How to Establish a Business in Vietnam

How to Establish a Business in Vietnam?

Lately, Vietnam has turned into an appealing objective for unfamiliar speculation because of its benefits of safety, political soundness, and great geological situation to exchange with the world. This serves as both the gateway to the economies in the western Indochina Peninsula and the region's connection hub. In addition, in order to make it easier for foreign investors to begin doing business in Vietnam, the government of Vietnam has been increasingly implementing more preferential policies.

Investors in Vietnam must first select an appropriate type of business based on the number of capital contributors, amount of capital contributed, and purse size before starting a business in Vietnam. Foreign individuals and organizations are permitted to establish a limited liability company, joint stock company, partnership, or private enterprise under Vietnam law.

The business line is the next issue to take into consideration. The company must register the appropriate business lines related to business activities in order to continue operating. On the off chance that the chose line of business doesn't need conditions, the venture can go into activity after the foundation of the organization. The majority of businesses would engage in this non-conditional business activity. However, if the investor selects a conditional business line, the company must first meet the necessary requirements, submit an application for a business license in accordance with the requirements, and then begin operations. This is regarded as a conditional investment area, with restrictions such as a license requirement, minimum charter capital, and foreign ownership ratio...

Investors must also select a location for their business that is legally permissible for business operations. The address of the business must be on Vietnam's territory and meet the requirements of the business's purpose, such as not being in a dormitory or apartment building solely for living; The factory must be in the right area for business...

Newly established businesses must have their own proper name, which cannot be the same as or similar to a business that has already been registered in order to serve the management of the state and facilitate business activities. When naming an organization, businesses are not permitted to use the names of functional agencies or state management agencies. The proper name and type of business must be included in the business's name. Businesses can use abbreviations or English names to avoid competing with other businesses. However, they must ensure that the company name does not create confusion by not including any cultural symbols, prefixes, or suffixes.

In Vietnam, investors must apply for an Investment Registration Certificate at an appropriate authority. All projects wishing to establish a new legal entity in Vietnam must go through this procedure. Depending on the project, an investment certificate application takes about 30 days to process. Foreign individuals and businesses must prepare an application for an Enterprise Registration Certificate at the Department of Planning and Investment within seven days of receiving an Investment Registration Certificate. The enterprise now possesses legal status in accordance with the provisions of the Vietnam Law on Enterprises.

The company could perform monthly compliance services on its own or with the assistance of professionals, such as submitting foreign labor reports, investment reports, tax reports, and health and insurance reports to authorities in order to avoid penalties from the start.

ANT Lawyers is a law firm in Vietnam that will always contact the authorities to obtain legal updates on issues pertaining to investment registration or conducting business in Vietnam.

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How to Resolve Disputes Settlement through Arbitration in Vietnam?

How to Resolve Disputes Settlement through Arbitration in Vietnam?

Arbitration, mediation, negotiation, and litigation are all methods of dispute resolution. In order to resolve disputes, a litigation dispute law firm in Vietnam needs dispute lawyers who have the expertise and experience necessary to resolve complex cross-border, commercial, and civil disputes.

Most business agreements could include a provision stating that disputes must be resolved through arbitration in the current business environment. A valid written arbitration agreement, either as an arbitration clause in a contract or a separate agreement, is required for a dispute to be referred to arbitration. The arbitration clause is treated as independent if it is included in a contract, and the arbitration clause's validity is unaffected by contract modifications, extensions, or terminations. As long as the parties clearly state their intention to resolve any dispute through arbitration, Vietnamese law permits a written arbitration agreement to take any form. The residing court is required to drop the case if a dispute falls within the scope of a valid arbitration agreement and a party attempts to initiate court proceedings. Additionally, the arbitration organization authorized to resolve disputes without supplemental agreement is not required to be specified in an arbitration agreement. Even if there is a valid arbitration agreement, the Vietnamese Arbitration Law states that a dispute must also fall into one of three categories before it can be arbitrated:

(1) disputes arising from “commercial activities”;

(2) disputes where at least one party is engaged in commercial activities;

(3) other disputes where the law stipulates that arbitration is a permissible means of resolution.

