An Hoang Ha

Practice Areas

An Hoang Ha, a Senior Associate in Freshfields' Hanoi office, is a distinguished Vietnamese lawyer with over 25 years of legal expertise. Ha has been practicing law for over 20 years with Freshfields, following 05 years at a leading local law firm. As the most senior associate in Freshfields Vietnam, Ha is instrumental in driving the firm's most significant transactions within the Financial Institutions Group and antitrust sectors.

Ha has been at the forefront of corporate transactions in the financial sector, playing a pivotal role in numerous high-stakes acquisitions and divestments, including some of the most landmark M&A transactions in Vietnam's banking and finance market. His strategic insights and leadership have been vital in navigating complex regulatory challenges, enabling clients to achieve their business objectives while maintaining strict regulatory compliance.

In addition to his transactional expertise, Ha leads Freshfields Vietnam's antitrust and competition law practice. His profound knowledge of the Vietnam Competition Law has been crucial in advising clients on merger filings and compliance training for multinational corporations. Ha is also the co-author of "Merger Control in Vietnam" published by Getting the Deal Through in 2024.

Ha's extensive experience includes:

• Advising international financial institutions regarding their investments and divestments in Vietnamese commercial banks, finance companies, insurance companies, and securities companies.

• Advising international investors on their ventures in Vietnam, including investments in equitised state-owned enterprises.

• Advising international investors in their complex joint ventures, acquisition transactions, and corporate restructurings.

• Advising international investors in competition law matters and merger control matters including merger filings in cross-border public and private M&A transactions in Vietnam.

Ha has successfully advised clients in numerous high-profile transactions with sophisticated structures.

Professional Memberships

• Member of American Chamber of Commerce

• Member of the Capital Markets Group of the Vietnam Business Forum

Clients

• Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation on the strategic US$1.5 billion investment in Vietnam Prosperity Joint Stock Commercial Bank (VPBank).

• Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group on the acquisition of a 49% stake in FE Credit – one of the largest consumer finance companies in Vietnam – for a reported consideration of over US$1.4 billion.

• A leading international financial institution on the divestment its stake in a local bank.

• A leading international financial institution on the divestment of its stake in a local securities company.

• BTMU (now MUFG) on the US$743 million strategic investment in the Vietnam Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Industry and Trade (VietinBank), one of the largest listed commercial banks in Vietnam.

• Mizuho Corporate Bank (now Mizuho Bank) on the US$567 million acquisition of strategic interest in the Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Foreign Trade of Viet Nam (Vietcombank), one of the largest listed commercial banks in Vietnam.

• A US private equity investor on a US$370 million investment in shares of Vietnam Technological and Commercial Joint Stock Bank (Techcombank) prior to Techcombank’s IPO.

• HSBC on the purchase of a 20% interest in Techcombank, the first bank acquisition where the foreign investor acquired 20% of shares in a Vietnamese domestic bank, and the subsequent divestment of its investment in this bank.

• An Asian multinational telecommunication company on its investment in one of the largest telecom companies in Vietnam.

• Metro Group on the sale of its Cash & Carry wholesale operations in Vietnam.

• HSBC Insurance on its strategic investment in and divestment from Bao Viet Insurance, Vietnam’s leading state-owned insurance company.

• Hewlett-Packard International on all aspects of its restructuring of its businesses in Vietnam which is driven by the global restructuring.

• Korean Air on the Vietnamese merger filing aspect of the US$1.3 billion merger between Korean Air and Asiana.