Corporate Formation, Investments and Licensing
The complexities and nuances of investing and incorporating in Vietnam often surprise even the most seasoned investors. To deal with the labyrinthine regulations, Group Counsel has one of the most experienced and knowledgeable corporate formation/licensing attorneys in Vietnam. Our attorneys regularly assist foreign clients in establishing their representative offices or subsidiaries in Vietnam. Whether it is advising on complex corporate structures to exit strategies, as well as meeting with licensing authorities, our team has extensive experience to assist international clients in the formation and guidance of their business operations in Vietnam.
Employment Law/Labor Code
A key component to a strong business is its employee relationships. The employment relationship in Vietnam is governed by contract rather than at-will, as such foreign clients find the disciplinary measures and dismissal procedures in Vietnam’s Labor Code sometimes in conflict with their own workplace rules. As part of our commitment to providing multi-national clients with the benefits of an in-house attorney, Group Counsel offers employment and labor services to aid its clients in preventing employee conflicts and successfully resolving labor conflicts that may arise despite prevention measures.
Construction and Land Laws
Construction and land laws are an extremely broad concentration for any legal practitioner, regardless of jurisdictional practice. This point is never more salient than in Vietnam, where land use is based on the principle that land is owned by the people as administered by the state. Under this theory, land is not owned in perpetuity by any person. Rather, land is leased to citizens for a defined period of time by the state. Group Counsel is familiar with all facets of construction and land-use laws in Vietnam, focusing on the review of construction contracts, validity of land-use rights certificates, and bona fide property searches. With this focus Group Counsel is able to provide clients with the sound and prompt advice they need to protect their rights despite the fast pace with which their construction projects must move.
Group Counsel provides experienced and sophisticated advice with respect to the complete range of commercial real estate transactions.
Franchise and Distribution
Group Counsel’s experience embraces all facets of distribution and franchising relationships, including structuring transactions, ongoing counseling, and litigation. We regularly assist clients in a variety of franchise and distribution related issues, ranging from IP-related technology transfers to establishing distribution networks in Vietnam.
Commercial Contracts, Business Litigation and Dispute Resolution
Group Counsel provides commercial contract support for in-house legal teams and also handles major projects and business-critical contracts for companies across industries. At any one time, the firm will be working on business deals ranging from straightforward agreements to complex multi-party projects spanning multiple jurisdictions and sophisticated time requirements. In short, the firm drafts the range of documents necessary to create and preserve the client’s business relationships, protect the client’s rights, and enhance the value of the business.
Group Counsel is particularly sensitive to client needs and expectations regarding the timely and cost-effective resolution of disputes, and has broad experience in alternative dispute resolution procedures, such as arbitration and mediation. The firm regularly counsels clients on dispute avoidance practices in order to avoid litigation in the first place.
Mergers & Acquisitions, Capital Markets and Securities
Group Counsel is committed to delivering the highest quality legal services to all of our M&A clients. We represent sellers, purchasers, target companies, and financial advisors in all types of domestic and international transactions, including acquisitions of stocks and assets, divestitures of stocks and assets, tender offers, corporate governance advice, private equity, and joint ventures or strategic alliances.
Our capital markets and securities practice is complemented by and integrated with other practice areas, including tax, mergers and acquisitions, private equity, project finance, transportation infrastructure and concessions, energy, employee benefits, real estate, environmental, competition, and intellectual property. Our approach is guided by offering our clients not only technical knowledge, but also practical advice based on our experience.
E-commerce
Our attorneys provide a full range of high quality legal services to hi-tech companies and other companies engaged in doing business over the Internet. Group Counsel focuses on addressing the domestic and international legal and business issues that continue to arise as ongoing and rapid changes take place in the areas of the Internet, e-commerce, and technology.