Korea
2022
THOUGHT LEADERS
Our WWL Thought Leader Q&A series brings together the insight, expertise and wisdom of some of the world’s foremost lawyers and experts, to discuss a range of issues about their careers, their areas of expertise and their plans for the future.
VIEW THE LATEST Q&AS WWW.WHOSWHOLEGAL.COM/ THOUGHT-LEADERS
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Head of research and analytics Rupert Wilson rupert.wilson@whoswholegal.com Head of research: US Penelope Williams Deputy head of research Charlotte Riley Research analysts Conor Manders Ammara Saleem Alex Bottomley Tabia Lui Olivia Harrison Diana Diaz Valdes Teran Kirsty Carvalho Content production manager Robert Harris Senior production editors Katie Adams William Holt Harry Turner Production editor Ellen Desmond Head of business development Adam Landes Business development managers Frank Green Kiteria Yiu Account managers Nick Townsend Bilikis Olowolekomoh Sam Limbu Leon Hartley Hadassah Maitaram
CONTENTS 2
Leading Firms
30
Energy
5
Professional Notice
31
Environment
6
Arbitration
32
Franchise
11
Banking
33
Intellectual Property
13
Business Crime Defence &
34
Labour, Employment &
Investigations
Benefits
14
Capital Markets
35
M&A and Governance
15
Commercial Mediation
38
Private Funds
17
Commercial Litigation
39
Product Liability Defence
20
Competition
41
Project Finance
23
Competition Economists
42
Restructuring & Insolvency
26
Construction & Real Estate
43
Trade & Customs
27
Corporate Tax
44
Transport - Aviation
29
Data
45 Transport - Shipping
Customer service executive Harry Marloe Sales and admin assistant Samantha Wong Publisher Tom Barnes Published by Law Business Research Ltd Meridian House 34-35 Farringdon Street London, EC4A 4HL United Kingdom Tel: +44 20 7908 1178 Printed and distributed by Encompass Print Solutions Tel: 0844 2480 112 © 2022 Law Business Research Ltd
The information provided in this report is general and may not apply in a specific situation, nor does it necessarily represent the views of authors’ firms or their clients. Legal advice should always be sought before taking any legal action based on the information provided. The publishers accept no responsibility for any acts or omissions contained herein. Although the information in this report is accurate as at May 2022, be advised this is a developing area. Enquiries concerning reproduction should be sent to Law Business Research, at the address shown. Enquiries concerning editorial content should be directed to the Head of Research and Analytics, Rupert Wilson, at rupert.wilson@whoswholegal.com
ISSN 2632-1459
Leading Firms
LEADING FIRMS In this year’s edition of WWL: Korea, we are delighted to highlight four firms in the Korean market for their outstanding roster of market leading practitioners.
MOST LISTINGS IN WWL: KOREA 2022
Kim & Chang
Lee & Ko
Yulchon
Bae, Kim & Lee
KIM & CHANG Practice Area Breakdown Total listings in WWL: Korea - 118
2
Arbitration
7
Labour & Employment
10
Banking
4
Litigation
1
Business Crime Defence & Investigations
5
M&A and Governance
10
Capital Markets
8
Mediation
3
Competition
20
Private Funds
4
Construction & Real Estate
5
Product Liability Defence
3
Corporate Tax
8
Project Finance
2
Data
4
Restructuring & Insolvency
1
Energy
4
Trade & Customs
4
Environment
2
Transport – Aviation
1
Franchise
3
Transport - Shipping
3
Intellectual Property
6
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Leading Firms
With offices across Korea and Southeast Asia, Kim & Chang demonstrates its standing as an established full-service firm with an impressive regional outreach. The firm achieves an outstanding 118 listings across 23 practice areas. The firm is home to a stellar competition team comprising of 20 top-notch lawyers who are recognised for their superb handling of intricate antitrust, contentious and advisory matters for domestic and multinational corporations.
Equally strong is the firm’s expertise in labour and employment law, as well as M&A and governance, each receiving ten listings in the corresponding chapters. The firm garners worldwide plaudits for its first-rate practices in corporate tax and arbitration, where it sees eight and seven practitioners listed in each chapter respectively. Sources salute Thought Leaders Youngjin Jung, Jung-won Hyun, Kyoung Yeon Kim and Gene Oh Kim for their top-tier
competition practices. Chun Wook Hyun and Deok Il Seo secure accolades for their labour and employment law expertise, while JongHyun Park is lauded for his first-rate advice on M&A issues. Hae Ma Joong Kim and Sang Woo Lee impress clients with their guidance on tax litigation proceedings, while Eun Young Park and Una Cho are acclaimed for their strong arbitration practice.
LEE & KO Practice Area Breakdown Total listings in WWL: Korea - 53 Arbitration
7
Franchise
10
Banking
4
Intellectual Property
1
Business Crime Defence & Investigations
5
Labour & Employment
10
Competition
8
Litigation
3
Competition Economists
20
M&A and Governance
4
Construction & Real Estate
5
Private Funds
3
Corporate Tax
8
Restructuring & Insolvency
2
Data
4
Trade & Customs
1
Energy
3
Transport - Aviation
2
Environment
6
Transport - Shipping
1
Lee & Ko continues to be recognised as a leading full-service law firm in the Korean market. The firm illustrates its strength with a total of 53 listings across 20 practice areas in this year’s research. Competition is a key area of strength for the firm, where it achieves an impressive six listings. Its outstanding competition team receives widespread endorsements for its handling of a range of matters, from antitrust to merger control.
The firm also excels in intellectual property, with five individuals listed for their experience in trademark filing and patent litigation. Lee & Ko also picks up several nominations in a range of other practice areas, including arbitration, labour and employment, litigation and aviation, where the firm sees four practitioners listed in each corresponding chapter. Standout names at the firm include Thought Leaders Yong Seok Ahn, a go-to name for antitrust matters, and
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Robert Wachter who is celebrated for his far-reaching practice in dispute resolution. Sun Chang is revered for his strong trackrecord defending multinationals before Korean courts in IP disputes, while Sang Hoon Lee is commended for his experience advising clients on employment law. Dong Ha Kim secures endorsements for his top-tier litigation practice and Yong Suk Yoon expertly handles the full gamut of aviation matters.
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Leading Firms
YULCHON Practice Area Breakdown Total listings in WWL: Korea - 29 Arbitration
2
Energy
1
Banking
1
Intellectual Property
3
Business Crime Defence & Investigations
1
Labour & Employment
3
Capital Markets
3
M&A and Governance
1
Competition
4
Private Funds
2
Construction & Real Estate
1
Restructuring & Insolvency
1
Corporate Tax
3
Trade & Customs
1
Data
2
Yulchon is a key player in the Korean market, providing first-rate legal advice to an array of domestic and international clients. The firm illustrates its full-service offering with 29 listings across 15 different practice areas. The firm stands out in the competition arena, with four of its excellent lawyers listed for their expertise in Korean competition law. They are adept at advising clients across the full gamut of issues, including mergers, cartel investigations and abuse of dominance cases.
