English pages
Legal insights for businesses
Understand the law. Decide with confidence.
Analysis, guidance and practical views that help businesses spot legal issues early, manage risk and make better-informed decisions.
Insights by practice area
57 articles on five areas of business law in Vietnam. Choose a topic to filter the list.
Articles in English
FC Legal articles translated from Vietnamese, newest first. Each article links to its Vietnamese original.
Resolution No. 03/2026/NQ-HĐTP on deposits: 8 points businesses need to know
From 15 October 2026, courts apply new guidance to deposit disputes: forfeiture, penalties, deposit assets, jurisdiction and limitation periods.
Personal data of employees’ family members: does your business need their consent?
Data about employees’ children, parents and spouses belongs to those family members. When consent is needed, who can give it, and the fines that apply.
30% CIT reduction for 2026 and 2027: which businesses qualify and what to watch
Businesses with annual revenue of no more than VND 10 billion get a 30% CIT reduction for 2026 and 2027 under Resolution No. 43/2026/QH16.
A proactive compliance system in 2026: what businesses should do as tax, personal data and labour laws change at the same time
English translation of the Vietnamese article. The Vietnamese version prevails.
What is a Legal Health Check? When to do one and what it should review
What a Legal Health Check is, how it differs from due diligence, when to do one, the 6 areas it reviews, the process and what your business receives.
What is a DPIA? What businesses need to prepare for a personal data processing impact assessment
What a DPIA is under Vietnam's Law No. 91/2025/QH15 and Decree 356: who must prepare it, what Form No. 10 covers, 60-day filing, updates and exemptions.
Are template contracts really safe? 7 risks of using ready-made contracts
Downloading a contract template online, changing the parties’ names and signing is a familiar practice in many businesses. It saves time, but the...
Personal data protection checklist for businesses: what is your business missing?
A 10-area personal data protection self-check under Law No. 91/2025/QH15 and Decree 356: data map, consent, vendors, transfers, incidents.
Personal data protection compliance handbook for businesses under Law No. 91/2025/QH15
From 1 January 2026, the Law on Personal Data Protection (Law No. 91/2025/QH15) and Decree No. 356/2025/ND-CP are in force, replacing Decree No....
Personal data compliance check: a 20-point Legal Health Check across 6 pillars
From 1 January 2026, the Law on Personal Data Protection (Law No. 91/2025/QH15) and Decree No. 356/2025/ND-CP are in force. They replace the legal...
What must businesses do to comply with personal data protection rules in 2026? 10 practical steps
From 1 January 2026, the Law on Personal Data Protection (Law No. 91/2025/QH15) and Decree No. 356/2025/ND-CP are in force. They put the way a business...
LOI, MOU and contract: what is the difference, and when is your business bound?
In commercial negotiations, an LOI (letter of intent) and an MOU (memorandum of understanding) are often signed early to “lock in” the framework of...
Legal health self-check for businesses: 20 criteria, scoring and a roadmap
A 20-criteria legal health self-check for SMEs in Vietnam: evidence for each criterion, scoring, 6 critical criteria and a 180-day remediation roadmap.
In-house or outsourced legal function: 7 criteria compared and a hybrid model
In-house legal staff or outside lawyers? Compare control, expertise, liability, confidentiality and cost under Vietnamese law, plus a hybrid model.
A legal function model for businesses with 20–200 staff: a stage-by-stage roadmap
When a business grows from a few dozen to a few hundred staff, its contracts, employment relationships and compliance obligations grow too. Yet the...
A former employee takes customer data to a competitor: which law applies?
Customer lists as personal data and trade secrets in Vietnam: IP and competition law, Penal Code Article 288, the 72-hour notice duty and steps to take.
Force majeure and hardship: how should businesses provide for them in contracts?
Force majeure vs hardship under Vietnamese law: key differences, court and arbitration practice, and how to draft both clauses, with a model clause.
Facial recognition time and attendance: what should your business check on personal data protection?
Facial attendance data is sensitive biometric data in Vietnam. Check data flows, access, vendors, employee notice, deletion and 72-hour breach rules.
