Mr. Nguyen Vu Quan stands out with his exceptionally sharp field and online investigation skills. He always considers initial investigation as the “backbone” of all enforcement strategies: Lawyers must directly participate in guiding and supervising the evidence gathering process, analyzing the connections between subjects, supply chains, and product flows, thereby building a solid evidence file for enforcement agencies and courts. Under his leadership, investigations typically do not stop at surface-level targets such as retail outlets, but trace back to organizing entities, manufacturers, transit warehouses, and the actual operator of the infringing website or online store. He also regularly trains, guides, and transfers experience to members of the KENFOX enforcement team, helping to improve internal capacity in identifying sophisticated infringements and gathering legally valuable evidence.

For over a decade, Mr. Quan has been directly involved in and coordinated in handling infringement cases, building an effective network of working relationships with many state agencies and specialized organizations: the Inspectorate of Ministry of Science & Technology, the Inspectorate of the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, the Market Surveillance Agency, the Economic Police, the Vietnam Intellectual Property Research Institute (VIPRI), the Expertise Center of Copyright and Related Rights (ECCR), People’s Courts, etc. Through close coordination and a deep understanding of the operational mechanisms of these authorities, he has assisted clients in organizing numerous raids and crackdowns, seizing tens to hundreds of thousands of counterfeit products, creating a strong deterrent effect in the market and affirming a “zero tolerance” attitude towards infringement.

In addition to his extensive professional experience, Mr. Nguyen Vu Quan is also a recognized speaker and training expert in the field of IP. He has presented on the protection and enforcement of IP rights in Vietnam to many large corporations and companies such as FPT, Petrolimex, Vinataba, and Vingroup, contributing to helping the legal and management teams of these businesses understand and utilize IP rights as a tool for risk management and competition, rather than just a registration procedure. He was invited by the Korean Intellectual Property Association (KOIPA) to present on IP enforcement in Vietnam (December 2010) and was invited by the Institute for Brand Strategy and Competitiveness Research (IPTA – Ministry of Science and Technology) to lecture on the current state of IP enforcement in Vietnam (2018), demonstrating his professional prestige not only within his professional practice but also at the policy and academic levels. He was invited by the International Trademark Association (INTA) to contribute to the Vietnam Chapter in the Guide to International Intellectual Property Practice for Chinese businesses, regularly shares his insights at forums such as APAA, INTA, AIPPI, ASEAN IPA, JETRO, CNIPA, KITA, etc., and has been honored as a Lexology Legal Influencer in the field of intellectual property for many consecutive years. These activities reinforce his role as a reliable “reference point” for intellectual property strategy in Vietnam and Southeast Asia.

He is also the author of numerous in-depth articles on IP rights in Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, and China, analyzing legislative trends, enforcement practices, and risks that rights holders need to be aware of when investing and expanding markets in the Asian region. His articles go beyond simply “describing the law,” focusing on strategic, practical perspectives with high applicability, helping businesses translate legal regulations into concrete business decisions.

Prior to joining KENFOX, Mr. Nguyen Vu Quan held senior management positions at three of Vietnam’s oldest and largest IP firms. He spent eight years as Head of IP Consulting and Enforcement at Vision & Associates (September 2013 – May 2021), over three years as Head of IP Enforcement at Investip (2010 – August 2013), and over six years in charge of IP consulting and enforcement at WINCO (November 2004 – 2010). This experience has given him a rare perspective on how the IP system operates in practice, from consulting to litigation, from domestic to cross-border issues, and from the viewpoint of both domestic businesses and multinational corporations.

At KENFOX, all that experience is “crystallized” into the ability to design and implement strategic, practical, and measurable solutions for protecting, enforcing, and defending intellectual property rights. Clients seek out Mr. Nguyen Vu Quan not just to “resolve a single infringement case,” but to build a long-term mechanism for protecting their brand and intellectual property assets, giving them peace of mind to expand investments, develop markets, and enhance their competitiveness regionally and internationally.