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Capital markets and corporate tax are other areas in which the firm performs well, with three lawyers in each category singled out for their market-leading work. The firm also receives three nominations in both intellectual property and labour and employment chapters, where lawyers are lauded for their comprehensive knowledge. Yulchon is home to several renowned practitioners, including Thought Leader
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Cecil Saehoon Chung and pre-eminent lawyer Sung Moo Jung, who offer exceptional expertise in complex competition matters. Geen Kim, Jin Kook Lee and Hee Woong Yoon come renowned in the capital markets space for their expertise in debt and equity matters, as well as complex structured finance deals, while Soo-Jeong Ahn excels in the corporate tax field.
ABOUT THE FIRM
Peter & Kim is a specialist international arbitration and cross-border litigation firm with offices in Switzerland, South Korea, Singapore, and Australia. The firm was launched in January 2020 under the joint leadership of two of the world’s most prominent international disputes lawyers: Dr. Wolfgang Peter and Kap-You (Kevin) Kim. Peter & Kim represents clients through all stages of disputes – from initial advice on navigating the dispute resolution process through to pre-arbitration negotiations, drafting written submissions, conducting oral advocacy at hearings, acting in post-award challenges and asset recovery. The firm also acts in setting-aside and enforcement proceedings in multiple jurisdictions, especially before the Swiss Federal Tribunal (Supreme Court) and at all levels of the Korean court system and is also engaged by clients to manage litigation in foreign jurisdictions, particularly in the US. Relying on the depth and diversity of its lawyers and the close cooperation between its offices, with its 40 lawyers being qualified in over 9 jurisdictions (England & Wales, Switzerland, US (New York, New Jersey, California), Germany, France, Korea, India, Singapore and Australia) and fluent in over 14 languages, Peter & Kim can assemble bespoke teams combining different legal qualifications, linguistic abilities and industry knowledge to meet the specific needs of its clients across continents and time zones.
GENEVA AND BERN OFFICES
The Geneva and Bern offices comprise 14 highly skilled lawyers, many dual-qualified, speaking English, German, French, Russian, Vietnamese, Greek, Italian and Romanian. Among other matters, the Swiss office is currently acting as the joint lead counsel for a seller in an ongoing ad hoc gas purchase dispute in the Middle East, with over US$30 billion in dispute; and as the lead counsel in a dispute worth US$600 million, relating to an EPC project in Central Asia. Its recent successes include securing a US$1.2 billion award and defending it in a challenge proceeding before the Swiss Supreme Court.
Geneva, Switzerland Avenue de Champel 8C PO Box 71 1211 Geneva 12 Bern, Switzerland Schweizerhof-Passage 7 PO Box 3001 Bern
SEOUL AND SINGAPORE OFFICES
The Seoul and Singapore offices are staffed by 19 leading arbitration lawyers who are qualified in Korea, Singapore, US (New York, New Jersey, California), UK and India. Lawyers from the Seoul and Singapore offices recently acted as counsel in an LCIA arbitration regarding a nuclear power plant in the Middle East; and are currently acting in a US$2 billion ICC arbitration concerning a city-scaled real estate development dispute. Recent successes include a win in a US$5.8 billion US litigation in front of the Delaware courts. The teams in Seoul and Singapore comprise of lawyers trained in both civil and common law traditions, who can work in English, Korean, French, German, Japanese, Mandarin, Hindi, Urdu and Punjabi.
SYDNEY OFFICE
Peter & Kim’s Sydney office is a representation of its commitment to providing market leading services to clients all over the world. It is staffed by some of Australia’s most prominent arbitration lawyers, who are also qualified to appear in Australian courts. Lawyers from the Sydney office are currently working alongside the Seoul and Singapore offices on several major cases, including in a high value JCAA arbitration.
PRACTICE AREAS
• Automotive and heavy industry • Banking and financial services • Commodities transactions • Distribution and agency agreements • Energy and pricing disputes • Government • Insurance • International construction and engineering projects • Investor-state disputes • Joint venture agreements • Long-term supply contracts • M&A contracts • Pharmaceuticals and life sciences • Software and online games
OFFICES
Seoul, South Korea #3805 Trade Tower 511 Yeongdong-daero, Gangnam-gu Seoul 06164 Singapore 6 Battery Road #17-01 Singapore 049909
Sydney, Australia Level 7, 167 Macquarie Street Sydney New South Wales 2000
Arbitration
ARBITRATION This chapter identifies the leading 28 arbitration practitioners in the Korean market, selected for their excellence as counsel or arbitrator in a variety of domestic and cross-border disputes.
Most Highly Regarded Kevin Kim Peter & Kim Seoul
Peter & Kim sees four practitioners listed. Kevin Kim is an “ambitious visionary” who enjoys a stellar reputation as “one of the top arbitration practitioners around”. John Bang garners praise from market sources as a “leading arbitration advocate with superb written and oral advocacy skills”. Mino Han is lauded as “one of the few elite international dispute lawyers in Korea” and “one of the brightest rising stars” in the arbitration space. Ara Cho is widely endorsed as a “rising star” who is “always prepared” and impresses clients with her technical expertise. Kim & Chang performs well with seven listings in this chapter. BC Yoon receives endorsements as “highly reputable thanks to his excellent leadership” and is considered by sources as one of the “most respected pioneers of arbitration in Korea”. Matthew Christensen is lauded as “very smart, reliable and knowledgeable”. One source further enthuses: “I have the highest respect for Matt, not just as a lawyer, but also as a person”. Eun Young Park is described by sources as a “legend” in the arbitration space who “needs no introduction” and possesses “good expertise in managing arbitration proceedings”.
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Hi-Taek Shin
Twenty Essex Chambers Seoul
Sae Youn Kim is a “leading female practitioner”, renowned for her profound experience in dispute resolution, particularly when there is a cross-border element. Robert Wachter from Lee & Ko is “a star in the Korea” who garners praise for “building a formidable team” that is considered “highly reputable” in the market. Sanghoon Han receives praise from sources as a “meticulously thorough” practitioner who is “one of the next generation of arbitrators” in Korea. Hi-Taek Shin of Twenty Essex Chambers is a “leading practitioner” and considered as a “go-to arbitrator for high-stakes cases with a Korean element”. Herbert Smith Freehills’ Mike McClure is praised by sources as a “solid and reliable leader” whose “multi-jurisdictional experience equipped him with a fine understanding of nuances and provision of creative strategies in cases”. Arnold & Porter’s Jun Hee Kim secures widespread plaudits from peers and clients thanks to his “profound knowledge, diplomatic approach and sharp commercial acumen”.
