Legal Adviser / Associate
DFDL · Hanoi
Description
DFDL was established in 1994 and founded on a unique vision: to create an integrated legal and tax advisory firm with in-depth knowledge of the developing jurisdictions in which we are based. Our dedicated professionals exhibit the understanding and insight necessary to assist you in navigating the legal and tax complexities and challenges. Drawing on a wide-ranging industry experience and finely tuned local knowledge in the countries we operate in, we strive to provide concise, commercially focused, and innovative advice, staying true to our original motto: “One Region. One Firm.”
DFDL has 12 offices, including collaborating firms, in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
As a full-service firm, DFDL provides legal and tax services across various industry sectors. To better serve our client's business needs, we have also organized our expertise into the following practice groups:
- Anti-Trust and Competition
- Aviation and Logistics
- Banking and Finance
- Compliance and Investigations
- Corporate, Mergers and Acquisitions
- Dispute Resolution
- Employment
- Energy, Natural Resources and Infrastructure
- Investment Funds
- Real Estate and Hospitality
- Restructuring
- Tax and Transfer Pricing
- Technology, Media and Telecoms
Position:
DFDL Vietnam is looking for a Senior Legal Adviser and a Legal Adviser specializing in Energy to join our Energy & Infrastructure practice.
This is an opportunity to work alongside a dynamic, multicultural team on sophisticated and high-profile energy transactions.
The successful candidates will gain exposure to collaborate with experienced lawyers across jurisdictions and build their careers in an environment that values technical excellence, commercial thinking, and genuine professional growth.
Reports to: Heads of Practice Group
Key external relationships: Clients, Government Ministries, Chambers of Commerce, Business Associations
Key internal relationships: Partners, Senior Managers and all staff of the Vietnam Office
Salary range: Competitive, varying based on the qualifications and experience of the successful applicant.
Position type: Full Time – Regular
Applicants eligible: Vietnamese Only
Working Hour: Monday to Friday, from 8:30am to 12:30pm and from 2:00pm to 6:00pm
Location: Hanoi / Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Main duties of the role
- Report to and take instruction from the Partners, Managing Director, Deputy Managing Director and any supervising legal advisers;
- Provide legal advice exclusively on behalf of DFDL and to Clients of DFDL;
- Undertake all activities typical of a legal adviser, including drafting of contracts, letters of advice, legal opinions and other legal instruments;
- Draft and deliver fee proposals, keep accurate time records, review and revise invoices and assist
- in collection of outstanding invoices;
- Peer review the work of other advisers and provide constructive feedback as necessary;
- Supervise and provide leadership and coaching to more junior legal advisers and legal assistants;
- Participate actively in DFDL’s business development efforts, including government relations,
- various chambers of commerce, business clubs and other relevant groups;
- Participate in knowledge management, professional development and Firm administrative activities as requested; and
- Other tasks not specifically listed in this document may be assigned from time to time.
Requirements
Essential skills & proficiency
- Excellent technical knowledge of Vietnam’s energy laws, regulations, and industry practices;
- Strong commercial acumen and a demonstrated ability to contribute to business development initiatives, particularly within the energy sector;
- Minimum 5 years post-qualification experience as a lawyer;
- Exposure to general management (managing small teams of staff and having budget accountability within a performance management culture, including P&L management);
- Experience successfully leading, motivating and developing others;
- Demonstrates experience in developing and maintaining a satisfied clientele of local and international corporations;
- Skilled communicator, able to make presentations and deliver key messages to specialists and non-specialists alike;
- Strong oral and written communication skills in English;
- Excellent knowledge of MS Office suite;
- Exhibits honesty, reliability, and a commitment to strict confidentiality;
- University level qualifications in Law;
- Demonstrated ability to effectively manage change within an organization; and
- Strong team building skills.
Preferred Qualifications
- Previous experience working in a law firm and/or multinational corporation;
- Friendly, approachable, and personable, with strong interpersonal skills;
- Excellent organizational and time-management skills, with the ability to work effectively under pressure and meet deadline.
In accordance with the Vietnamese Government's Decree 13/2023/ND-CP dated 17 April 2023 on personal data protection, by applying for this position, the candidate agrees to allow the company to collect, hold, use, and process the candidate’s personal data, both electronically and in hard copy formats, for the purposes of recruitment administration. This includes data processing in order to maintain candidates' personnel files and ensure compliance with applicable procedures, laws, and regulations.
All applications and expressions of interest will be treated confidentially and reviewed only by DFDL Senior Management and the Human Resources team.
Please note that this position is open until filled. Applications will be reviewed and processed on a rolling basis and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
Requirements