A Long-Awaited Return: Vietnam’s In-House Community Comes Together in Ho Chi Minh City
RAHUL PRAKASH
The Ho Chi Minh City In-House Community Congress 2025 marked the return of the Congress to Vietnam for the first time since 2019, bringing together a senior audience of in-house counsel and general counsel for an afternoon of focused discussion and peer exchange. Hosted at the Renaissance Riverside Hotel Saigon, the event reflected both the growing maturity of Vietnam’s in-house legal market and the expanding strategic role of corporate legal teams.
The Congress convened legal leaders from across industries to examine how in-house teams are responding to regulatory change, internal governance challenges and heightened expectations from the business. Throughout the programme, discussions were firmly grounded in practical realities, offering insights that attendees could apply directly within their organisations.
Following opening remarks from Rahul Prakash, Publishing Director at In-House Community, the programme opened with the panel “Future-Ready Legal: Reshaping the GC’s Role.” Moderated by Gaston Fernandez, Office Managing Partner at Hogan Lovells, the session featured Lan Anh Tran, Head of Legal at Mercedes-Benz Vietnam, Minh Vu, Legal Director at Haleon, and Vo Sy Chung, Legal Director at VietJet Air. The discussion explored how general counsel are evolving as strategic partners, with speakers sharing perspectives on building agile legal teams, communicating legal value, adopting technology responsibly and navigating regulatory and geopolitical uncertainty.
This was followed by a second session hosted by Russin & Vecchi, “Sexual Harassment & Privacy Breach by Employees.” The panel featured Sesto Vecchi, Partner, Tran Ngoc Han, Partner, and Le Ton Viet, Senior Associate. The discussion addressed sensitive and increasingly prominent workplace issues, highlighting the role of in-house counsel in strengthening compliance frameworks, managing investigations and mitigating reputational risk. 
The programme concluded with “Data Protection in M&A: Managing Risk Through Transaction Documents,” presented by Hoang Nguyen Ha Quyen, Partner at LNT & Partners. The session explored how data protection considerations can be addressed in share purchase agreements, with a focus on warranties, indemnities and covenants under Vietnam’s evolving personal data protection regime.
It was invaluable to connect with peers who are facing the same challenges in Vietnam’s evolving legal landscape. The discussions were practical, relevant and genuinely senior-level. I would absolutely prioritise attending the Ho Chi Minh City Congress again in 2026.”
— General Counsel, large Vietnamese financial organisation
Beyond the formal agenda, delegates connected during refreshment breaks and at the post-event drinks reception, reinforcing the Congress’s role as a platform for senior-level engagement within Vietnam’s in-house community.
Building on the success of the 2025 event, the Ho Chi Minh City In-House Community Congress will return in 2026.
For sponsorship opportunities for the 2026 HCMC In-House Community Congress, please contact sponsorships@inhousecommunity.com