This is Allens
Ngoc Anh Tran
Ngoc Anh is a partner specialising in public and private M&A and capital markets and has worked on some of the largest infrastructure, energy and resources projects in Vietnam.
When I was a child, I never thought I would become a lawyer. I spent years studying chemistry in a special high school for gifted students under the national university, and always thought I would follow my father's footsteps into engineering. However, over time, I realised that only something that is logical yet has a human side would make me happy in the long run, so law was a natural option. I'm glad that I chose law then, because I've never had a boring day practising it.
Economic reforms in Vietnam started in 1986 but organised legal services only started in the early 1990s. Allens was the first foreign law firm licensed to operate in Vietnam in 1992.
Allens has a terrific track record of developing and promoting Vietnamese lawyers, and I am immensely proud to be continuing that legacy. We are providing opportunities for locally trained lawyers to not only build fulfilling legal careers, but to step up and become leading legal advisers on an international stage, which is a great privilege.
Working in M&A, it can sometimes be difficult to see the tangible outcomes of your work. Unlike a new road or bridge, transactions are more abstract and less visible. In the early years of my career, I struggled to make the connection between my work and a broader purpose. But, over time, I have come to appreciate the crucial contribution my work is making to Vietnam's economic development and prosperity. Attracting foreign investment to a developing nation like Vietnam brings boundless opportunities – in the form of jobs, improvements to infrastructure and our place in the global economy. I feel proud to be shaping the future of Vietnam.
