BEc, Hanoi Foreign Trade University
LLB, Hanoi Law University
+84 24 3772 5567 
Kien Trung Trinh is a partner in Tilleke & Gibbins’ corporate and commercial group in Vietnam. With more than 20 years of experience in advising multinational companies on a wide range of commercial and corporate law, he is regarded as “knowledgeable, practical and responsive” by The Legal 500 Asia Pacific.
Kien is ranked among the top 100 lawyers in Vietnam on Asia Business Law Journal's "A-List" and is also acknowledged as one of Vietnam's preeminent employment law experts by Asialaw Leading Lawyers. He provides sound advice on company work rules, benefit plans, social and health insurance, personal income tax, employment contracts, collective bargaining agreements, confidentiality agreements, and terminations and disciplinary actions. Kien has helped various companies secure termination agreements that have prevented outlays of significant sums.
He also takes an active role in the firm’s life sciences practice, where he advises and assists clients with registration of pharmaceuticals, medical devices, foods, and animal products.
- Advised a number of multinational food companies on registration, advertisement, and label requirements for food products in Vietnam.
- Advised clients on registration of medical devices in Vietnam.
- Advised clients on the role of the trade union in the representation of employees’ interests and the obligations of the employer to consult with the trade union.
- Assisted the subsidiary of a global leader in insurance brokering and risk management in Vietnam with contract review and advice on their daily operations.
- Advised the Hong Kong subsidiary of one of the world's largest insurance companies and a leading group of insurance service providers with regulations on cross-border supply of insurance services in Vietnam.
- Served as local counsel to a Chinese bank in a USD 60,000,000 loan transaction to finance a portion of an expressway project. We also advised the bank with respect to a USD 6,500,000 loan transaction to finance an automotive assembly company.
- Advised a Japanese brewery in a strategic share acquisition of a major state-owned brewery.
- Advised a North American banking institution on a host of Vietnamese banking regulations regarding investment accounts, electronic banking, check clearing and international payment services, ACH transactions, foreign exchange services, and other issues.
- Advised a global pharmaceutical company on all aspects of doing business in Vietnam, including the formation and operation of a representative office, registration as a foreign pharmaceutical company, property transactions, and employment termination and labor disciplinary procedures.
- Prepared the application dossier and all additional documentation required to establish a 100% foreign-owned company engaging in the distribution of industrial tools in Vietnam. We also assisted the client with leasing office space.
- Advised an international technology company on operating a representative office in Vietnam, including advising on the scope of work of a representative office, employment matters, tax matters, and government filing requirements. We prepared Vietnamese and English versions of labor contracts.
- Assisted a global electronics company with all legal aspects of leasing industrial property, commencing construction, and acquiring a trading license.
- Advised a leading high-tech company on HR matters, including drafting labor contracts, registering new staff members, preparing documents for employment termination, and registering staff resignations.
- Advised a multinational pharmaceutical company regarding various corporate consolidation matters, including management, labor, and drug licensing, arising from its worldwide merger with another leading pharmaceutical company. After the integration became effective, we helped the subsidiaries comply with various legal requirements and assisted our client in obtaining the necessary permits.
- Helped an Italian pharmaceutical company prepare an application dossier and obtain a license to operate in the area of medicinal products.
- Prepared comprehensive information on employment law in Vietnam for an international law firm.
- Assisted a global garment manufacturer in obtaining a branch license.
- Acted as lead counsel in advising two leading Swedish industrial tools manufacturers in establishing wholly foreign-owned enterprises engaging in manufacturing, importing and exporting, and distribution activities in Vietnam as well as post-licensing, labor and employment, and corporate support services.