Profile

Ms. Thanh Minh Vu is a distinguished legal professional with a remarkable 17-year career spanning external and in-house counsel roles. Currently, she holds the esteemed position of Partner at LNT & Partners and serves as the Managing Partner of the Hanoi office. She also leads the firm’s Financial Services practice group.

Throughout her career, Minh has provided expert legal counsel to a diverse clientele, including foreign investors, domestic companies, and regulatory agencies in Vietnam. Her expertise covers a wide range of areas, including tax, investment, banking and finance, energy and construction, infrastructure, corporate M&A, and labor law. Her client portfolio includes international conglomerates, publicly listed companies, financial institutions, and private enterprises.

Before joining LNT & Partners, Minh served as the Head of the Legal Department at Vietnam Chemical Finance JSC (VCFC), which is now known as Lotte Finance.

Minh's exceptional legal acumen has earned her recognition on the international stage. She has received accolades such as 'Rising Star (Corporate M&A)' by Asialaw Leading Lawyer in 2023, 'Future Stars (Energy and Construction)' by Benchmark Litigation in 2023, and 'Recommended Lawyer in Banking and Finance, and Project and Energy' by Legal 500 Asia Pacific in 2022. Her achievements also include being named a 'Rising Star (Corporate M&A)' by Asialaw Leading Lawyer in 2022, 'Recommended Lawyer in Banking and Finance, Project and Energy, and Corporate and M&A' by Legal 500 Asia Pacific in 2021, and 'ALB Asia 40 Under 40' by Asian Legal Business, Thomson Reuters, in 2021.

Minh has played a pivotal role in significant financial transactions, and her insights on novel legal issues have been featured in prominent publications such as Vietnam Investment Review and Vietnam News. Clients value her adaptability in navigating Vietnam’s rapidly evolving regulatory landscape and her ability to provide clarity on intricate legal matters. Numerous ranking associations across various sectors have acknowledged her rising star status. Minh also takes pride in her role as a visiting lecturer at the Academy of Justice in Vietnam.

Memberships

Vietnam Bar Federation

Ho Chi Minh City Bar Association

International Bar Association

VietnamBanks Association – Banking Legal Club

Liên đoàn Luật sư Việt Nam

Đoàn Luật sư thành phố Hồ Chí Minh

Hiệp hội Luật sư quốc tế

Hiệp hội Ngân hàng Việt Nam – Câu lạc bộ pháp chế Ngân hàng

Education

LL.B. (Hanoi University of Law)

LL.M.(Hanoi National University, Vietnam)

Cử nhân Luật (Đại học Luật Hà Nội)

Thạc sỹ Luật (Khoa Luật, Đại học Quốc gia Hà Nội)

Language

Vietnamese

English

Work highlights

Advised two steps loan agreements from JBIC and significant Japanese banks for Vietcombank to set up two credit lines totaling up to USD500 million to support green energy and environmental preserving projects in Vietnam.

Advised Dakdrinh Hydropower JSC (PV Power DHC) on a $95 million loan agreement with the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and Natixis Bank to refinance the 125MW Dakdrinh Hydropower Plant Project, the largest-scale project on the hydropower ladder system on the Tra Khuc river basin and a key work in the national electricity development planning. This is the first loan of AIIB, a multilateral development bank with 103 member countries, in the field of infrastructure and is a loan without government guarantee.

Advised in obtaining unconditional clearance from Vietnamese authorities for a strategic acquisition exceeding $30 billion. This landmark deal involved General Electric (GE), one of the world's leading multinational companies active in the Power, Renewable Energy, Aviation, and Healthcare industries, completed the global sale of its GE Capital Aviation Services business (GECAS) to the global leader in aircraft leasing, AerCap Holdings N.V.

Advised PetroVietnam Power Corporation (PV Power), Vietnam's second largest power producer, on the sale and purchase contract of DLC Complex Project's office building with DLC Real Estate Co., Ltd (DLC).

