Many businesses only seek legal advice when a problem has already occurred—such as a dispute, inspection, or regulatory violation. By that stage, legal risks have often escalated into financial losses, penalties, or reputational damage. In reality, most legal issues do not arise suddenly. They accumulate gradually through everyday business decisions.
This is where the role of an ongoing legal consultant becomes essential. Instead of reacting to problems, businesses with regular legal support are able to prevent risks, stay compliant, and make informed decisions with confidence.
This article explains what an ongoing legal consultant actually does, how they support daily business operations, and why this service is increasingly used by both local companies and foreign-invested enterprises (FDI) in Vietnam.
An ongoing legal consultancy service is a long-term arrangement in which a law firm or lawyer provides continuous legal support to a business on a monthly or annual basis. Rather than handling isolated legal matters, the lawyer becomes familiar with the company’s operations, industry, and risk profile.
In practice, an ongoing legal consultant functions as an external legal department, supporting management and operational teams in day-to-day legal matters while ensuring compliance with Vietnamese law.
This model is particularly suitable for businesses that need regular legal guidance but do not require or cannot justify the cost of a full-time in-house lawyer.
One of the most important roles of an ongoing legal consultant is to provide day-to-day legal advice.
Businesses regularly face questions such as:
Can we structure this transaction in this way?
Is this contract clause enforceable?
Does this business activity require additional licensing?
How should we respond to a request from authorities?
With an ongoing legal consultant, these questions can be addressed before decisions are made, reducing the risk of violations or disputes. Legal advice becomes part of routine management rather than an emergency response.
Contracts are at the core of most business activities—and also one of the most common sources of legal disputes.
An ongoing legal consultant supports businesses by:
Drafting and reviewing commercial contracts;
Identifying legal risks in contract terms;
Ensuring compliance with Vietnamese law;
Supporting negotiations with partners, suppliers, or clients.
Instead of using outdated templates or signing contracts without review, businesses benefit from consistent legal oversight that helps prevent disputes and financial losses.
For foreign-invested companies, this support is especially valuable when dealing with bilingual contracts or cross-border transactions.
Labor law is one of the most heavily enforced legal areas in Vietnam, and violations often result in inspections, fines, or disputes with employees.
An ongoing legal consultant helps businesses:
Draft and review employment contracts;
Develop internal labor regulations and HR policies;
Advise on salary structures, working hours, and overtime;
Support lawful termination and disciplinary procedures;
Ensure compliance with social insurance obligations.
By addressing labor issues proactively, businesses reduce the risk of employee complaints and regulatory penalties.
Many companies overlook corporate compliance after incorporation. However, changes in capital, shareholders, management, or business activities often trigger legal obligations.
An ongoing legal consultant assists with:
Compliance with enterprise and investment registrations;
Corporate governance documentation and internal resolutions;
Licensing and sub-licensing requirements;
Legal implications of business expansion or restructuring.
This is particularly important for FDI companies, which are subject to additional investment and reporting obligations under Vietnamese law.
Businesses in Vietnam must comply with a wide range of recurring legal and regulatory obligations, many of which are easy to forget.
An ongoing legal consultant helps ensure:
Timely submission of mandatory reports;
Compliance with sector-specific regulations;
Proper responses to inspections or information requests;
Alignment with newly issued laws and regulations.
This proactive approach reduces the likelihood of penalties and operational disruptions during audits or inspections.
One of the greatest advantages of ongoing legal consultancy is risk prevention.
Because the legal consultant understands the business context, they can:
Identify potential legal risks early;
Warn management before risks escalate;
Suggest legally safer alternatives;
Help businesses adapt to regulatory changes.
This early-warning function is often missing when legal services are used only on a case-by-case basis.
Even compliant businesses may face inspections or disputes. When this happens, having an ongoing legal consultant provides significant advantages.
Legal consultants can:
Guide businesses through inspections;
Review official requests and notices;
Prepare explanations and supporting documents;
Coordinate with authorities when necessary;
Support dispute resolution at an early stage.
Because the consultant already understands the business, responses are faster, more accurate, and legally consistent.
Businesses increasingly prefer ongoing legal consultancy over traditional legal services because it offers:
Predictable legal costs;
Continuous legal oversight;
Faster response times;
Better understanding of the business;
Reduced long-term legal risks.
This model is particularly suitable for:
Small and medium-sized enterprises;
Foreign-invested companies operating in Vietnam;
Growing businesses with increasing legal complexity;
Companies without an internal legal department.
DEDICA provides ongoing legal consultancy services tailored to the practical needs of businesses operating in Vietnam.
As an ongoing legal consultant, DEDICA supports clients by:
Providing daily legal advice aligned with business operations;
Reviewing contracts and transactions proactively;
Supporting labor, corporate, and regulatory compliance;
Monitoring legal changes affecting the business;
Acting as an outsourced legal department for management teams.
DEDICA’s approach is practical, business-oriented, and preventive, focusing on helping clients avoid legal problems rather than responding only after issues arise.
An ongoing legal consultant plays a critical role in helping businesses operate safely, compliantly, and efficiently. From daily legal advice and contract review to labor compliance and risk prevention, this service provides continuous legal protection tailored to real business needs.
For companies operating in Vietnam—especially those without an in-house legal team—ongoing legal consultancy is a cost-effective and reliable solution for long-term success.
📞 Hotline: (+84) 39 969 0012 (Available via WhatsApp, WeChat, Zalo)
🕒 Working Hours: Monday – Friday (8:30 – 18:00)
Contact us today for a free initial consultation with our experienced lawyers!
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