Introduction and Aim: This study looks at how South Korean law firms change their marketing strategies to work better in Vietnam, a country with a different legal system and culture. While many studies focus on large Western companies, there is little research on how non-Western professional firms, like Korean law firms, enter and adjust to new markets in developing countries. To guide the research, this study uses two well-known theories: Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and the Uppsala Model.  

Methods: We used a qualitative case study method and interviewed five lawyers from one Korean law firm and one American law firm working in Vietnam. 

Results: The results show that although Korea and Vietnam share some cultural values, there are important differences in how people communicate, make decisions, and deal with hierarchy. These differences require law firms to adjust their strategies. The firms in this study used a “dual-market” approach, meaning they kept strong relationships with Korean clients while slowly getting involved in the local Vietnamese market. They also built bilingual teams and used local branding to gain trust. These actions match the Uppsala model’s idea of step-by-step market entry. 

Conclusion: This research gives useful ideas for international law firms from Asia that want to enter new markets with different cultures and legal systems. It also shows that theories of Maslow's hierarchy of needs and the Uppsala model can help explain how professional service firms—not just big companies—adjust their strategies in new market situations.