Vietnam’s Premier Law Firm

Dao Nguyen is widely regarded as one of Vietnam’s most influential legal professionals. With more than 30 years of experience spanning Vietnam, Japan, and the United States, she has played a defining role in shaping the country’s legal and business environment. She holds a J.D. from UCLA School of Law and a B.A. from Harvard University, an academic foundation that has informed her global perspective and commitment to legal excellence.

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Dao advises on all aspects of growing business in Vietnam, with particular strength in corporate and M&A, banking and finance, real estate, energy, and infrastructure. Her legal career includes acting on several landmark deals, including Vietnam’s first licensed BOT (build-operate-transfer) project and advising both developers and government stakeholders on complex, high-impact transactions that have helped shape Vietnam’s economic trajectory.

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After serving as Managing Partner for two top-tier international law firms, Dao founded DN Legal in 2014 with a clear and ambitious purpose: to elevate the practice of law in Vietnam and prove that a Vietnamese-led firm could deliver legal counsel on par with, and often beyond, that of global giants.

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Her decision was driven by Vietnamese lawyers, despite their talent, were often excluded from leading roles in major cross-border transactions. Foreign firms dominated, while local professionals were left to execute rather than advise. Dao saw an opportunity not just to build a firm, but to shift a paradigm. At DN Legal, she committed to developing world-class Vietnamese legal talent and delivering strategic, high-stakes legal solutions that blend international standards with deep local understanding.

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Under Dao’s leadership, DN Legal has guided some of Vietnam’s most significant real estate, M&A, and financing transactions. She helped shape the country’s foreign property ownership laws, pioneered new revenue-sharing models in hospitality, and led legal strategy for billion-dollar projects and institutions like HSBC. Beyond her legal acumen, Dao is known for her integrity, her investment in people, and her ability to see around corners. She leads with clarity, purpose, and a deep belief in Vietnam’s legal potential, not just as a market, but as a profession with global impact.

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Today, Dao leads DN Legal with clarity, empathy, and an unwavering belief in the power of long-term partnerships. Her work is not only transforming how legal services are delivered in Vietnam but also elevating the next generation of Vietnamese lawyers to become strategic, world-class advisors.