In the increasingly competitive legal services market, advertising helps law firms reach clients and demonstrate their capabilities. But unlike the promotion of ordinary goods, the communication of legal services is simultaneously governed by advertising laws and lawyers' ethical standards. The problem is not how much advertising, but what to announce, what to prove and whether to maintain professional trust or not.
International investment flows are opening up new opportunities for Vietnam's legal services market. However, greater involvement in cross-border transactions does not mean that Vietnamese law firms have a higher position. As international law firms still have the advantage of client relations, coordination capacity and transaction experience, the question is not only how Vietnamese law firms can compete, but also how to move from the role of local legal advisor to a partner that has a real influence on investor decisions.
Commercial arbitration is chosen by many businesses thanks to its flexibility, security, and ability to resolve disputes with international elements. However, arbitration fees can create significant financial pressure right from the time of litigation; the actual total cost also depends on the course of the proceedings and the ability to recover costs after the award.
According to the dossier of the Draft Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Commercial Arbitration (Draft) which is expected to be considered by the XVI National Assembly at the 2nd Session (October 2026) and take effect from March 1, 2027, the focus of this amendment is on the decentralization of management of arbitration institutions. However, for enterprises, it is worth paying attention to the stability of the selected arbitration institution and the ability to continue to resolve disputes when that institution terminates its operation. These risks should be distinguished from procedural inadequacies that already exist under current law.
When personal data becomes an integral part of business activities, disputes not only arise between businesses and data subjects, but also between parties involved in data processing. The Law on Personal Data Protection 2025 (Law on PDP) sets out the requirement to protect the rights of data subjects, and also raises the issue of the mechanism for resolving related disputes.
One of the important advantages of commercial arbitration is the right of the parties to choose a dispute resolver. However, businesses should not equate an arbitrator with an outstanding reputation or professional profile with a suitable person for its case. The suitability depends on the nature of the dispute, legal issues or decisive evidence, the capacity to administer the proceedings, and the requirement for independence and objectivity. Therefore, the selection of arbitrators must be prepared as a strategic decision, which can significantly affect the time, cost, and efficiency of dispute resolution.
Bank guarantees are often considered by businesses as the last layer of protection when the partner fails to fulfill their obligations. But having a letter of guarantee in hand does not mean that money is guaranteed. In many disputes, the deciding issue is not only whether the guaranteed party is in breach of contract, but whether the guarantee commitment is actually valid and whether the payment request meets the conditions of that commitment exactly.