The definition of the term "commercial activity" in category (1) can be found in Commercial Law No. “activity for profit-making purposes comprising the purchase and sale of goods, provision of services, investment, commercial enhancement, and other activities for profit-making purposes,” according to 36-2005-QH11 (31 December 2005). Noncommercial disputes, such as civil disputes, in which at least one party is engaged in commercial activities, frequently fall into the second category. However, disputes between consumers and providers of goods or services do not fall under this category. The law stipulates that the party may select arbitration or litigation in this instance. The dispute cannot be arbitrated without the consent of the consumer, even if the agreement includes a standard arbitration clause in the contract for the supply of goods or services. Legislators have complete discretion over whether or not to expand or maintain the categories of disputes that can be resolved through arbitration. A dispute arising from investment activities governed by the Law on Investment is an illustration of a dispute in category (3).

Due to the fact that many businesses would rather avoid the high costs of litigation, arbitration has grown in popularity.

Arbitration lawyers in Vietnam at ANT Lawyers - a Vietnam law firm with accreditation in national and international arbitration practice can assist in providing clients with legal advice and guidance throughout the process of resolving disputes. The intervention attorneys could likewise exhort the clients on different issues from decision of authority, decision of assertion rules, specially appointed or institutional discretion, spot of mediation, implementation of arbitral honor.

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How Do I Get a Business Registration Certificate in Vietnam?

How do I Get a Business Registration Certificate in Vietnam?

Each association and individual wishing to set up an unfamiliar claimed organization in Vietnam will have to meet a few particulars conditions as declared under the Law on Venture and Regulation on Big business. The investor will also need to check with the law governing the investment area in certain areas that are being considered as conditional investments. The investor must submit an application for business registration once the investment registration certificate is completed.

The following is a description of the procedure for applying for a certificate of enterprise registration for a limited liability company or joint stock company with two or more members:

Dossiers:

i) Application form for enterprise registration

ii) The company’s charter.

iii) A list of founding shareholders and shareholders being foreign investors/ a list of capital contribution members.

iv) Valid copies of:

Copies of the ID cards or other forms of identification for individuals who are founding shareholders and foreign investors or members; list of organizations that are authorized representatives of foreign shareholders.

The decision to establish the organization, the business registration certificate, or another similar document, along with the authorization letter; the identification cards or other forms of identification used by organizations' authorized representatives, such as founding shareholders and foreign investors.

A copy of the certificate of business registration or an equivalent document must be notarized, legalized, and authenticated if the shareholders are foreign organizations.

The foreign investors' Certificate of Investment registration, as required by the Investment Law.

State Authority: Business registration office of the province where the enterprise’s headquarters is situated.

Period: within 03 working days from the full receipt of the dossiers

Result: Business enrollment office will give the authentication of big business enlistment or on the other hand on the off chance that the application isn't palatable, business enrollment office will advise the candidate regarding important corrections and supplementation to organization.

The government of Vietnam generally supports direct foreign investment. In the event that the financial backer countenances difficulties at state authority, whom don't give notice or solicitation of supplementation to the application for big business enrollment, the financial backer virus hold up a grievance as endorsed by guidelines of regulation on protests and reprimand to the state power to safeguard its right in carrying on with work and interest in Vietnam. The investor could benefit from the assistance of a law firm in Vietnam with expertise in both business registration certificate and dispute resolution.

The venture is qualified for carry on with work from the issuance date of the endorsement of big business enlistment. Businesses are permitted to participate in conditional business lines if they meet all requirements and are able to maintain compliance with those requirements throughout their operations.

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How to set up a Joint-Stock Company in Vietnam in 2023

Joint-stock company is a type of enterprise recognized by Vietnam law, besides other types being limited liability company, partnership and private enterprise. A joint-stock company has legal status from the date of issuance of the Certificate of Business Registration by Vietnam authority. It is important to consult with corporate lawyers in Vietnam to learn the advantage of different forms of companies to be set up in Vietnam for the efficient management and purpose of the owner.