Advised BW Industrial Development Joint Stock Company (BW) on its transaction to lease 74,000sq.m of prime landbank in the Bac Tien Phong Industrial Zone in Quang Ninh, developed by DEEP C Industrial Zones (DEEP C). Given its prime location, extensive expressway networks, and excellent connectivity to densely populated centres, major manufacturing clusters, ports and airports, the project will be most ideally suited to export manufacturers and tenants seeking alternative port-based locations to Hai Phong

Advised PetroVietnam Power Corporation (PVPower) on the equitisation of, and sale to a strategic investor of PetroVietnam’s shares in, PVPower.

Advised China Construction Bank (HCMC Branch) on a USD 73 million syndicated loan for the development of Hailide’s USD 150 million fiber textile complex in Tay Ninh (Vietnam).

Advised Eximbank, Shinhan Bank and Bangkok Bank on a VND 595 billion syndicated loan to finance for the development of a power plant.

Advised Vietcombank on a USD 75 million loan to Saigon Hanoi Bank.

Advised a local counsel for a Chinese bank on a USD 150 million revolving loan to a state-owned bank in Vietnam.

Advised a bank in a project finance for an oil rig for PetroVietnam Drilling Overseas.

Advised Vietnam Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam) on the negotiation of an offtake agreement with Nghi Son Refinery and Petrochemical LLC (NSRP).

Assisted the merger in Vietnam in terms of obtaining the State Bank of Vietnam's approval and other approvals for the transaction. The deal is global in scope and valued at USD 3.8 billion. It is also innovative because this was the first time two foreign banks have merged in the territory of Vietnam.

Advised a foreign credit institution on an acquisition of a weak performing local credit institution. The deal is completely novel and unprecedented.

Advised Vietnam Public Joint Stock Commercial Bank (PVCombank) on a USD 140 million loans with China Development Bank (Beijing) using LMA form.

Advised Vietcombank on a two-step loan agreement with JBIC, worth up to $ 200 million.

Advised Renova, Inc. and Power Construction No.1 JSC on contracts related to wind power plant development.

Advised Samsung Vina Electronics Co., Ltd on application for licensing for SamSung Pay application.

Advised on merger and acquisition procedure between Doosan Vina and Genera Electric. Advised on state divestment of Hanoi Beer Alcohol and Beverage Joint Stock Corporation.

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Publications

2023, SBV publishes new circular on offshore loans without guarantee

2023, Draft decision on procedures for approval of foreign lending and non-resident guarantee activities by economic organisations

2023, New challenges for upcoming loans from bank and other credit institutions

2023, Decree 19 highlights urgency of anti-money laundering regulations in Vietnam

2023, High-value transactions: new anti-money laundering regulation to come into effect

2023, Government temporarily lifts restriction period for credit institutions to repurchase corporate bonds

2023, Key points in Circular 78/2021/TT-BTC on e-invoices

2023, Impact of data localisation requirements on foreign enterprises

2023, Amended regulations on video games in Vietnam

2023, New regulations on guarantee agreements for off-plan housing in Vietnam

2022, New regulations on bank guarantees in Vietnam

2022, State Bank of Vietnam amends Circular 39 on lending transactions of credit institutions and foreign bank branches

2022, SBV publishes draft circular on offshore loans without guarantee

2022, New decree on fintech sandbox mechanism

2022, New requirements for trading of privately placed corporate bonds

2022, Challenges for investors participating in restructuring credit institutions with state capital under special control

2022, Notable changes on appraisal and approval of self-borrowing and self-payment foreign loans

2022, Use of digial signatures in e-financial transactions

2022, Circular 16 tightens regulations on corporate bond trading

2021, Fintech 2021 - Chambers Global Practice Guide

2020, Credit institution restructuring in Vietnam

2020, Non-Cash Payment in Vietnam. A Review of Recent Changes and Investment Opportunities

2020, Changing the PPP game

2019, Acquisition Finance 2019

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Recognition
Lawyer of the Year, asialaw Awards 2023
Vietnam Rising Star 2023, ALB Thomson Reuters
Rising Star in Corporate and M&A 2023, asialaw Profiles Leading Lawyers
Future Star (Energy and Contruction) 2023, Benchmark Litigation Asia-Pacific
Rising star Partners (Banking & Finance) 2023, IFLR1000
Recommended Lawyer in Banking and Finance, Corporate and M&A, Project and Energy
Named one of ALB Asia 40 under 40 2021 by Thomson Reuters
Recommended Lawyer in Banking and Finance, Tax