On May 29, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) launched an investigation into Vietnam’s policies related to intellectual property protection and enforcement under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974. Following a comment period for stakeholders, the USTR will issue an initial determination on whether Vietnam’s policies are actionable under Section 301 and, if so, may propose tariff or non-tariff measures.

Lawyers at Denver-based Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck say in a client alert that the proposed determination increases the likelihood of tariffs or other trade measures. “USTR will conduct consultations with Vietnam and solicit public input before issuing an initial determination, followed by further comment and a final determination. The final determination is due within six months of initiation (with a possible three-month extension), suggesting a timeline of late October,” the client alert says.

“Section 301 has emerged as the [United States’] primary tool to reestablish country-specific tariffs following the Supreme Court’s February 2026 decision invalidating tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). The current 10% global tariff under Section 122 is temporary and set to expire on July 24, 2026,” the firm wrote.

Separately, the firm noted, the USTR has already proposed a 12.5% tariff on Vietnam under a Section 301 investigation related to forced labour. “Whether that tariff would stack with any IP-related tariffs remains unclear,” the firm’s lawyers say, “but the combined effect could approximate prior IEEPA tariff levels (20% baseline and 40% for suspected transhipment).”

Yen Vu and Khanh Nguyen, principals at Rouse, on a statement on the firm’s website, note that Vietnam launched a major nationwide peak enforcement campaign to combat IP infringement. “The campaign requires all ministries, sectors, and local authorities to conduct coordinated, simultaneous operations to prevent and address IP infringements,” Vu and Nguyen wrote in May 2026.

“The Prime Minister has directed a strict enforcement approach, requiring authorities to address IP infringement without exception. This prompt and assertive campaign reflects the government’s continued efforts to strengthen IP protection and enforcement, as well as to improve the business environment in Vietnam,” they said, noting that the USTR cited Vietnam’s inadequate enforcement against online piracy and widespread counterfeiting, lack of effective border enforcement, insufficient action against unlicensed software use and lack of criminal measures against cable and satellite signal theft as key concerns.

“The USTR acknowledged recent enforcement actions, including the shutdown of online copyright piracy platforms HiAnime.to, TVE-4U, VCTVEGroup and Ebookvie, and others. However, it noted that previous criminal penalties, including suspended sentences and relatively low fines, have not provided sufficient deterrence,” they said.

With this challenging development in the practice of intellectual property in Vietnam, we turned to IP professionals in the region in order to understand better what clients need today. Asia IP asked a large number of professionals – mostly in-house counsel and corporate legal managers – what they were looking for from their legal service providers. From their answers, we have compiled our list of Vietnam’s 50 IP Experts, those lawyers who understand just what their clients need and are able to provide them with the best practical advice.

While regional and national powerhouse firms account still account for many of the lawyers on our list, the rest of our list also reflects a growing diversity of practices in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, with lawyers from a number of young and relatively young firms receiving recognition as IP Experts.

Not surprisingly, Tilleke & Gibbins (Hung Tuan Nguyen, Linh Thi Mai Nguyen, Loc Xuan Le and Michelle Ray-Jones) led the way with four lawyers on our list. Baker McKenzie (Hoa Tran, Hung Tran Manh and Minh Tri Quach), D&N International (Hoa T.N. Tran, Hong Son Dang and Thuy T.H. Dang), Pham & Associates (Hoang Tien Pham, Vu Khanh Toan Pham and Xuan Thu Nguyen) and Vision & Associates (Nghiem Xuan Bac Pham, Do Quang Hung and Nguyet Dzung Nguyen) each placed three lawyers on our list. A total of 29 different firms placed at least one lawyer on our list.

Most of the lawyers named to our list have multiple practice specialties. Many of them are litigators, while others concentrate on prosecution work or provide strategic advice.

All of them have something in common: they are experts in their fields and, in one way or another, they provide extra value for their clients. They are Asia IP’s Vietnam’s IP Experts. – GREGORY GLASS

Vietnam’s IP Experts is based solely on independent editorial research conducted by Asia IP. As part of this project, we turned to in-house counsel in Vietnam, Asia and elsewhere around the world, as well as Southeast Asia-focused partners at international law firms, and asked them to nominate private-practice lawyers including foreign legal consultants, advisers and counsel.

The final list reflects the nominations received combined with the input of the editorial team at Asia IP, which has more than 55 years of collective experience in researching and understanding Vietnam’s legal market.

All private practice intellectual property lawyers in Vietnam were eligible for inclusion in the nomination process; there were no fees or other requirements for inclusion in the process.

The names of our 50 IP Experts are published here. Each IP Expert was given the opportunity to include their biography and contact details in print and on our website, for which a fee was charged.