Senior Associate An Hoang Ha was promoted to Counsel

HÀ NỘI - Global law firm Freshfields has announced the promotion of Hanoi-based Senior Associate An Hoang Ha to the position of Counsel, effective May 1, 2025.

An Hoang Ha joined Freshfields in 2005 and is a key senior member of the Freshfields Vietnam team. Over the past two decades, Ha has been instrumental in successfully executing some of the firm’s clients’ most significant transactions in the market, with a focus on the banking and financial services sectors.

He has acted for all of the Japanese mega banks and several other leading global financial institutions on their investments in Vietnam, covering a range of financial institutions including banks, consumer finance, insurance, securities, and fintech companies.

Ha is a trusted adviser to clients, known for his profound transactional expertise. In addition to his transactional work, Ha leads Freshfields Vietnam's antitrust and competition law practice. His deep knowledge of Vietnam’s Competition Law has been crucial in assisting multinational investors with merger filings for cross-border transactions in Vietnam. 

Thomas Ng, Freshfields’ Asia Regional Managing Partner, and Eric Johnson, Managing Partner of Freshfields’ Hanoi office, commented: “On behalf of Freshfields’ Asia partners, we congratulate Ha on his well-earned promotion and look forward to his continued success and contributions to the legal profession in Vietnam. This promotion underscores Freshfields' commitment to the Vietnamese market and the strength of our Vietnam team.”

“By elevating a highly skilled and experienced professional like Ha, Freshfields demonstrates our confidence in the potential of the Vietnamese legal market and our intention to invest in the country’s continued growth. This strategic move not only strengthens Freshfields' presence in Vietnam but also reinforces our long-term vision of fostering a robust and dynamic legal practice in the country,” the two officials added.

“I am absolutely delighted that Ha has been promoted to Counsel at Freshfields,” said Tomoko Nakajima, Partner in Freshfields’ Tokyo office, adding: “Ha is highly respected by our Japanese clients for his exceptional ability to navigate and advise on the most high-profile and complex transactions, particularly in the banking and financial services sectors. This well-deserved recognition not only honours Ha's achievements but also enhances the firm’s capacity to leverage his profound knowledge and experience in working with Japanese investors in Vietnam.”

Freshfields is a global law firm which opened offices in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City in 1994. Since then, the firm has played a key role in the country’s economic transformation, supporting global investors and multinational companies on complex transactions and investment projects in the country. The firm is recognised as a leader in M&A, joint ventures, energy and infrastructure and antitrust.

Freshfields is known for advising their clients, which include major private equity firms, financial institutions, sovereign wealth funds and major multinationals, on their investments in Vietnam across key sectors, with a focus on financial services, technology, energy and infrastructure, education and healthcare. — VNS