Les acteurs de l’immobilier vietnamien
Russin & Vecchi review: services, fees, pros and cons
Is Russin & Vecchi a good choice for a foreign property buyer in Vietnam?
Russin & Vecchi — key facts
Law firm- Founded
- 1967 in Saigon — among the first Western law offices in Vietnam, and one of the first to re-establish in the country in 1994
- Vietnam offices
- Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City
- Firm type
- Independent full-service Vietnamese business law firm — not part of a global law firm network
- Practice areas
- Corporate & M&A, banking & finance, real estate & construction, dispute resolution, intellectual property, labour & employment, tax
- Services for property buyers
- Title and developer due diligence, Sale & Purchase Agreement review, corporate structuring for holding entities, Power of Attorney coordination, dispute resolution
- Languages
- English, Vietnamese
- Recognition
- Recognised by leading international legal directories, including The Legal 500 Asia-Pacific, IFLR1000 and Chambers Asia-Pacific, for Vietnam corporate, M&A and real estate work
Who is Russin & Vecchi?
Russin & Vecchi holds one of the longest histories of any foreign-facing law firm in Vietnam. The office first opened in Saigon in 1967, closed with the end of the war in 1975, and was among the first Western law practices to re-open in the country in 1994, once Đổi Mới-era reforms allowed foreign firms back in. That gives the firm more than three decades of unbroken, present-day operation — longer than any global-network entrant and longer than the boutique firms founded after 2000.
Unlike the local practice of a global network such as Baker McKenzie, Russin & Vecchi is an independent Vietnamese firm, structured as a full-service business law practice rather than a single-issue boutique. Its lawyers cover corporate and M&A, banking and finance, real estate and construction, dispute resolution, intellectual property, labour and tax from offices in both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, and the firm is recognised by international legal directories — The Legal 500 Asia-Pacific, IFLR1000 and Chambers Asia-Pacific — for its Vietnam corporate and real estate work.
Russin & Vecchi for foreign property buyers in Hanoi
For a foreign buyer, Russin & Vecchi's real estate practice reviews the Sale & Purchase Agreement and any deposit agreement before you commit funds, runs due diligence on the seller's title and the building's 30% foreign-ownership quota position, and checks that the developer holds a valid developer license and, for an off-plan purchase, that a bank guarantee is in place — all within the renewable 50-year foreign-ownership term set by the Housing Law 2023.
Because the firm is full-service rather than a single-practice boutique, a buyer who also needs a company structure to hold the property, or who has a dispute to resolve after handover, stays with the same firm rather than being referred elsewhere. Buyers signing from outside Vietnam are routine business: the firm can draft and coordinate a Power of Attorney, then carry the file through to Pink Book registration after handover, without requiring your presence at every step of the buying process. As with most independent Vietnamese firms, fee proposals are scoped per engagement rather than published as a fixed schedule, so request a written estimate before instructing, particularly if the purchase also involves cross-border financing.
Our editorial rating
- Foreigner accessibility
- 4.0 / 5
- English support
- 4.0 / 5
- Track record & reliability
- 4.7 / 5
- Fees & transparency
- 3.7 / 5
- Documentation & process
- 4.2 / 5
Bilingual, foreign-client-facing service built up over three decades, though the bench is smaller than an international network's.
English-language contract review and correspondence as standard, reflecting the firm's origins as a foreign-founded practice.
The longest continuous track record of any firm on our list: opened in Saigon in 1967, operating without interruption since re-establishing in 1994.
No published fixed-fee schedule for a single property purchase — always request a written estimate before engaging.
Full-service structure means due diligence, contract review and corporate structuring can be handled by one firm rather than several.
+ Strengths and points to weigh
- +The longest continuous track record among the firms we review: opened in Saigon in 1967, operating without interruption since re-establishing in Vietnam in 1994
- +Independent full-service firm — corporate structuring, real estate due diligence and dispute resolution are handled under one roof rather than split across firms
- +Dual-office coverage in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, with bilingual English/Vietnamese service throughout
- +Recognised by The Legal 500 Asia-Pacific, IFLR1000 and Chambers Asia-Pacific for Vietnam corporate and real estate work — independently verified, not self-reported
- +Real estate and construction sits alongside corporate and dispute-resolution practices, useful if a purchase later needs a holding-company structure or a post-handover dispute resolved
−
- −No published fixed-fee schedule for a single property purchase — always request a written estimate before instructing
- −An independent Vietnamese firm rather than a member of a global legal network, so buyers who specifically want a recognisable multinational brand for cross-jurisdiction coordination should compare against a network firm
- −Smaller bench than the largest international networks, so capacity can be tighter at peak transaction periods
- −No self-service online intake for small purchases — engagement starts with a direct conversation and a scoped proposal
✓ Who should choose Russin & Vecchi
- ✓Buyers who value continuity and want the firm with the longest unbroken track record among those we review
- ✓Buyers who prefer a single independent firm handling corporate structuring, real estate due diligence and dispute resolution together
- ✓Buyers signing remotely who need a Power of Attorney and title due diligence coordinated bilingually from either the Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City office
- ⚠Buyers who want the reassurance of a globally branded network name for cross-border coordination across several countries
- ⚠Very price-sensitive buyers who need a published fixed fee before their first conversation
Other law firms working with foreign buyers in Hanoi
Frasers Law Company
★Premier cabinet à avoir obtenu une licence de cabinet étranger au Vietnam (32 ans, 17 practices). Corporate & M&A, Real Estate & Construction, banking & finance, foreign investment, data protection, compliance. Conseil international pour entreprises étrangères investissant au Vietnam.