• Litigation and resolution of IP disputes (objections, cancellation/suspension of validity, complaints, civil lawsuits) related to trademarks, industrial designs, inventions, copyrights, and unfair competition.
• Investigating and combating counterfeiting, handling violations online and in the field across traditional distribution systems, e-commerce platforms, and the digital environment.
• Designing a strategy for “cross-agency” enforcement (Inspection, Market Surveillance, Economic Police, Customs, Courts) and “cross-border” enforcement (Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, ASEAN countries and China).
• Providing strategic consulting on registration, management, and optimization of IP portfolios (registrationability, infringement/non-infringement, validity/invalidity, freedom-to-operate).
• Resolving disputes over domain names, business names, and trade names based on trademark rights and unfair competition.
• Prepare in-depth legal opinions on patentability, registrability, infringement, non-infringement, validity/invalidity, and enforcement risks across multiple jurisdictions.

• Unfair competition in pharmaceutical packaging (the PROSPAN case): Representing a German pharmaceutical company with a history spanning over 140 years, Mr. Quan was involved in an anti-competitive case concerning the packaging of his functional food products in Vietnam. He compiled a case file, obtained favorable expert opinions from Vietnam IP Office, and persuaded the competition authority to conclude that unfair competition had occurred, forcing the infringing company to cease using similar packaging and face significant administrative penalties.

• Counterfeit shampoo packaging (HAICNEAL/HAINOZAL case): A representative of a Chinese pharmaceutical company was involved in the HAINOZAL cosmetic shampoo case, where the product used packaging that “imitated” the appearance of a customer’s HAICNEAL product. Under Mr. Quan’s direction, an in-depth investigation uncovered a production line and a large quantity of infringing products. Following a favorable assessment by VIPRI, the Inspectorate of the Ministry of Science and Technology conducted a surprise inspection, confiscating and destroying thousands of infringing products.

• Combating counterfeit Lacoste products in Hanoi’s Old Quarter: Representatives of the Lacoste brand participated in a series of investigations and coordinated raids on two large wholesale stores selling counterfeit goods in Hanoi’s Old Quarter. The operation resulted in the seizure and destruction of over 1,000 counterfeit clothing items bearing the “LACOSTE” logo and crocodile emblem, along with significant administrative penalties, contributing to the dismantling of a major supplier to the market.

• Reversing the unfavorable expert opinion of the Institute of Intellectual Property: Representing a California-based manufacturer of functional food ingredients in a trademark dispute, where VIPRI initially concluded there was “insufficient evidence of infringement,” Mr. Quan meticulously analyzed and developed a detailed counter-argument, working through numerous sessions with VIPRI. Ultimately, he persuaded the agency to change its stance and conclude that there was indeed trademark infringement – a rare outcome in the practice of intellectual property assessment in Vietnam.

• Enforcing industrial design rights through online investigations: A representative of a Dutch corporation was involved in a case of industrial design infringement concerning dishwashing liquid bottles. The infringing party concealed their identity by providing vague manufacturer information and only leaving a phone number on the e-commerce platform. Through online interaction, placing a series of orders, and continuous monitoring, Mr. Quan traced the hidden production facility within a large factory. Following the VIPRI’s expert assessment confirming the infringement, the Ministry of Science and Technology’s Inspectorate confiscated and destroyed over 5,000 infringing bottles; the case was published on the Ministry’s website as a case study on handling industrial design infringement.

• Disputes over company name and domain name for a US pharmaceutical company: A representative from a US pharmaceutical and medical equipment company was involved in a dispute over a business name and domain name with a Vietnamese company whose name was very similar to the client’s trademark. The situation was complicated by the existence of another company with a similar name beforehand, and the trademark registration was “delayed” compared to the establishment date of the infringing company. Mr. Quan combined arguments based on trademark and unfair competition, petitioning the Inspectorate of the Ministry of Science and Technology to coordinate an inspection, forcing the infringing company to change its name and return the domain name to the client.