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Robert Wachter Lee & Ko Seoul
Junu Kim of Bae, Kim & Lee comes highly recommended as a “respected adversary” thanks to his “methodical, soft-spoken but spot-on advocacy and sensibility in grasping the details in cases”. At KL Partners, Beomsu Kim is a “big name” who “knows the market very well” and is renowned as a “problem solver who always thinks from the clients’ perspective”. Young Suk Park garners high praise from clients and peers citing his “profound analytical ability, directness and excellent command of the language”. Yulchon’s Yun-Jae Baek is a “senior statesman” in the arbitration space who is “well respected both as advocate and arbitrator” in energy-related disputes. Jeonghye Ahn is singled out by peers as “one of the strongest female practitioners in Korea” thanks to her handling of international proceedings, particularly those involving clients in the media and construction sectors.
Arbitration
Profiles
Yun-Jae Baek
John P Bang
Ara Cho
Yun-Jae Baek is the co-head of the International dispute resolution practice at Yulchon LLC and is considered Korea’s top lawyer in the areas of international arbitration and general corporate practice and has acquired expert knowledge and experience for over 30 years. Mr Baek has acted as presiding arbitrator, sole arbitrator, co-arbitrator, and counsel in numerous international arbitrations. To date, he has handled more than 200 arbitration cases, both domestically and internationally, under various arbitration rules including the ICC, ICSID, UNCITRAL, AAA, KCAB, HKIAC, WIPO and SIAC. He is currently an active arbitrator for various arbitration institutions including the KCAB, ICC, the Shanghai International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission, the Asian International Arbitration Center (formerly Kuala Lumpur Regional Center for Arbitration) in Malaysia. In addition to his active arbitration practice, Mr Baek serves the international arbitration community in various capacities. For example, he currently holds several positions, such as national committee member of ICC Korea for international arbitration; vice president of the Korean Association of Arbitration Studies; vice president of the Korean Council for International Arbitration; member of Tehran Regional Arbitration Centre; and member of CIArb. Former roles include director of Activities for the Korean Bar Association, Director of the KCAB, and executive board member for the law management committee of LAWASIA. Mr Baek was educated in civil law and common law jurisdictions, having obtained degrees from Harvard Law School (LLM), the Graduate School of Law at Seoul National University, the Judicial Training Research Institute, and Seoul National University Law School (LLB, with honor). He is qualified licensed to practise both the Korean and New York Bar.
John P Bang is a senior partner (foreign attorney) at Peter & Kim in Seoul. He was previously a partner at Bae, Kim & Lee LLC, where he worked for 23 years in various roles, including as the co-founder and head of the international arbitration and litigation practice. John has represented parties in over 250 domestic and international arbitrations seated throughout Asia, Europe, and North America, ranging from multimillion to multibillion-dollar disputes conducted under the rules of all prominent institutions. Most of these cases have proceeded through to the final hearing stage and concluded with a favourable final award for John’s clients. Through these disputes, John has acquired a level of experience in handling disputes under the laws of both the civil and common law jurisdictions that is extremely rare. John is currently a member of the SIAC Court of Arbitration and is regularly engaged by parties and institutions to serve as arbitrator. John also has considerable experience managing cross-border litigation, particularly in common law jurisdictions (eg, USA) for Asian clients. In 2011, John was general editor of the first book-length treatise on arbitration in Korea, Arbitration Law of Korea: Practice and Procedure (Juris Publishing, 2012). John is the author of numerous articles concerning international dispute resolution and is a frequent speaker at domestic and international seminars and conferences. After receiving his education at the University of Pennsylvania and Temple University School of Law, John served as a federal law clerk for the Honorable Kathryn C Ferguson, USBJ prior to joining BKL. He is fluent in English and Korean.
Ara Cho is a partner at Peter & Kim in Seoul. As a Korean qualified lawyer since 2011, Ara has represented clients in numerous international arbitrations under the rules of the ICC, LCIA, SIAC, and KCAB, seated in various jurisdictions and governed by various legal systems including English, Canadian, Japanese and Korean law. Ara has acted as counsel in cases concerning a range of large-scale international projects including thermal power plants in Middle East and Southeast Asia, a nuclear power plant in Middle East, a refinery plant in Africa and real estate developments in Korea and Australia, as well as distribution contracts concerning pharmaceutical products and others. Ara has also represented a state party in an investment treaty arbitration focusing on tax issues. Ara participated in the committee for amendment of the Korean Arbitration Act as an assistant researcher and is a contributing author of Arbitration Law & Practice (2016), a Korean language textbook on international arbitration. Ara co-authored National Report Korea of ICCA International Handbook on Commercial Arbitration (2021). Ara is also on the panel of international arbitrators at KCAB International and on the list of arbitrators at HKIAC. Ara graduated from Seoul National University (School of Law, LL.B) in 2007, and received a Master of Law degree from Stanford Law School’s International Economic Law, Business and Policy program in 2017. Ara is described by her clients in Chambers and Partners 2022 (Asia-Pacific) as “well recognised in the market, working hard and acting as the lead counsel for the case” and being “excellen[t] in both oral and written advocacy.”
Parnas Tower, 38F 521 Teheran-ro, Gangnam-gu Seoul, 06164 Tel: +82 2 528 5473 yjbaek@yulchon.com www.yulchon.com
#3805 Trade Tower 511 Yeongdong-daero, Gangnam-gu Seoul, 06164 Tel: +82 2 538 2900 johnbang@peterandkim.com www.peterandkim.com
#3805 Trade Tower 511 Yeongdong-daero, Gangnam-gu Seoul, 06164 Tel: +82 10 2799 7290 aracho@peterandkim.com www.peterandkim.com
WWL says: Yun-Jae Baek is a "senior statesman" in the arbitration space who is "well respected both as advocate and arbitrator" in energy-related disputes.
WWL says: John Bang garners praise from market sources as a “leading arbitration advocate with superb written and oral advocacy skills".
WWL says: The “excellent” Ara Cho is widely endorsed as a “rising star" who is "always prepared" and impresses clients with her technical expertise.
Yulchon
Peter & Kim
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Peter & Kim
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Arbitration
Matthew J Christensen
Mino Han
Sanghoon Han
Matthew is a senior foreign attorney (partner equivalent) in K&C’s international arbitration and crossborder litigation practice group. He has acted for private and public sector clients in many substantial international arbitration cases under ICC, SIAC, HKIAC, KCAB, LCIA, AAA/ IDRC, ICSID and UNCITRAL rules. Matthew regularly acts for clients in large and complex construction and energy disputes, including in relation to investment treaty-based claims. In a typical case, his roles run the gamut from advising on dispute resolution strategy, to taking evidence from Korean-speaking witnesses in their native language, to presenting oral arguments before English-speaking tribunals. Matthew also advises on mediation, and is listed on the SIMC’s specialist mediator roster for Korea. He currently co-chairs the international construction projects committee of the Inter-Pacific Bar Association and has been honoured for his contributions to international arbitration practice in Korea by Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. A NITA advocate, Matthew is recognised among the top international arbitration lawyers in Korea by Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners (Band 1), where he receives “outstanding feedback for his work in construction disputes” and is noted for his “keen understanding of Korean disputes honed through experience" and “strong advocacy and effective cross-examination style”. He is also honored to have been listed as a Thought Leader in the areas of arbitration and construction by Who’s Who Legal, which commends his “deep experience in the construction sector as well as in complex commercial disputes.” A native of Salt Lake City, Matthew received his law degree from Harvard Law School and also holds a master's degree in East Asian regional studies from Harvard University. Matthew speaks Korean fluently and has a working knowledge of Japanese.
