Allen & Overy has announced plans to open two offices in Vietnam, one in Ho Chi Minh City and one in Hanoi. The British Magic Circle firm has recruited Mayer Brown JSM Vietnam managing partner Dao Nguyen to lead its efforts in the country.

In a statement, Allen & Overy Asia managing partner Thomas Brown cast the expansion into Vietnam as a part of a broader strategy to build an “unrivalled footprint” across Southeast Asia.