Professional Summary

Esko Cate is a U.S.-qualified lawyer based in Ho Chi Minh City and a senior associate at VILAF (Vietnam International Law Firm). For the past 6 years, he has advised multinational companies and investors on complex Vietnam-facing matters, with a practice centered on cross-border corporate transactions and regulated technology.

Esko regularly leads and manages projects involving foreign direct investment and market entry, mergers and acquisitions, corporate structuring and governance, and strategic regulatory compliance. He is also a core adviser on privacy, data protection, cybersecurity, and technology-related regulatory issues, including matters touching telecoms, digital services, and cross-border operations.

He is Co-Chair of the Privacy & Data Protection Section of the World Law Group and is an active contributor to professional development in Vietnam, including teaching legal writing as a lecturer at Vietnam’s Judicial Academy and speaking at industry events on transactional and regulatory topics relevant to international businesses.

Esko is known for practical, commercially grounded advice, clear risk framing, and execution-focused support across the full lifecycle of an investment or transaction, from planning and diligence through negotiation, signing, and post-closing integration.