Mino Han is a partner at Peter & Kim. He specialises in construction and engineering disputes and has acted as counsel under the arbitration rules of the ICC, SIAC, KCAB, and JCAA. Several of his matters relate to projects based in the Middle East, Asia, Eastern Europe, Africa, or Latin America. The matters involve wide-ranging technical issues such as those pertaining to the design and construction of combined cycle power plants, solar power production facilities, refineries, high-rise buildings, convention centres, and infrastructure facilities. Mino has vast experience in representing contractors or employers in Korean courts and KCAB domestic arbitration proceedings. He regularly advises clients on issuing or defending claims arising out of standard form contracts including the FIDIC Suite of Contracts. Mino is the representative of the CIArb Korea Chapter. He is a steering committee member of KCAB Next and is on the committee of KOCIA (Korean Committee on International Arbitration). Mino is also on the panel of International Arbitrators at KCAB International. He has published more than 15 articles in the past three years, including “The Application of the CISG to Manufacturing and Supply Contracts for International Construction Projects” for the International Construction Law Review in 2019. Mino qualified as a Korean lawyer in 2009 and was admitted as a solicitor in England and Wales in 2019. He received a Master of Laws degree in international arbitration law from Seoul National University in 2012 and an MSc degree in construction law and dispute resolution at King’s College London in 2018. Mino is native in Korean and German and is also fluent in English.
Crescendo Building 75, Saemunan-ro, Jongno-gu Seoul, 03173 Tel: +82 2 3404 0227 matthew.christensen@kimchang.com www.kimchang.com
#3805 Trade Tower 511 Yeongdong-daero, Gangnam-gu Seoul, 06164 Tel: +82 2 538 2900 minohan@peterandkim.com www.peterandkim.com
Sanghoon is an arbitration partner in Lee & Ko’s International Arbitration team. He is also a co-chair of the international construction dispute resolution practice group within the team. His practice focuses on dispute resolution, commercial litigation, international arbitration, construction disputes and investor-state dispute. Particularly, Sanghoon made a name for himself in the Korean international arbitration community as an investor-state dispute specialist in representing the Republic of Korea in three separate investor-state dispute matters brought by the US hedge funds, Mason and Elliott, and the US real estate firm, Gale Investments, respectively. Recently, he represents a Korean investor in an investor-state dispute against Vietnam. Further, before joining Lee&Ko, he was a key member of the team working on the Lone Star investor-state arbitration case, the first ever investor-state claim brought against Korea and one of the largest claims in ICSID history. Sanghoon also handles a wide variety of international arbitration cases, and has represented both Korean and foreign clients in arbitration proceedings conducted under a number of leading international arbitration rule systems. He has handled international arbitrations throughout the world and before major arbitral institutions. Sanghoon specialises in large-scale, complex commercial and construction disputes and regularly represents companies in disputes in Europe, the Middle East, and South East Asia. In addition to his arbitration-related practice, Sanghoon acts for a variety of clients in other areas of law. Sanghoon has extensive experience as a legal adviser on labour law, M&A, corporate governance and foreign investment matters and advises clients on legal issues relating to all facets of corporate/business operations, including incorporation, corporate governance, regulatory compliance, mergers, restructuring, liquidation and dissolution matters. Sanghoon also advises clients in international litigations involving proceedings in foreign and domestic courts.
WWL says: Established figure Matthew Christensen is lauded for “knowing the documents very well”, his “ability to take on difficult points” and “full understanding of the facts and legal issues in dispute.”
WWL says: Mino Han is lauded as "one of the few elite international dispute lawyers in Korea" and "one of the brightest rising stars" in the arbitration space.
Kim & Chang
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Peter & Kim
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Lee & Ko
Arbitration
Beomsu Kim
Young Suk Park
Mr Beomsu Kim is the managing partner at KL Partners. Prior to establishing KL Partners, Mr Kim was a partner at Shin & Kim leading the international dispute resolution practice group over 16 years. He also had previously served as a judge at the district courts of Korea for nine years before joining Shin & Kim. His main areas of practice are international arbitration and cross-border litigation. He is a member of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC)’s International Court of Arbitration and has served as an arbitrator in arbitration proceedings under the auspices of the ICC, the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA), Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC), Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC), the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) and the Korean Commercial Arbitration Board (KCAB), among others. Mr Beomsu Kim also represents investors in the first ever investor-state dispute (ISD). Mr Kim is the former President of the Korean Council of International Arbitration (KOCIA) and a member of the Management Committee of the Seoul International Dispute Resolution Center (SIDRC). He also serves as an advisor to the KCAB International Committee. He is the former Executive Director of International Relations for the Korean Bar Association. Mr Kim has consistently been chosen as a leading lawyer in the fields of international arbitration and corporate matters, and has continuously received favorable reviews in leading foreign legal journals such as Chambers, IFLR1000 and The Legal 500. Of particular note, Mr Kim was named by ALB as one of “Asia’s Super 50 Dispute Lawyers” in 2021, considering factors such as expertise, visibility, reputation and dedicated client service.
Mr Young Suk Park heads KL Partners’ international arbitration practice and is one of a handful lawyers in the Korean International Arbitration community to support his highly developed international arbitration practice with a broad and diversified background in non-contentious practice in international transactions. He joined the firm in 2018 from Atinum Partners, where he served as the general counsel and an executive director of its investment committee, being involved in investments and transactions, encompassing a variety of sectors, such as energy, natural resources, real estate, buy-outs, start-ups and public equity. Prior to his position with Atinum Partners, Young was a partner with Kim & Chang’s international arbitration practice, where he spent more than 10 years specialising in international arbitration and cross-border litigation. His involvement in international arbitration goes beyond his professional practice. he founded and held the inaugural chair of the Arbitration Committee of the Korea In-house Counsel Forum (IHCF), an organisation devoted to educating in-house counsels and promoting in-house practice. He is currently on the KCAB’s Panel of Arbitrators and also serves as a member of the Management Committee of the Korea Council for International Arbitration (KOCIA), a member of the Management Committee of the Seoul International Dispute Resolution Center (SIDRC) and a member of the Commercial Arbitration Support-Committee of the Ministry of SME’s Korea Federation of SMEs. The Legal 500 has nominated him as a Next Generation Partner, while Who’s Who Legal views him as a National Leader (Korea-Arbitration) and Legal Times has picked him as one of the Rising Stars 2021.
