On 10–11 September 2025, Arbitrator Nguyen Manh Dzung – an alumnus of the Master’s program in Comparative and International Dispute Resolution at Queen Mary University of London (2007–2008) – attended the 40th Anniversary of the School of International Arbitration (SIA). The event gathered leading arbitration experts worldwide, with panel discussions focusing on pressing issues in arbitration such as the philosophy and role of arbitration in socio-economic development, legal and ethical aspects in teaching, the impact of technology and AI, as well as dispute resolution practices in sectors such as construction, shipping, insurance, and M&A.
At the event, Mr. Dzung had the opportunity to meet and exchange directly with many prominent figures in international arbitration such as Professor Julian Lew – founder of QMUL’s School of Arbitration, Professor Alan Redfern – author of the classic Redfern and Hunter on International Arbitration, and Professor Loukas Mistelis – Senior Equity Partner at Clyde & Co in London, who also supervised his Master’s dissertation on international arbitral institutions.
Alongside international activities, Mr. Nguyen Manh Dzung has always been dedicated to the development of arbitration and mediation in Vietnam. He founded Dzungsrt & Associates LLC (2000) – one of the leading law firms highly ranked by international legal directories in dispute resolution and shipping, and ADR Vietnam Chambers LLC (2018) – the first professional platform in Vietnam for independent arbitrators and mediators.
For many years, he has actively contributed to law-making and legal development, directly editing and drafting the Law on Commercial Arbitration 2010, Decree No. 63/2011/ND-CP, and Resolution No. 01/2014/NQ-HĐTP guiding the implementation of the Law on Commercial Arbitration. These instruments introduced the principle of party autonomy into Vietnamese arbitration law, thereby helping promote remarkable growth in the arbitration sector: from only 7 arbitration institutions in 2010 with more than 50 arbitration cases, to nearly 50 institutions and about 500 new arbitration cases annually today, including the presence of KCAB (Korea) and the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA).
He also participated in reviewing the Civil Procedure Code 2015 regarding the recognition and enforcement of foreign arbitral awards and mediated settlement agreements, and edited the Handbook on Arbitration and Mediation (2017) published by the Supreme People’s Court with the support of IFC – World Bank. In addition, he organised numerous training programs to enhance judges’ capacity in handling arbitration and mediation-related cases as well as implementing the 1958 New York Convention. In his role as Vice Chairman of the Scientific Council and Deputy Director of the Vietnam Institute for International Arbitration Research and Training (VIART) under VIAC, he directly contributed to revising the VIAC Arbitration Rules, introducing Case Management Techniques into arbitration proceedings at VIAC, and promoting the adoption of international best practices (soft law).
He was the first Vietnamese member of the ICC International Court of Arbitration (2017–2021) and has been appointed as an arbitrator at many prestigious international arbitration institutions such as KCAB International, HKIAC, SHAC, eBram, and SCMA. During his tenure at the ICC, he reviewed 44 challenges concerning arbitrator independence and impartiality, issued 25 partial awards on jurisdictional objections and liability issues, and 76 final awards in a total of 145 international arbitration cases. Serving as tribunal chair, sole arbitrator, or co-arbitrator, he has directly handled nearly 70 arbitration cases under both domestic and international arbitration rules, covering disputes in construction, international trade, shipping, insurance, M&A, and Fintech. He is also an active member of CIArb, ICCA, and IBA, and was honored to be nominated by Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade to the list of arbitrators under the UK–Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (UKVFTA).
In addition to arbitration, he joined the drafting committee of Decree 22/2017/ND-CP on commercial mediation, served as Deputy Director of the Vietnam Mediation Center (VMC) under VIAC in 2017–2018, and has been admitted as a mediator by many international institutions including MHJMC, eBram, JIMC, and HIAC. He is also passionate about training lawyers in arbitration and mediation practice skills, research, publications, and has organised hundreds of events over the past 15 years to introduce international arbitration and mediation practices and standards to the Vietnamese ADR community. Beyond formal platforms, he frequently organises seminars and academic forums, sharing with the ADR community in Vietnam more than 1,000 reference materials on arbitration and mediation – including 787 basic references, 160 specialised arbitration documents, and nearly 100 mediation documents – all freely accessible on various platforms, thereby widely and sustainably spreading arbitration knowledge.
With more than 30 years of dedication to arbitration and ADR, the journey of Arbitrator Nguyen Manh Dzung has not only contributed to building a robust and principled legal ecosystem in Vietnam but also enhanced the credibility and presence of Vietnam in the international arbitration community.
