Profile
Van Dao is a Partner of Ngo & Partners, with over 20 years of experience in banking, civil matters and dispute resolution in Vietnam. Her practice covers Banking and Debt Restructuring, Litigation, Arbitration, White-Collar Crime, Labour and Civil matters. She has particular strength in structuring, managing and recovering large and hard-to-collect debts for domestic and international credit institutions — a strength built from her years working inside the banking system itself.
Over the years, Van has led and taken part in numerous complex matters: drafting, reviewing and negotiating major credit agreements for banks such as VietinBank; advising on banking products and compliance processes; advising Gong Cha Vietnam on its internal audit and franchise agreements, and NanoFilm on factory ownership matters; directly representing VietinBank in the criminal case at Thai Nguyen Iron and Steel, in a dispute over a condominium project in District 1 (valued at nearly USD 16 million), and in the resolution of debts worth thousands of billions of VND in Hai Duong; advising Agribank — one of Vietnam’s largest state-owned commercial banks — in a dispute with a joint-venture contractor arising from the Headquarters Design Contract valued at USD 10 million; advising Saigon Coal Port Company in a dispute with Indonesian sellers arising from a Coal Sale and Purchase Contract, with the disputed value reaching USD 8 million, under the SIAC Arbitration Rules; and advising May Social Enterprise on its charitable programmes and the Mobile Science Lab initiative in collaboration with an international pharmaceutical corporation (*).
Before joining Ngo & Partners, Van served as senior legal counsel at VietinBank and PG Bank.
Holding a Bachelor of Laws (2004) and a Master of Laws (2008) from Ha Noi Law University, Van is a member of the Vietnam Bar Federation and the Ho Chi Minh City Bar Association.
Her aim is to serve not merely as a legal adviser, but as a partner clients can rely on in overcoming complex legal challenges and pursuing sustainable business growth.
(*) Some matters and clients were advised and represented at previous organisations.
Highlight Works
- Drafting, advising, reviewing, and negotiating with clients of the banks in signing and implementing contracts and transactions for business activities of leading local banks in Vietnam;
- Represented a leading local bank of Vietnam in negotiating a significant and complex credit agreement with a leading corporation of Vietnam;
- Advised on the legal perspective on products, drafting or standardizing templates for use at leading local banks in Vietnam; and
- Participated in developing and reviewing regulations, processes, rules, and templates in the business operations of the local banks to ensure legality, and compliance, and mitigate potential risks for all parties.
- Advising on the comprehensive legal restructuring of legal affairs, investment portfolio and assets valued at up to approximately USD 50 million for the owner of one of Vietnam’s leading private rubber processing enterprises;
- Advising Gong Cha Vietnam in relation to the internal audit process of Gong Cha Global and the key issues of the Master Franchise Agreement; and
- Advised NanoFilm on the ownership of its factory in Vietnam and the issuance of the Land Use Right Certificate, which was successfully obtained following comprehensive and in-depth advisory services provided by Ngo & Partners.
- Advised and represented the local banks in Vietnam, such as Vietinbank and PG Bank, in negotiations with clients as well as in debt trading, litigation, and enforcement of awards or judgments to settle and recover debts for local banks;
- Represented Vietinbank, a leading local bank in Vietnam, in the major criminal case of Thai Nguyen Iron and Steel;
- Representing Vietinbank, a leading local bank in Vietnam, in the dispute between a Vietnamese lender with the foreign-invested developer at the luxury condominium project located in District 1 of Ho Chi Minh City with the total value of the dispute is nearly 16 million USD;
- Advising Agribank — one of Vietnam's largest state-owned banks — in resolving a dispute with a Joint-Name Contractors arising from the Headquarters Building Design Contract, valued at USD 10 million;
- Advising Saigon Port Coal Company in resolving a dispute against Indonesian Sellers arising from a Coal Sale and Purchase Contract with the disputed value at USD 8 million, administered under the SIAC Rules;
- Advised operations of May Social Company which was founded to run charity programs on children, life, and the environment; and
- Advised the Mobile Science Lab Experience Program - a social program for elementary and secondary school students, implemented in Vietnam by May Social Company in collaboration with a leading Multi-National Pharmaceutical Corporation.
Publications