Hanjin Building 63 Namdaemun-ro, Jung-gu Seoul, 04532 Tel: +82 2 772 4309 sanghoon.han@leeko.com www.leeko.com
17th Floor, East Wing Signature Tower, 100 Cheonggyecheon-ro, Jung-gu Seoul, 04542 Tel: +82 2 6226 7701 bkim@klpartners.com www.klpartners.com
17th Floor, East Wing Signature Tower, 100 Cheonggyecheon-ro, Jung-gu Seoul, 04542 Tel: +82 2 6226 7763 yspark@klpartners.com www.klpartners.com
WWL says: Sanghoon Han receives praise from sources as a “meticulously thorough” practitioner who is “one of the next generation of arbitrators” in Korea.
WWL says: Beomsu Kim draws praise from peers as "a highly reputable and leading practitioner in Korea" thanks to his strong track record as a "problem solver".
WWL says: Young Suk Park is a "next generation star" who garners high praise from peers for his “profound analytical ability" and "excellent command of the language".
KL Partners .Sanghoon is also active in the professional legal community in Korea and globally. Sanghoon’s leadership positions include the appointment as the official spokesperson for the Korean Bar Association where he served from February 2015 to October 2016. In addition, he served as the National Representative of Korea for the International Bar Association Young Lawyers’ Committee, where he worked to foster links between young lawyers in Korea and the Korean Bar Association and expands the membership of both the IBA and the IBA Young Lawyers’ Committee within Korea. Sanghoon serves on the KCAB’s International Panel of Arbitrators and has acted as an arbitrator in disputes under the rules of KCAB. Sanghoon also serves on Executive Committee of the Korean Council for International Arbitration. Sanghoon is recognised in major publications, including as a “Lawyer of the Year in 2020 – International Arbitration” in Legal Times, with the source describing him as who “has worked on some of the biggest investor-state arbitration cases of all time in Korea” and “has extensive experience in international arbitration” Sanghoon received his BA degree from Yonsei University and earned his LLM degree from Stanford University Law School in 2017. He is also currently pursuing graduate doctorate legal course work in international law at the Seoul National University Law School. Sanghoon is dual-qualified in civil law and common law, and regularly handles contentious work in Korean and English. He is admitted to practise law in Korea and California.
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KL Partners
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Arbitration
DIRECTORY An asterisk denotes practitioners who have profiles in the preceding pages. Nominees have been selected based on comprehensive, independent survey work with both general counsel and private practitioners worldwide. Only specialists who have met independent international research criteria are listed.
Jeong Hye Ahn Yulchon jhahn@yulchon.com Yun-Jae Baek* Yulchon yjbaek@yulchon.com John P Bang* Peter & Kim johnbang@peterandkim.com Seung Wha Chang Seoul National University changsw@snu.ac.kr Una Cho Kim & Chang una.cho@kimchang.com
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Ara Cho* Peter & Kim aracho@peterandkim.com Matthew J Christensen* Kim & Chang matthew.christensen@kimchang.com Mino Han* Peter & Kim minohan@peterandkim.com Sanghoon Han* Lee & Ko sanghoon.han@leeko.com Dana Kim Herbert Smith Freehills - Foreign Legal Consultant Office dana.kim@hsf.com David Kim Lee & Ko david.kim@leeko.com Joongi Kim Yonsei University kimjg@yonsei.ac.kr Jun Hee Kim Arnold & Porter jh.kim@arnoldporter.com Junu Kim Bae, Kim & Lee LLC junu.kim@bkl.co.kr Kee Chang Kim Korea University kureview@korea.ac.kr Kevin Kim Peter & Kim kevinkim@peterandkim.com Sae Youn Kim Kim & Chang saeyoun.kim@kimchang.com
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Saemee Kim Lee & Ko saemee.kim@leeko.com Beomsu Kim* KL Partners bkim@klpartners.com Sue Hyun Lim Korean Commercial Arbitration Board (KCAB INTERNATIONAL) suehyun.lim@kcab.or.kr Mike McClure Herbert Smith Freehills - Foreign Legal Consultant Office mike.mcclure@hsf.com Eun Young Park Kim & Chang eypark@kimchang.com Young Suk Park* KL Partners yspark@klpartners.com Joel E Richardson Kim & Chang jerichardson@kimchang.com Hi-Taek Shin Twenty Essex Chambers htshin@twentyessex.com Robert W Wachter Lee & Ko robert.wachter@leeko.com Kay-Jannes Wegner Kim & Chang kayjannes.wegner@kimchang.com BC Yoon Kim & Chang bcyoon@kimchang.com
Banking
BANKING This year, we highlight 11 leading lawyers in the Korean market for their extensive experience handling transactional and regulatory banking matters.
Kim & Chang sees four practitioners listed in this chapter. Sang Jin Ahn has an “incredible in-depth understanding of banking and financing regulations” and extensive experience representing Korean and multinational clients on a range of regulatory matters. Observers note that Hi Sun Yoon is well versed in a range of banking and finance matters and is highly regarded for his handling of maritime financing. Seong-Koo Cheong comes highly recommended for his experience advising domestic and international clients on finance matters, including M&A transactions, regulation, and investment projects. Chan Moon Park is known for his profound understanding of banking matters, including regulation, mergers, acquisitions, and asset management.
Lee & Ko achieves three listings. HK Helen Sohn is a prominent name in the Korean legal market, where she regularly represents major Korean airlines in aviation finance and investment matters. Peers commend Woo-Young Jung for his top-tier handling of finance and general banking matters for Korean and multinational shipping companies. Yeo Kyoon Yoon is held in high esteem for his expertise in advising banks and financial institutions on acquisition finance. Soonghee Lee from Yoon & Yang is highly commended by peers for his top-notch practice, which spans the full gamut of banking matters, including foreign investment, corporate governance and anti-money laundering.
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Hyun Ju Helen Pak at Shin & Kim stands out for her top-tier work advising clients on cross-border financing and investment transactions. Christopher JoonTae Cho at Yulchon is a distinguished practitioner with a wealth of knowledge advising clients on asset finance and capital market transactions. K1 Chamber’s Ben Hur is singled out by market sources for his adept handling of a diverse range of financial matters and loan arrangements.
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Banking
Profiles
DIRECTORY An asterisk denotes practitioners who have profiles in the preceding pages. Nominees have been selected based on comprehensive, independent survey work with both general counsel and private practitioners worldwide. Only specialists who have met independent international research criteria are listed.
Soonghee Lee Yoon & Yang
Soonghee Lee is a managing partner of Yoon & Yang. His main practice areas are corporate and finance, foreign investment, corporate governance struct0ure, anti-money laundering & internal control, and disputes related to finance, securities and insurance. Mr. Lee is highly experienced in advising on financial regulations, anti-money laundering, capital market litigation and dispute resolution, and complex transactions involving financial institutions, financial investment companies and listed companies in Korea. His areas of expertise are financial investment instruments, including structured securities, such as foreign exchange derivatives, ELS and other financial derivatives, ISDA contracts, and investigation/inspections from financial supervisory institutions. He was recognised by asialaw in 2016, 2017 and 2018 as a leading lawyer in capital markets and financial services regulatory and was also selected by asialaw in 2020, 2021 and 2022 as a distinguished practitioner in banking & finance and capital markets. He has been consistently named as a leading lawyer in capital markets by IFLR1000 from 2014 to 2022 as well as a highly regarded lawyer in Banking/Finance by IFLR1000 from 2017 to 2022. He has co-authored numerous articles, including the Korea chapters of Lexology Getting the Deal Through's Anti-Money Laundering (20182021) and IFLR's Asia-Pacific Fintech Special Focus 2019. He received his LLB from Seoul National University College of Law and his LLM from Cornell University. He is admitted to the Bars of Korea and New York.
