministry of Justice of Vietnam

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