Legal Adviser / Associate

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

We are looking to recruit a Legal adviser (Associate) to be based  in Ho Chi Minh office.

The successful candidate will have the opportunity to work in a multi-cultural environment with career development and personal growth opportunities.

Reports to: Partners and Project Managers

Key external relationships: Clients and Government Officials

Key internal relationships: Partners, Directors, Senior Management and other key internal stakeholders

Position type: Full Time

Applicants eligible: Vietnamese Only

Working Hour: Monday to Friday, from 8:30am to 12:30pm and from 2:00pm to 6:00pm

Location: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Main duties of the role

• 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.

Essential skills & proficiency

• Speaking both Vietnamese and English fluently is necessary.
• Between 3-5 years of legal advisory experience in the law firm;
• Ability to draft contracts, letters of advice and legal opinions to a high standard;
• A good approach to problem solving, including lateral thinking ability;
• Good international-standard legal writing skills;
• Have an enthusiastic attitude towards building a career as a legal adviser/senior legal adviser;
• Ability to take the initiative and pay close attention to detail;
• Honesty, reliability, a strong work ethic and a commitment to strict confidentiality;
• Self-motivated and committed to self-improvement; and
• Able to work in a team and independently; and
• Microsoft Office suite proficient.

Desirable

• Excellent proficiency in both English and Vietnamese
• Prior work experience at a law firm;
• Strong knowledge in either energy, real estate practice, M&A transaction areas is the plus
• Ability to manage time and work under pressure to meet deadlines.

Privacy Notice

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.