Sang Jin Ahn Kim & Chang sjahn@kimchang.com Seong-Koo Cheong Kim & Chang skcheong@kimchang.com Christopher JoonTae Cho Yulchon jtcho@yulchon.com Ben B Hur K1 Chamber LLP ben.hur@k1chamber.com Woo-Young Jung Lee & Ko wooyoung.jung@leeko.com Soonghee Lee* Yoon & Yang shlee@hwawoo.com Hyun Ju Helen Pak Shin & Kim LLC hpak@shinkim.com Chan Moon Park Kim & Chang cmpark@kimchang.com HK Helen Sohn Lee & Ko hks@leeko.com Hi Sun Yoon Kim & Chang hsyoon@kimchang.com Yeo Kyoon Yoon Lee & Ko yky@leeko.com
18, 19, 22, 23 & 34 Floors, ASEM Tower 517 Yeongdong-daero, Gangnam-Gu Seoul, 06164 Tel: 82 2 6003 7507 shlee@hwawoo.com www.yoonyang.com
WWL says: Soonghee Lee is highly commended by peers for his top-notch practice, which spans the full gamut of banking matters, including foreign investment, corporate governance and anti-money laundering.
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Business Crime Defence & Investigations
BUSINESS CRIME DEFENCE & INVESTIGATIONS In this chapter, we shine the light on eight formidable lawyers for their excellence in white-collar crime defence matters, including fraud, corruption, bribery and related investigations. Kim & Chang performs well with five listings. With 20 years of experience as a prosecutor, Scott Lee is a distinguished practitioner who regularly handles internal audits and resolves anti-corruption cases for large corporate clients. Seung Ho Lee draws on his wealth of experience as a former prosecutor to “regularly represent big companies in white-collar crime” matters. Byung Suk Lee is well known for his vast expertise, primarily in the areas of securities fraud and insider trading across a wide range of industries.
DIRECTORY Nominees have been selected based on comprehensive, independent survey work with both general counsel and private practitioners worldwide. Only specialists who have met independent international research criteria are listed.
Hwa Soo Chung is a top-tier lawyer who predominantly represents clients in the pharmaceutical industry in investigations involving the competition authorities. Eun Young Park garners widespread endorsements as an adviser in government investigations related to white-collar crimes, including foreign bribery and corporate fraud. At Yulchon, Eun-Jae Park comes highly recommended for his extensive experience in investigations involving financial institutions and white-collar crime defence.
Yong Seok Ahn Lee & Ko yongseok.ahn@leeko.com Hwa Soo Chung Kim & Chang hschung@kimchang.com Tak-Kyun Hong Shin & Kim LLC tkhong@shinkim.com Seung Ho LEE Kim & Chang shlee1@kimchang.com
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Tak-Kyun Hong at Shin & Kim maintains an established practice in the market, with a particular focus on corporate criminal disputes related to anti-corruption investigations, technology leaks and antitrust. Yong Seok Ahn of Lee & Ko is a key name in the field who frequently represents multinational companies in investigations related to merger filing, abuse of dominance, cartel matters and unfair trade practices.
Byung Suk Lee Kim & Chang bslee@kimchang.com Scott Lee Kim & Chang sklee@kimchang.com Eun Young Park Kim & Chang eypark@kimchang.com Eun-Jae Park Yulchon
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Capital Markets
CAPITAL MARKETS In this chapter, we highlight 18 top-tier practitioners for their extensive experience advising on the full range of capital market matters, including structured finance, IPOs and debt and equity finance transactions.
Most Highly Regarded Seong-Koo Cheong Kim & Chang Seoul
Kim & Chang receives an impressive eight listings. Seong-Koo Cheong is renowned in the market for his first-rate work on numerous capital market transactions, including complex IPOs and collective investment projects. Myoung Jae Chung comes highly regarded for his expert practice advising clients on public and private offerings of corporate securities and all aspects of asset management. Chang Hyeon Ko holds longstanding experience in the space, where he advises global financial institutions and private equity funds on financial and strategic investments.
DIRECTORY Nominees have been selected based on comprehensive, independent survey work with both general counsel and private practitioners worldwide. Only specialists who have met independent international research criteria are listed.
Bo-Yong Ahn Kim & Chang byahn@kimchang.com Seong-Koo Cheong Kim & Chang skcheong@kimchang.com
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Young Man Huh enjoys a stellar reputation in the field for his top-tier practice, which specialises in IPOs and other offerings in domestic and international capital markets. Bo Yong Ahn skilfully advises domestic and international clients in a variety of transactions, including derivatives and private equity finance. Ie Hwan Yoo is widely celebrated as a top-tier lawyer who represents financial institutions and banks across a wide range of financial transactions, capital markets and related projects. Hee-Gang Shin with Bae, Kim & Lee excels in the field, providing specialist advice to
Yong-Ho Choi Kim & Chang yhchoi@kimchang.com Eui Jong Chung Bae, Kim & Lee LLC ej.chung@bkl.co.kr Myoung Jae Chung Kim & Chang mjchung@kimchang.com Jinduk Han Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton Seoul jhan@cgsh.com Young Man Huh Kim & Chang ymhuh@kimchang.com Ben B Hur K1 Chamber LLP ben.hur@k1chamber.com Young-Hee Jo LAB Partners yhjo@labpartners.co.kr Dong Chul Kim Paul Hastings LLP dongchulkim@paulhastings.com
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large corporations on IPOs and other related capital market and securities finance transactions. At Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, Jinduk Han is a top-notch practitioner who regularly advises Asian issuers on international securities and public offerings. Dong Chul Kim with Paul Hastings is an esteemed capital markets specialist, renowned for representing domestic corporate clients and international investment banks in the full spectrum of capital markets transactions.
Geen Kim Yulchon geenkim@yulchon.com Chang Hyeon Ko Kim & Chang chko@kimchang.com Jin Kook Lee Yulchon jklee@yulchon.com Seon-Jee Lee Kim & Chang sjlee1@kimchang.com Kyung Hwa Moon Shin & Kim LLC khmoon@shinkim.com Hee-Gang Shin Bae, Kim & Lee LLC heegang.shin@bkl.co.kr Ie Hwan Yoo Kim & Chang ihyoo@kimchang.com Hee Woong Yoon Yulchon hwyoon@yulchon.com
Commercial Mediation
COMMERCIAL MEDIATION In this chapter, we identify six esteemed Korean mediators for their excellence in resolving intricate commercial disputes across a variety of sectors. Kim & Chang achieves three listings. Sae Youn Kim is highly thought of as “the leading female practitioner” in Korean and international commercial arbitrations across a range of sectors. Joel Richardson is singled out by market commentators for his “impressive cross-examination” skills in alternative dispute resolution proceedings.