According to the definition of the Law on Enterprises, a joint-stock company is an enterprise whose charter capital is divided into equal parts called shares. Shareholders of a joint-stock company can be organizations or individuals, and the minimum number of shareholders of the company is 03 people. There is no limit on the maximum number of shareholders, so it will be convenient for the company when it wishes to expand its business on a larger scale. In addition, shareholders will only be liable for debts and other property obligations of the enterprise to the extent of the amount of capital contributed to the enterprise. This is an advantage of this type of business because the level of risk that shareholders have to bear. In particular, joint-stock companies have the right to issue shares, bonds and other securities to raise capital, which is a feature that other types of businesses do not have.

To set up a joint-stock company in Vietnam, the business owner can submit by himself or authorize another individual/organization or a law firm in Vietnam to submit a set of documents to the Business Registration Office where the head office is intended, including:

1.An application for enterprise registration;

2.The company’s charter;

3.List of founding shareholders and list of shareholders being foreign investors;

4.Copies of the following papers:

a) Legal papers of the individual for the legal representative of the enterprise;

b) Personal legal papers for company members, founding shareholders, shareholders being foreign investors who are individuals; Legal papers of the organization for members, founding shareholders, shareholders being foreign investors being organizations; Legal documents of individuals for authorized representatives of members, founding shareholders, shareholders being foreign investors being organizations and documents on appointment of authorized representatives.

For members and shareholders being foreign organizations, copies of legal papers of the organization must be notarized and consularly legalized in Vietnam;

c) Investment registration certificate, in case the enterprise is established or participated in the establishment by a foreign investor or a foreign-invested economic organization in accordance with the provisions of the Investment Law and other legal documents; implementation manual.

The processing time will be 03 working days from the date the Business Registration Office receives the valid application.

With highly professional staff and great experience in foreign investment, ANT Lawyers could help to support you to set up a joint-stock company in Vietnam.

Source ANT Lawyers: https://antlawyers.vn/library/set-up-a-joint-stock-company-in-vietnam.html

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How to Resolve Disputes in Labour in Vietnam?

How to Resolve Disputes in Labour in Vietnam?

A labour dispute is one of the most common disputes in society, in particular it means a dispute over rights, obligations and interests among the parties during the establishment, execution or termination of labor relation; a dispute between the representative organizations of employees; a dispute over a relationship that is directly relevant to the labor relation. In fact, labour disputes happen often, but there are many situations where employees often have little understanding of their rights, leading to disadvantages if the employer does not know or does not follow the law. Therefore, identifying labour disputes is very important. For employees, learning about labor law is to know their rights. Employers need to understand labor laws to ensure compliance. Both employees and employers can consult a dispute lawyer in labor to protect their rights.

For example, during the recent epidemic, many businesses faced difficulties in doing business and hence many common labour disputes arisen. For workers, a dispute could arise from not being paid on time. Other concerns are whether there is any violations that lead to the termination of the labor contract?  Has the employer carried out restructuring procedures and notified state agencies according to the correct procedure before terminating the labor contract with the employee? Does the employer have an agreement with the employee before suspending the labor contract during the pandemic? When the business is not efficient, is the employer required to pay the 13th month salary to the employee?

At present, labour disputes are classified into different types based on the object who participated in the dispute: Labour disputes between the employee and the employer; labour between the employee and the organization that sends the employee to work overseas under a contract; labour dispute between the outsourced worker and the enterprise. Right-based or interest-based collective labour disputes between one or several representative organizations of employees and the employer or one or several representative organizations of employees.

The labour dispute settlement process must follow the following principles: Respect the parties’ autonomy through negotiation throughout the process of labour dispute settlement; Prioritize labour dispute settlement through mediation and arbitration on the basis of respect for the rights and interests of the two disputing parties, and respect for the public interest of the society and conformity with the law; The labour dispute shall be settled publicly, transparently, objectively, promptly, and lawfully; Ensure the participation of the representatives of each party in the labour dispute settlement process; Labour dispute settlement shall be initiated by a competent authority or person after it is requested by a disputing party or by another competent authority or person and is agreed by the disputing parties.

