A&O picks up Mayer Brown partner for Vietnam launch

A&O has received regulatory approval and will open offices in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City in the third quarter of 2012. The firm has hired Mayer Brown JSM’s Vietnam managing partner Dao Nguyen, who will join A&O later in the year, to lead the offices.

The two new offices bring A&O’s total to 42 across 29 countries. According to the firm, Vietnam has posted annual per capita growth of 5.3 per cent since 1986, and has only been outstripped in terms of growth by China.

Commenting on the announcement, Allen & Overy’s Asia Pacific managing partner Thomas Brown said: “Vietnam is rapidly establishing itself as a key jurisdiction within South East Asia and is of increasing interest to international companies and investors. We have an unrivalled footprint across the ASEAN region where we are able to advise clients on both international and domestic law in Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand and now Vietnam, as well as bringing our broader network across Asia Pacific to bear.”

Earlier this year A&O had been in talks with Singpore firm Allen & Gledhill about a potential tie-up, but talks fell through in March (26 March 2012).

In July 2011 A&O announced that it was opening an office in Casablanca after hiring a team of lawyers from Gide Loyrette Nouel (20 July 2012).

According to managing partner Wim Dejonghe, A&O will see modest, single digit, growth in its 2011/12 results (7 May 2012).