The “organised and meticulous” Matthew Christensen is commended for his “technical knowledge on complex construction disputes” and for being “cool under pressure”.
Youngjoon Kwon at Seoul National University is “deeply respected” for his “wonderful integrity” and “fluent English” while resolving complex contractual and professional negligence disputes.
Sue Hyun Lim from KCAB INTERNATIONAL enjoys a stellar reputation in the market thanks to her superb international practice.
Ho-Hyun Nahm at Barun IP & Law leads a first-rate practice with prolific experience dealing with intricate IP and e-commerce negotiations.
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Commercial Mediation
Profiles
DIRECTORY An asterisk denotes practitioners who have profiles in the preceding pages. Nominees have been selected based on comprehensive, independent survey work with both general counsel and private practitioners worldwide. Only specialists who have met independent international research criteria are listed.
Matthew J Christensen Kim & Chang
Matthew is a senior foreign attorney (partner equivalent) in BKL’s international disputes group, where he heads the firm’s international construction and energy arbitration practice. Matthew has acted for private and public sector clients in many substantial international arbitration cases under ICC, SIAC, HKIAC, KCAB, LCIA, AAA/ IDRC, ICSID and UNCITRAL rules. In a typical case, Matthew’s roles run the gamut from advising on dispute resolution strategy, to taking evidence from Korean-speaking witnesses in their native language, to presenting written and oral submissions to English-speaking tribunals. Matthew also advises on mediation, and is listed on the SIMC’s specialist mediator roster for Korea. Matthew currently chairs the international construction projects committee of the Inter-Pacific Bar Association. For his contributions to international arbitration practice in Korea, Matthew received a special commendation from Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy in 2015. Matthew is recognised among the top international arbitration lawyers in Korea by Chambers and Partners (Band 1), where he receives “outstanding feedback for his work in construction disputes” and is noted for his “keen understanding of Korean disputes honed through experience" and “strong advocacy and effective cross-examination style”. He is also honored to have been listed as a Thought Leader in the areas of arbitration and construction by Who’s Who Legal, which commends his “deep experience in the construction sector as well as in complex commercial disputes”. A native of Salt Lake City, Matthew received his law degree from Harvard Law School and also holds a master's degree in East Asian regional studies from Harvard University. Matthew speaks Korean fluently and has a working knowledge of Japanese.
Matthew J Christensen* Kim & Chang matthew.christensen@kimchang.com Sae Youn Kim Kim & Chang saeyoun.kim@kimchang.com Youngjoon Kwon Seoul National University youngjoon@snu.ac.kr Sue Hyun Lim Korean Commercial Arbitration Board (KCAB INTERNATIONAL) suehyun.lim@kcab.or.kr Ho-Hyun Nahm Barun IP & Law office@barunip.com Joel E Richardson Kim & Chang jerichardson@kimchang.com
Crescendo Building 75, Saemunan-ro, Jongno-gu Seoul, 03173 Tel: +82 2 3404 0227 matthew.christensen@kimchang.com www.kimchang.com
WWL says: Established figure Matthew Christensen is lauded for “knowing the documents very well”, his “ability to taken on difficult points” and “full understanding of the facts and legal issues in dispute”. 16
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Commercial Litigation
COMMERICIAL LITIGATION Here, we highlight 13 litigation specialists for their outstanding ability to handle a range of complex corporate and commercial proceedings.
Three practitioners from Bae, Kim & Lee are listed in this chapter. Youngbo Noh garners plaudits as the “go-to name in civil litigations” thanks to his breadth of experience in financial and insolvency litigations. Tony Dongwook Kang is highly thought of for his expert handling of complex disputes arising from corporate control and commercial takeovers. Kyunghwan Lee is recognised as a market-leading litigator who impresses sources with his enviable track record in corporate misdemeanour damage claims.
in advising corporates on financial and regulatory litigations. At Hwang Mok Park, Woo Young Choi comes highly recommended for his first-rate counsel on domestic and foreign corporate claims and commercial disputes. Dong Ha Kim from Lee & Ko is a formidable litigator, well versed in representing highnet-worth clients in cases encompassing construction, healthcare and family law. Won Seok Ko is distinguished among peers for his top-notch practice in merger and control litigations.
Jin Yeong Chung at Kim & Chang ranks highly among peers thanks to his expertise
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Kevin Kim of Peter & Kim is a highly renowned name in Korea for his experience in litigation proceedings, particularly those involving international investments and energy-related disputes. Rosetta Legal’s Young Seok Lee earns widespread praise for his strong expertise in cross-border litigation, often involving clients in the construction, marine and insurance sectors. Shin & Kim’s Ghyo Sun Park is a top-drawer litigator whose stellar practice focuses on trademarks, product liability and merger issues.
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Commercial Litigation
Profiles
John P Bang
Kevin Kim
Young Seok Lee
John P Bang is a senior partner (foreign attorney) at Peter & Kim in Seoul. He was previously a partner at Bae, Kim & Lee LLC, where he worked for 23 years in various roles, including as the co-founder and head of the international arbitration and litigation practice. As counsel, John represents parties in litigation and arbitration matters. He has significant experience managing cases for parties in front of US courts, as well in handling cross-border litigation in other common law jurisdictions. In the past, he has successfully led counsel teams in multi-billion dollar disputes in front of US and Korean courts. Additionally. he has represented parties in over 250 domestic and international arbitrations seated throughout Asia, Europe, and North America, ranging from multimillion to multibillion-dollar disputes conducted under the rules of all prominent institutions. Most of these cases have proceeded through to the final hearing stage and concluded with a favourable final result for John’s clients. Through these disputes, John has acquired a level of experience in handling disputes under the laws of both the civil and common law jurisdictions that is extremely rare. John is currently a member of the SIAC Court of Arbitration and is regularly engaged by parties and institutions to serve as arbitrator. After receiving his education at the University of Pennsylvania and Temple University School of Law, John served as a federal law clerk for the Honorable Kathryn C Ferguson, USBJ prior to joining BKL. He is fluent in English and Korean.