When a labour dispute arises, one party or parties may request a Labor Mediator; The Labor Arbitration Council or the People’s Court to settle the disputes. Matter on time limit is an important matter that the parties should pay attention. The time limit to request a labor mediator to settle an individual labour dispute is 06 months from the date on which a party discovers the act of infringement of their lawful rights and interests. For the form of dispute settlement through the Labor Arbitration Council, the time limit is 09 months from the date on which a party discovers the act of infringement of their lawful rights and interests. In case of requesting the Court to settle the labour dispute, the time limit is 01 year from the day on which a party discovers the act of infringement of their lawful rights and interests. Many of the labour disputes could be resolved effectively at court hence engaging a labour dispute lawyers in Vietnam to file a lawsuit will help parties involved.

Please note, upon the expiration of the above-mentioned time limitation, the disputing parties will not have the right to request the competent authorities to resolve the dispute. In case the requester is able to prove that the aforementioned time limits cannot be complied with due to a force majeure event or unfortunate event, the duration of such event shall not be included in the time limit for requesting settlement of individual labour dispute.

ANT Lawyers – A law firm in Vietnam, always follow up the labour matters to update clients on regular basis.

Source ANT Lawyers: https://antlawyers.vn/library/how-to-resolve-disputes-in-labour-in-vietnam.html

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Cancellation Against of Trademark

Cancellation Against of Trademark in Vietnam

It typically takes a significant amount of time and effort on the part of your business to win customers' confidence in your products and trademark. However, if there is another trademark for the same goods that is identical to yours, it will likely cause customers to make mistakes or become confused, resulting in a number of negative effects for your business, including a decrease in sales, a loss of reputation, and the ability to distinguish yourself.

In fact, after partnering with domestic businesses to distribute or sell goods, many international businesses discover that their trademarks are stolen by partners who register their trademarks for intellectual property protection in national offices. It is simple for trademark thieves to steal trademarks because each nation protects trademarks differently.

You should ask the Vietnam Intellectual Property Authority to cancel the trademark that was used in violation of your rights and benefits. ANT Lawyers would like to assist you in canceling against a trademark in Vietnam in the following ways because they have excellent IP experience in Vietnam and a highly professional staff.

Cancellation against of trademark in Vietnam

A certificate of trademark registration may be revoked entirely or partially at the request of a third party in accordance with Article 96 of the IP Law of Vietnam.

In the specified circumstances, the applicant may submit a written request to the National Office of Intellectual Property (NOIP) to cancel protection titles subject to payment of fees and charges.

Period for filling cancellation request

To request cancellation against of trademark in Vietnam due to the Applicant’s bad faith: the period for lodging such a request is the whole term of a Protection Title.

To request cancellation against of trademark in Vietnam due to other legal reasons: the period for lodging such a request is within 5 years as from the granting date.

The case for cancellation against of trademark in Vietnam

Any third party may request that a certificate of trademark registration be revoked entirely or partially in the following circumstances:

The registration applicant does not possess the right to register an invention, industrial design, layout-design, or mark, nor has this right been granted to them;

At the time the protection title is granted, the subject matter of industrial property does not meet the protection conditions.

Required documents

Proofs (if any);

Power of attorney;

Written justification of the request, including relevant documents and clearly stating the protection title's serial number, reason, and contents for terminating or canceling a portion or the entire protection title.

Time and procedures for cancellation against of trademark in Vietnam

In the event that a third party makes a request to have their trademark protection title revoked, the NOIP is required to provide the protection title holder with written notice of the third party's opinions and set a response deadline of two months from the date of notification.

The NOIP must decide whether to cancel all or a portion of the protection title or notify the parties of its refusal to cancel the trademark protection title after taking the opinions of the parties into consideration.

The requester or a party involved may file a complaint regarding the decision or the relevant notice if they disagree with the NOIP's handling of the request for cancellation of the trademark protection title

Within two months of its signing, a decision to cancel a trademark protection title must be published in the Industrial Property Official Gazette and added to the National Register of Industrial Property.

ANT Lawyers - IP Services in Vietnam firm that regularly informs clients of legal developments pertaining to trademarks by following up with authorities.

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