APFL Partners Thanks Nicolas Audier and Welcomes his Appointment as Senior Legal Counsel.
Following his decision to step down as Managing Partner after thirty years practicing in Vietnam, the team at APFL Partners would like to thank founder Nicolas Audier for his hard work, support, and dedication.
Nicolas spent three decades in Vietnam, during which time he made an incredible contribution not just to APFL Partners, the firm he founded in 2008 and which has since grown in reputation to become one of the leading foreign law firms in Vietnam, but also to the Vietnamese legal landscape and EU-Vietnam relations.
Nicolas is regularly recognised in prestigious international legal rankings such as IFLR 1000, Asia Law Profiles, and the Legal 500, and was noted throughout the region as a leading practitioner in mergers and acquisitions (M&A), real estate and property development, and corporate and commercial law
Building the Legal Landscape
Over the last three decades, Nicolas has made significant contributions to the legal landscape in Vietnam. Working with the Paris Bar, he has promoted the concept of civil law in Vietnam, advising on revisions to the Civil Code and other foundational Vietnamese regulations.
As Chairman of the European Chamber of Commerce (EuroCham) in Vietnam, he advocated for changes in the law to modernise trade and investment legislation. He also trained the next generation of lawyers, teaching students in HCMC, at the University of Economics and the University of Law, and in Hanoi at the University of Law.
In 2003, Nicolas was one of just a handful of foreign lawyers to receive the prestigious “Bang Khen” award from Vietnam’s Ministry of Justice (MOJ) in recognition of a decade of legal cooperation. In 2021, he received the same award from the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) for his contribution to the development of foreign investment in Vietnam.
Nicolas has been a leading advocate for French business over the last thirty years. As the former President of Conseiller du Commerce Exterieur (French Trade Organisation, Vietnam Chapter) and former member of the Asia-Pacific Committee, he has advised French companies and investors on how to grow their business and thrive in ASEAN. For his long-time contribution to the French trade organisation, he received the Médaille des Conseillers du Commerce Extérieur in 2022.
Strengthening EU-Vietnam Relations
As Chairman of EuroCham Vietnam, one of the largest EU business associations in ASEAN with more than a thousand members, Nicolas led the chamber’s trade and investment-promotion activities, advocating for a more competitive business environment, strengthening relations between the European and Vietnamese business communities, and building bridges between the government in Hanoi and the EU Commission and Parliament in Brussels.
Nicolas led EuroCham during the long phase of negotiation, signing, approval, and ratification of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA). He campaigned for its promotion in the EU and Vietnam until its final approval by the European Parliament and Vietnam’s National Assembly, speaking at public hearings of the European Parliament International Trade Committee; meeting with EU Commissioners, MEPs, and Vietnamese ministers; and working with a cross-sector coalition of EU business associations to highlight the benefits of the agreement for bilateral trade and investment. Once the agreement entered into force, Nicolas co-founded the EU-Vietnam Business Council with VCCI to ensure its effective implementation.
APFL Partners is delighted that Nicolas will remain with us as Senior Legal Counsel as we move forward under new Managing Partner Arnaud Bourrut-Lacouture and the next generation of talented lawyers in Vietnam and Singapore. Nicolas will remain a member of the Paris Bar and will be based in Paris and London.