Ho Chi Minh City + Hanoi · EN, VN
Vision & Associates
★Investissement étranger, immobilier, corporate/M&A, propriété intellectuelle, conseil - ~90 avocats/conseils
Hanoi · Vietnamien, Anglais
GV Lawyers (Global Vietnam Lawyers)
★Conveyancing immobilier, due diligence, acquisition foncière, conseil aux acheteurs étrangers, transactions résidentielles/commerciales
Ho Chi Minh City · Vietnamien, Anglais
Russin & Vecchi
★Cabinet international parmi les premiers cabinets étrangers licenciés au Vietnam (1993, ~4 associés/20 avocats). 17 domaines dont Real Estate & Construction, FDI & corporate, M&A, IP, banking/capital markets, employment, fiscalité. Sert investisseurs étrangers (référencé pour l'assistance juridique par l'ambassade US).
Ho Chi Minh City + Hanoi · EN, VN
Our verdict
4.1 / 5Russin & Vecchi's core asset is longevity: no other firm we review has been present in Vietnam as long, and few can match an unbroken operating record stretching back to a 1994 re-establishment built on a 1967 founding. For a foreign buyer who wants a single independent firm to handle real estate due diligence, corporate structuring and, if needed, dispute resolution together, that continuity is a genuine reassurance. The trade-off is the same one that applies to every independent Vietnamese firm on our list: no published fixed fee for a single purchase, and a smaller bench than the largest international networks at peak periods. For a buyer who values track record over brand-name recognition, Russin & Vecchi is a credible, independently recognised choice.
Frequently asked questions
Is Russin & Vecchi vietnam-based, or a foreign firm operating locally?
Russin & Vecchi is an independent Vietnamese business law firm, not the local branch of a foreign network. It has operated continuously in the country since re-establishing in 1994, after first opening in Saigon in 1967.
Are there client reviews of Russin & Vecchi online?
There is no public consumer review platform for individual property-buyer engagements with Vietnamese law firms. What exists instead is independent recognition from legal directories such as The Legal 500 and Chambers Asia-Pacific, which compile peer and client feedback as part of their own ranking methodology — a stronger reliability signal than an unverifiable testimonial.
Is Russin & Vecchi reliable for property due diligence?
Its track record supports this: the firm has operated without interruption since 1994, traces its Vietnam presence back to 1967, and is recognised by The Legal 500 Asia-Pacific, IFLR1000 and Chambers Asia-Pacific for its corporate and real estate work.
Can a foreign buyer engage Russin & Vecchi directly from abroad?
Yes. As a bilingual, foreign-client-facing firm, Russin & Vecchi regularly handles instructions, document review and signing by email and Power of Attorney for buyers who are not physically in Vietnam at the time of purchase.
Does Russin & Vecchi have an office in Hanoi?
Yes, alongside its Ho Chi Minh City office. Both are staffed offices, and the firm's real estate and corporate practices serve buyers purchasing anywhere in Vietnam, including Hanoi developments.
What does Russin & Vecchi charge for a property purchase review?
The firm does not publish a fixed-fee schedule for individual buyers; engagements are scoped and billed per file. Always request a written fee estimate for the specific work — due diligence, SPA review or Power of Attorney support — before instructing the firm.
How does Russin & Vecchi compare to Baker McKenzie Vietnam?
Both firms field dedicated real estate practices, but Baker McKenzie Vietnam is the local office of a global network present since 1993, while Russin & Vecchi is an independent firm with a longer unbroken Vietnam presence, tracing back to 1967; see our comparison of law firms for more options.
Sources
- Housing Law 2023 (27/2023/QH15) — effective 01/08/2024; sets the 50-year foreign-ownership term and the 30% per-building quota referenced in this review.
- Land Law 2024 (31/2024/QH15) — effective 01/08/2024; governs land-use rights referenced in our due-diligence and Pink Book notes.
- Russin & Vecchi public firm profile; The Legal 500 Asia-Pacific; Chambers Asia-Pacific; IFLR1000 — consulted July 2026 for firm history, offices and practice-area recognition.
Considering Russin & Vecchi for your purchase?
We deal with Hanoi law firms every week — get an independent second opinion on scope and fees before you sign an engagement letter, at no cost to you.