• Border monitoring and customs clearance suspension program: A representative of a major door lock brand in Vietnam participated in a customs surveillance program; coordinating with the Anti-Smuggling Investigation Department – General Department of Customs to temporarily suspend customs clearance for a shipment suspected of being counterfeit. Upon inspection, a container containing a large quantity of counterfeit locks was discovered, confiscated, and the case is being considered for criminal prosecution due to the scale of the violation.

Mr. Quan works with clients in a wide range of sectors, including: fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), pharmaceuticals and functional foods, medical equipment, fashion and luxury goods, cosmetics, industrial products (including door locks), e-commerce, logistics and distribution.

The issues he frequently dealt with:

• The counterfeit/piracy network is complex, spanning multiple provinces and employing multiple distribution channels (offline and online).
• Disputes over trademarks, industrial designs, domain names, business names, and unfair competition practices.
• Strategies for registering, protecting, and expanding the IP portfolio in Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, and other ASEAN countries.
• IP risk management in investment, franchising, distribution, e-commerce, and import/export activities.

• Presentations and training on IP rights protection for large corporations and businesses such as FPT, Petrolimex, Vinataba, Vingroup, Sohaco, etc., focus on “practical lessons” and models for responding to infringements.
• The author has written numerous in-depth analyses of IP rights in Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, and China, which are used as practical reference materials by businesses, colleagues, and international organizations.
• He was invited by INTA to contribute content to the Vietnam Chapter in the publication Guide to International Intellectual Property Practice.
• He has been a speaker at numerous international forums: APAA, INTA, AIPPI, ASEAN IPA, CNIPA, JETRO, KITA… and symposia on intellectual property in China, Japan, South Korea and Southeast Asia.
• Honored as a “Lexology Legal Influencer” in the field of intellectual property for three consecutive years.

• Systems thinking: Each case is viewed within the broader strategic picture of the business – from investigation, evidence gathering and “cleaning,” assessing legal scenarios to selecting the appropriate tools (administrative, civil, criminal, customs, or a combination).
• Evidence-based: All recommendations are based on legal documents, expert opinions, market data, transaction history, and case precedents, minimizing subjective inferences.
• Prioritizing early investigation, swift decision-making, and decisive implementation: He considered thorough investigation from the outset as the foundation for minimizing errors, avoiding legal dead ends, and increasing leverage when working with courts and enforcement agencies.
• Multi-agency and multi-stakeholder coordination: Proficiency in balancing requirements, processes, and interests among the enterprise, internal departments, and multiple government agencies.
• Training & Mentoring: Regularly train and mentor young team members on investigation, evidence gathering, and working with government agencies, contributing to building sustainable internal enforcement capacity for our clients.

• Develop a comprehensive strategy for protecting trademarks and IP rights, from registration to enforcement and litigation.
• Reduced processing time for violations through effective coordination with enforcement agencies and online platforms.
• Minimize litigation risks and remediation costs through early investigation and robust evidence.
• Establish mechanisms for monitoring, early warning, and border control of infringing goods.
• Optimizing the IP registration portfolio and market expansion strategy in Vietnam and Southeast Asia.
• Improve the quality of management decisions when the leadership team has complete information about the risks, opportunities, and IP value in each transaction.

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› Overcome a provisional refusal against an International Registration Designating Vietnam – difficult but never give up !

› To register or to lose, a costly lesson from a typical industrial design dispute in Vietnam

› Opposing an Application Mark without prior rights in Vietnam, is it possible?

› Coping with counterfeit trading on Vietnamese e-commerce websites/platforms

› Claiming damages in IPR lawsuits in Vietnam – Key takeaways

› Court case a cybersquatting case brought to court for hearing in Vietnam (published on www.mondaq.com)

› Invalidating a bad-faith trademark registration in Vietnam published on  IP Coster)

› Copyright – a powerful and effective tool to repress trademark and industrial design infringements in Vietnam  (published on  IP Coster)

› The effective tools to repress IP infringements (published on Vietnam Investment Review)

› Proper brand protection strategy: urgent requirement for enterprises (published on Vietnam Investment Review)