Freshfields announces counsel promotion

An Hoang Ha

Ha joined Freshfields in 2005 and is a key senior team member of the Freshfields Vietnam team. Over the past two decades, Ha has been instrumental in successfully executing Freshfields clients’ most significant transactions in the market, with a focus on the banking and financial services sectors.

Ha has acted for all of the Japanese mega banks and several other global financial institutions on their investments in Vietnam into a range of financial institutions, spanning banks as well as consumer finance, insurance, securities, and fintech companies.

The new counsel is also a trusted advisor to clients, known for his profound transactional expertise. In addition to his transactional work, Ha leads Freshfields Vietnam’s antitrust and competition law practice. His in-depth knowledge of the Vietnam Competition Law has been crucial in assisting multinational investors with merger filings on cross-border transactions.

Thomas Ng, Freshfields’ Asia regional managing partner, and Eric Johnson, managing partner of Freshfields’ Hanoi office, wrote, “On behalf of Freshfields’ partners, we congratulate Ha on his well-earned promotion and look forward to his continued success and contributions to the legal profession in Vietnam.”

This promotion underscores Freshfields’ commitment to the Vietnam market and the strength of our Vietnam team, they added.

“By elevating a highly skilled and experienced professional like Ha, Freshfields demonstrates confidence in the potential of the Vietnamese legal market and our intention to invest in the county’s continued growth. This strategic move not only strengthens Freshfields’ presence in Vietnam but also reinforces our long-term vision of fostering a robust and dynamic legal practice.”

Tomoko Nakajima, a partner in Freshfields’ Tokyo office added, “I am absolutely delighted that Ha has been promoted to counsel at Freshfields. He is highly respected by our Japanese clients for his exceptional ability to navigate and advise on the most high-profile and complex transactions, particularly in the banking and financial services sectors. This well-deserved recognition honours Ha’s achievements and enhances the firm’s capacity to leverage his profound knowledge and experience in working with Japanese investors in Vietnam.”