Keigo Sawayama

Practice Areas

Focusing on cross‑border transactions and complex advisory work in Vietnam and the broader Indochina region. Advising on market entry and foreign investment, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, infrastructure and project development, regulatory and compliance reviews to support business expansion, commercial contracting, employment and labor, and dispute resolution.

Career

Based in Hanoi since 2011, he advises multinational corporates and sponsors on investments and operations in Vietnam and neighboring jurisdictions, with particular emphasis on regulatory analysis for business expansion, labor and employment, commercial contract review and negotiation, and disputes.

He began his career at Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu in 2005, and subsequently seconded to Allens in Hanoi from 2011 to 2014. He returned to Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu at its Singapore office in 2014–2015, and has led the firm’s Hanoi branch as its representative since 2015. He became a partner of Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu in 2016. Since 2024, he has served as co‑group leader of the Legal Group within the Business Environment Committee of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Vietnam (JCCI), and since 2025 he has sat on the Board of the Japanese School of Hanoi.

Professional Memberships

Dai-ichi Tokyo Bar Association, Japan

Registered Foreign Attorney in Vietnam

Languages Spoken

Japanese, English

Work Highlights

-Advised a Japanese government‑affiliated fund on its strategic equity investment in a Vietnamese port operator; the transaction was recognized as ASIAN‑MENA COUNSEL Deals of the Year 2015.

-Counseled an international consortium on a large‑scale urban development project in Hai Phong, Vietnam.

Acted for a listed Japanese company on the bulk acquisition of businesses from eight Vietnamese building materials distributors.

-Represented a listed Japanese company in the acquisition of a Vietnamese staffing services provider.

-Acted for the Vietnamese subsidiary of a listed Japanese company in tax litigation against the Vietnamese government, resulting in a favorable settlement.

Education

Expert in these Jurisdictions

Japan, Vietnam

Awards