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Vietnam: Law On Environmental Protection 2020 (Part 1)

On 17 November 2020, the National Assembly approved Law No. 72/2020/QH14 on Environmental Protection (the “New LEP”), replacing the Law on Environmental Protection 2014 (the “Current LEP”). The New LEP will take effect from 1 January 2022; however, the criteria for appraising preliminary environmental impact assessment reports have been applicable since 1 February 2021, and applicants with pending environmental administrative dossiers submitted prior to 1 January 2022 may choose to have the New LEP applied to their applications. The New LEP introduces several significant points, which will be discussed in two separate issues (Part 1 and Part 2) of this newsletter.  In this Part 1, we touch upon matters concerning classification of projects for environmental protection purposes and environmental impact...To read the full article, please see the PDF file

*This article is also available in Japanese.

Asia Newsletter (May 12, 2021) (976 KB / 4 pages) Download PDF [976 KB]

Authors

平松 哲

Akira HIRAMATSU

  • Partner
  • Hanoi / Ho Chi Minh City

He has worked in Vietnam since 2014, and is currently a representative of our Hanoi Office. He has mainly provided legal advice to many Japanese and international companies on various cross border M&A cases and other cross border transactions, including the acquisition of shares in listed companies and large scale companies in various industries. He also provides advice on compliance, labor law, corporate disputes and general corporate and commercial transactions based on his extensive knowledge and experience.

ヴ・レ・バン

VU Le Bang

  • Partner
  • Hanoi / Ho Chi Minh City

Bang is a partner with more than 20 years of professional legal experience. He joined the Ho Chi Minh City Office in 2010, and was the first Vietnamese lawyer to join Nishimura & Asahi; his experience spans a wide range of matters, including a diverse selection of notable, complex projects and disputes. Bang specializes in dispute resolution, inbound investments, corporate & commercial matters, M&A, banking, real estate & construction, and labor. He also has significant experience advising on international trade, unfair competition, securities, capital markets transactions, project financing transactions, infrastructure projects, and energy projects. Prior to joining the firm, Bang gained advisory experience working at law firms and  for multinational corporations. He is a regular contributor to numerous legal magazines, and has participated actively in the training of law students and legal practitioners as a part-time lecturer in Vietnam since 2009. Bang is also a regular speaker at seminars and events organized by professional legal institutions and organizations.

Bang graduated from Hanoi University of Law in 2001 and earned an LL.M. in International Law from the Transnational Law & Business University in Seoul, Korea, in 2006. He later completed an LL.M. in U.S. Law at Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University in Virginia, and an LL.M. in International Business Law and U.S. Law from Northeastern University School of Law in 2024. In 2025, he obtained a Ph.D. in International Relations from Selinus University of Sciences and Literature. He currently is pursuing Ph.D. programs in International Law and Business in the United States.

Chambers and Partners has recognized Bang as a leading lawyer in M&A and Real Estate. He is a CiArb-accredited mediator, a listed arbitrator of  the Vietnam International Arbitration Centre, and a member of the Ho Chi Minh Bar and the Vietnam Bar Federation. He is fluent in English and Vietnamese.

ハー・ホアン・ロック

HA Hoang Loc

  • Partner
  • Hanoi / Ho Chi Minh City

Mr. Loc joined Nishimura & Asahi (Ho Chi Minh City Office) in July 2012. Before that, he spent more than 8 years with other foreign and domestic law firms in Vietnam. He has assisted clients in many large-scale cases including, among others, an acquisition of shares in a public pharmaceutical company in Vietnam, transactions acquiring shares in a public construction company, an acquisition of shares in a digital retailer listed in Vietnam, and bidding by a client for development of a real estate project in Ho Chi Minh City. Mr. Loc has assisted many well-known Japanese investors in investments worth hundreds of millions of US dollars in finance leasing, real estate development, and steel manufacturing businesses in Vietnam. He has advised a number of giant Japanese companies in conducting their business in Vietnam, and he has given lectures to clients’ employees in relation to anti-corruption matters. He has also advised clients in carrying out product recall procedures in Vietnam. Mr. Loc has authored various articles including Anti-Corruption Survey 2014 (Vietnam Chapter) - Anti-Corruption Survey published in 2014, the Mergers & Acquisitions Review - Eighth Edition - (Vietnam Chapter) published in 2014, Vietnam: All change for offshore investors - International Financial Law Review published in 2014, Vietnam: The investment conditions list - International Financial Law Review published in 2015, and Simplifying foreign Investment - International Financial Law Review published in 2016. Mr. Loc is a 2001 graduate of the Ho Chi Minh City University of Law (LL.B), and received an LL.M (with Merit) from Southampton Solent University (England) in 2008. He is admitted to the Ho Chi Minh City Bar Association (since 2008), and the Vietnam Bar Federation (since 2009). He is fluent in both English and Vietnamese.