Employee personal data: what should your business review?
When businesses think about personal data protection, many think first of customer data. They overlook a large source of data inside the business:...
Contracts by email, e-signatures and scanned copies: legal validity and litigation risks businesses need to know
With digital transformation and the rapid growth of e-commerce, traditional ways of entering into contracts (meeting in person, signing by hand on...
DPIA dossier on Form No. 10: how to prepare it and 5 common mistakes to avoid
From 1 January 2026, a business that processes personal data and falls within the scope must prepare a personal data processing impact assessment...
Deleting a former employee’s data: what to keep for accounting and tax, and what to delete
From 1 January 2026, the Law on Personal Data Protection requires businesses to delete or destroy an employee’s personal data when the employment...
Cross-border personal data transfers: what to check when using cloud, SaaS or a parent company
Many businesses believe they do not transfer personal data abroad because they have never sent a file to a foreign partner. But email, cloud, CRM,...
Contract termination clauses: when does a business have the right to stop working with a partner?
When can a business lawfully end a contract in Vietnam? Rescission vs termination, 5 lawful grounds, a 4-step process and a model termination clause.
Contract Health Check: 12 signs your company’s contract system needs a review
Many businesses only open their contracts again once a dispute has started. Only then do they find that the final signed copy is missing, the signatory...
Using AWS, Google Cloud or foreign SaaS: has your business prepared its Form No. 09 dossier?
Many businesses think that renting servers on AWS, Google Cloud or Azure, or using foreign SaaS software, is just an IT operations matter. Under the...
Auto-renewal contracts: what should businesses check?
An automatic renewal clause (also called an evergreen or rollover clause) is common in recurring commercial contracts, such as framework supply...
Authority to sign commercial contracts: who can sign, and what are the risks of signing without authority?
When a business manages the risks of entering into contracts, the first check is whether the person signing has legal authority. This decides whether...
Appointing a data protection officer (DPO): when is it mandatory and who qualifies?
When Vietnamese law requires a data protection officer, who qualifies under Decree 356/2025, exemptions for small firms, and in-house vs outsourced DPOs.
Legal risk in business: 7 warning signs to review early
7 signs legal risk is building up in your business: signing authority, contracts, labour and insurance, data, IP, licences and overdue debts.
7 key risks in payment clauses that businesses often overlook
In a commercial contract, the payment clause is the lifeblood of cash flow. It shows directly whether the deal makes economic sense. Yet negotiators...
10 common personal data protection risks in businesses and how to check for them yourself
10 everyday personal data risks in Vietnamese businesses, from HR files and biometrics to vendors and cloud, with the rules and self-check questions.
10 legal issues businesses should check when negotiating a commercial contract
Before signing a key commercial contract in Vietnam, check these 10 issues: authority, price, payment, claims, penalties, force majeure, exit and disputes.
Commercial contracts: a management guide from negotiation to termination
English translation of the Vietnamese article. The Vietnamese version prevails.
In-depth trademark search: how to rule out conflict risks before you file
You wait 18–24 months, then the application is refused because the mark is identical or similar to a registered trademark. The business loses both the...
Trademark registration at the IP Office of Vietnam: process, documents and how to avoid refusal
Register a trademark in Vietnam: conditions, documents, the 4-stage process at the IP Office, timing, and the 5 most common reasons for refusal.
Handling trademark infringement on Shopee, TikTok Shop and Lazada: a process for businesses
E-commerce is where trademark infringement happens most often in Vietnam. An infringing product can reach thousands of customers within a few hours....
Protecting trade secrets with NDAs and non-compete agreements for senior staff
NDA vs NCA in Vietnam: how to protect trade secrets when senior staff leave, and 4 conditions for a non-compete to be recognised as valid.
Company names and domain names that conflict with a protected trademark: lessons from the Đồng T and Osram cases
Getting a company name approved by the Department of Planning and Investment, or registering a domain name, does not mean you have the right to use...
