Corporate
Administrative procedure reform is considered the 'backbone' of the modern investment environment. However, practice shows that in Vietnam, many businesses still face cumbersome and inconsistent procedures - even going against the spirit of reform. The gap between policy and practice is therefore still quite far.
The year 2025 will witness strong legal fluctuations unprecedented in Vietnam's legislative history. The National Assembly, together with the Government of ministries, departments and branches, has issued a record number of new laws, decrees and circulars that have created a "fierce flow" of Vietnamese law. Although it opens up opportunities to improve the business and investment environment, this event poses many challenges for the business community. From the perspective of a companion, sticking with businesses through these fluctuations, we would like to offer some thoughts on the multi-dimensional impact of legal flows in 2025, and at the same time suggest some solutions to help businesses proactively "steadily row" in the face of big waters. not to be swept away or drowned in the context of many uncertainties today.
In the days adjacent to the Lunar New Year, which should be a time of exciting trade, many business households and small businesses are worried about the rapid changes in legal policies.
For many years, the first-to-file principle has been considered the pillar of the trademark protection system in Vietnam. This principle brings transparency, simplicity and high predictability to business entities: whoever applies first, if the protection conditions are fully met, will be entitled to the establishment of rights. However, the practice of resolving trademark disputes increasingly shows that this principle no longer operates in isolation. In parallel with registered trademarks, trade names – an object of rights that do not need to be registered – are playing an increasingly important role, even potentially undermining the ability of the dossiers under examination to be granted trademarks.
On June 10, 2025, in Notice 3591 of the Department of Industry and Trade of Ho Chi Minh City on the termination of the operation of representative offices of foreign traders in Ho Chi Minh City, it is shown that as of June 10, there are 243 representative offices that have ceased to operate in fact but have not yet carried out administrative procedures to terminate the operation of representative offices . In case of delay or failure to carry out administrative procedures as requested, what are the legal liabilities of the representative office or foreign trader or unit directly operating the representative office in Vietnam? In this article, HM&P will point out the risks that representative offices, even foreign traders, face if they do not complete this procedure.
The year 2025 will witness a period of the most exciting legislative activity in the country's history. Old regulations are adjusted and amended, legal frameworks that never existed are built to manage new problems that arise. Among the 28 laws that will take effect from January 1, 2026, we would like to take a look at and highlight the new highlights of important laws that affect the business activities of enterprises.
Below is a list of reputable law firms, researched by HM&P based on in-depth evaluation criteria on service quality, brand reputation as well as outstanding contributions to the legal industry in Vietnam in the past year from many different reputable sources. The list is randomly arranged as follows:
Recent practice has shown that international conferences and seminars are not only a forum for exchanging and connecting knowledge but also an opportunity to promote the country's image in the international arena. The Draft Decision on the organization and management of international conferences and seminars (the Draft) is currently being consulted and issued in order to institutionalize Vietnam's policy of deep and substantive international integration.
According to Decree No. 268/2025/ND-CP, enterprises will be granted a Certificate when they fully meet the general conditions and specific conditions corresponding to the size of the enterprise, which are determined according to the regulations on supporting small and medium-sized enterprises. The Decree also specifies the mechanism for encouraging, recognizing and supporting organizations and individuals to participate in the national innovation ecosystem.
Currently, Vietnam is classified as one of the major lubricant consuming markets in the region when consumption is estimated at 307 million liters by 2024 and is expected to increase to 420 million liters by 2030 . However, this is also accompanied by the fact that there are more and more recycling facilities and trading in used lubricants illegally or of poor quality because the cost of producing recycled oil is significantly lower than that of new oil while earning very high profits. Although our country's laws have strong sanctions for this behavior, there are still legal gaps that make this oil still creeping into the market and management activities cannot be really strict.
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam's leading economic driver, has always been considered a "leader" in national development. With Resolution 98/2023/QH15 (Resolution 98) approved by the National Assembly on June 24, 2023, the city has been given a specific mechanism to promote socio-economic development, overcoming the usual legal constraints. However, after more than two years of implementation, many challenges have emerged, leading to the need for revisions and additions. In particular, in the context when the two provinces of Binh Duong, Ba Ria – Vung Tau were merged into Ho Chi Minh City to become a megacity, Resolution 98 was no longer relevant. Therefore, the Ministry of Finance has conducted a consultation on the Draft Resolution amending and supplementing Resolution 98 ("Draft").
In the world of law, Dewey & LeBoeuf (D&L) was once a symbol of strength and ambition. Formed from the 2007 merger between Dewey Ballantine and LeBoeuf, Lamb, Greene & MacRae, the firm quickly became a "Big Law," the term for large law firms, The office has a global presence with huge revenues and reputable clients. With more than 1,300 lawyers and 26 offices worldwide, D&L represents a modern governance model: rapid expansion through the recruitment of "star" lawyers and strategic mergers with other law firms. However, just five years later, on May 28, 2012, D&L filed for bankruptcy, becoming the largest law firm collapse in U.S. history with $315 million in debt.
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