IP valuation and licensing contracts: a strategy to improve cash flow
When to value IP assets, the 3 valuation methods, 4 types of licence and the legal points that can make a licence or assignment contract invalid.
IP management for businesses: from establishing rights to commercialisation and enforcement
Manage intellectual property in Vietnam: establish rights, commercialise, value and enforce them, with WIPO and ISO 56005 references and a 7-step roadmap.
Legal traps in IP licensing and assignment contracts: lessons from Ana Mandara and Film Studio V
Two Vietnamese judgments on unpaid royalties and assignment fees: keep contracts separate, audit royalties and sign debt reconciliations with authority.
Collecting evidence and proving damage in IP disputes: lessons from the Flower box case
The Flower box owner won on infringement but got no damages. Learn what evidence Vietnamese courts need to prove IP loss and how to collect it early.
Managing copyright in-house: a costly lesson from the "Thần đồng Đất Việt" case
Owning copyright does not let you change a work freely. The Thần đồng Đất Việt case on authorship, moral rights and clauses for creative staff.
Industrial design and patent protection: a shield for manufacturers
For manufacturers, the technical solution and the outward shape of a product are the two things competitors copy fastest. The law protects them through...
The first-to-file principle and lessons on joint industrial design and trademark protection from the Piaggio case
A scooter design protected by a protection title was copied almost exactly on a line of electric motorbikes. The copier argued that its vehicles were...
The line between civil and criminal liability: preventing the risk of producing and trading counterfeit goods and counterfeit food additives
Processing and packing raw materials of unknown origin in packaging bearing a famous trademark, or buying fake goods to mix in with genuine stock, can...
Copyright and works created with artificial intelligence (AI): legal basis and dispute risks
Who owns AI-generated content in Vietnam? Decrees 100/2026 and 134/2026: conditions for protection, proof of human input and dispute risks.
Should a household business become a company? Legal benefits and tax incentives in 2026
Household business or company? Compare legal status, liability, capital and tax, and see the 2026 incentives for converted businesses in Vietnam.
What household businesses need to know: new e-invoice rules from 2026
Decree 254/2026/ND-CP: when household businesses in Vietnam must use e-invoices, what invoices must show, rewards for reporting, exempt cases.
Selling online: new e-commerce tax rules and the risk of splitting revenue
Selling on e-commerce platforms such as Shopee, TikTok Shop, Lazada or Tiki is now a common sales channel for many individuals and household businesses...
Accounting records for household and individual businesses in 2026: a compliance guide
From 1 January 2026, Circular No. 152/2025/TT-BTC of the Ministry of Finance took effect, replacing Circular No. 88/2021/TT-BTC. Under the new rules,...
Do mobile traders need to register their business? [2026 update]
English translation of the Vietnamese article. The Vietnamese version prevails.
Changes to the Law on Value-Added Tax: a challenge or a chance for businesses to transform?
With major changes coming from the Law on Value-Added Tax, businesses, especially small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), are under pressure to...
How to calculate pay and bonuses for the National Day holiday (2 September) under the law: what employees need to know
The rules on calculating pay and bonuses are set out clearly in the Labour Code 2019.
When an employment contract ends, businesses must delete the employee’s personal data
At its 9th session, the 15th National Assembly passed the Law on Personal Data Protection. The Law takes effect on 1 January 2026.
Amending the Law on Investment: a golden opportunity to reshape Vietnam’s investment environment
The amended Law on Investment is seen as a strategic step that brings fresh air to Vietnam’s business environment. It is not just an adjustment of...
New articles are added in both languages. Vietnamese articles: spclegal.vn/kien-thuc
Not sure where your legal issues are?
Start with a check-up. A legal health check reviews four core legal areas, identifies the risks and gives you a practical plan for what to fix first.
Need to discuss an issue with a lawyer?
Tell us what you need help with: governance, contracts, intellectual property, personal data, employment and compliance, or a dispute. We work in English or Vietnamese.
Please do not send confidential documents or personal data through the form.
FC Legal Law Company Limited, Hanoi, Vietnam. This page is general information, not legal advice for any specific situation.