Kap-You (Kevin) Kim is a co-founder and senior partner at Peter & Kim in Seoul, a leading transcontinental arbitration boutique with offices in Switzerland, Korea, Australia and Singapore. Kevin was previously a senior partner, the co-founder and head of the international arbitration practice and the head of the domestic and international disputes group at Bae, Kim & Lee LLC. Over the past 30 years, Kevin has acted as counsel, co-arbitrator, sole arbitrator and presiding arbitrator in hundreds of international arbitrations under all major institutional rules and seated in all eminent arbitration venues. He is presently involved as counsel in a number of high-profile investment and commercial arbitrations and litigations. Kevin also serves as a co-arbitrator of an ICSID ad-hoc annulment committee and as the presiding arbitrator in various commercial and investment arbitrations. Among other positions, Kevin is currently a vice president of the ICC Court, advisory board member of the International Council for Commercial Arbitration (ICCA) and chairman of the Korean Commercial Arbitration Board’s (KCAB) international arbitration committee. Kevin is considered a market leader in international arbitration. Kevin was previously the secretary general of ICCA (2010–2014), a member of the LCIA Court (2007–2012), and a vice chair of the IBA arbitration committee (2008–2010). Kevin holds degrees from the Seoul National University College of Law (LLB, LLM) and Harvard Law School (LLM). Kevin has authored various publications on international arbitration and litigation practice and was the general editor of Arbitration Law of Korea: Practice & Procedure (Juris Publishing, 2012), the first hornbook on arbitration in Korea written in English.
Young Seok (YS) Lee is the founding partner of RosettaLegal. Prior to establishing RosettaLegal in 2017, YS was a senior partner of Yulchon LLC where he was the founder and head of the firm’s international dispute resolution practice from 2003. For the first 15 years of his practice from 1987, YS practised law with a focus on foreign investment at the beginning and then on maritime dispute. Because the parties at stake in maritime disputes are almost always from different countries (eg, shipyards, shipowners, charterers, crew) and the vessels usually carry marine insurance, YS expanded his practice to cross-border disputes and insurance .After joining Yulchon in 2003, YS started the more general practice of international dispute resolution encompassing all types of international disputes, including arbitration, maritime and insurance disputes in particular. RosettaLegal’s practice is based on YS’s extensive experience and expertise in cross-border disputes, inter alia arbitration, maritime and insurance disputes. YS is regularly engaged by parties and institutions to serve as counsel, arbitrator or legal expert in international arbitrations and court cases Among other positions, YS currently serves as the vice chair of Asia-Pacific Maritime Arbitration Center of the Korean Commercial Arbitration Board. YS previously served as the chair of Korean Council for International Arbitration (until 2018) and the secretary-general of Seoul International Dispute Resolution Center (also until 2018). YS also served as the president of Korean International Trade Law Association, a leading forum for academia and practicing lawyers to study and discuss issues in international trade law (until 2021). YS authored publications, including South Korea Chapter to 2021 DELOS Guide to Arbitration Places.
#3805 Trade Tower 511 Yeongdong-daero, Gangnam-gu Seoul, 06164 Tel: +82 2 538 2900 johnbang@peterandkim.com www.peterandkim.com
#3805 Trade Tower 511 Yeongdong-daero, Gangnam-gu Seoul, 06164 Tel: +82 2 538 2900 kevinkim@peterandkim.com www.peterandkim.com
WWL says: John Bang is held in high regard by market sources for his decades of experience litigating cases spanning the energy, construction and logistics sectors.
WWL says: Kevin Kim is a highly renowned name in Korea for his experience in litigation proceedings, particularly those involving international investments and energyrelated disputes.
Peter & Kim
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Peter & Kim
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RosettaLegal
2216 Gwanghwamun Officia Bldg., 92 Saemunan-ro Jongno-gu Seoul, 03186 Tel: +82 6956 8971 yslee@rosettalegal.co.kr www.rosettalegal.co.kr
WWL says: Young Seok Lee stands out as a go-to name for maritime, engineering, insurance and international trade disputes.
Commercial Litigation
DIRECTORY An asterisk denotes practitioners who have profiles in the preceding pages. Nominees have been selected based on comprehensive, independent survey work with both general counsel and private practitioners worldwide. Only specialists who have met independent international research criteria are listed.
Young-Bo Noh
Bae, Kim & Lee LLC
Ghyo Sun Park Shin & Kim LLC
Youngbo NOH is a partner at Bae, Kim & Lee LLC. He is an expert in both civil and criminal litigation on behalf of industrial and financial sector clients. His practice areas include lawsuits involving finance, companies, corporate criminal matters, and insolvency. After completing the 10th Judicial Research and Training Institute course, Mr. Noh started his career as a judge at Seoul Civil District Court in 1983. He served as a judge for 26 years in the Korean judiciary before joining BKL in 2006. He also worked as a professor in Judicial Research and Training Institute, and as a director general of Registry Bureau in Office of Court Administration. Practicing as a judge and a lawyer, he has delivered lectures on bankruptcy law as an adjunct professor at Seoul National University School of Law during 2003-2019. Mr. Noh is acclaimed in Korea for his hard-won victories in a succession of high-profile cases, such as lawsuits surrounding the Asian Financial Crisis-era sale of Korea Exchange Bank, Hyundai Motors' secret fund case, a case involving the violation of the Securities and Exchanges Act by an officer of a conglomerate, and bribery case of a member of the National Assembly. Mr. Noh received his BA degree from Seoul National University in 1978. He earned his LLM degree from Georgetown University Law Center in 1988.
Mr. Ghyo-Sun Park is a senior partner at Shin & Kim. Mr. Park focuses on commercial litigation including intellectual property, product liability, mergers & acquisitions, corporate governance and international arbitration. Mr. Park has been involved in many significant patent infringement cases and product liability cases including first Korean Tobacco Litigation. Mr. Park serves as a member of Advisory Committee for Intellectual Property Rights of the Korea Trade Commission. Also, He has served as the President of the KIPLA (Korean Intellectual Property Lawyers Association) since 2021 through 2023.
Centropolis B 26 Ujeongguk-ro, Jongno-gu Seoul, 03161 Tel: +82 2 3404 0540 youngbo.noh@bkl.co.kr www.bkl.co.kr
23F, D-Tower (D2) 17 Jongno 3-gil, Jongno-gu Seoul, 03155 Tel: +82 2 316 4233 gspark@shinkim.com www.shinkim.com
WWL says: Youngbo Noh garners plaudits as the “go-to name in civil litigations” thanks to his breadth of experience in financial and insolvency litigations.
WWL says: Ghyo-Sun Park is a top-drawer litigator whose impressive practice spans trademarks, product liability and merger issues.
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John P Bang* Peter & Kim johnbang@peterandkim.com Woo Young Choi Hwang Mok Park PC choiwy@hmplaw.com Jin Yeong Chung Kim & Chang jychung@kimchang.com Tony Dongwook Kang Bae, Kim & Lee LLC tony.dw.kang@bkl.co.kr Dong Ha Kim Lee & Ko dhk@leeko.com Jae Hoon Kim Lee & Ko jaehoon.kim@leeko.com Kevin Kim* Peter & Kim kevinkim@peterandkim.com Won Seok Ko Lee & Ko wsk@leeko.com Kyunghwan Lee Bae, Kim & Lee LLC kyunghwan.lee@bkl.co.kr Young Seok Lee* RosettaLegal yslee@rosettalegal.co.kr Young-Bo Noh* Bae, Kim & Lee LLC youngbo.noh@bkl.co.kr Ghyo Sun Park* Shin & Kim LLC gspark@shinkim.com Heung Seop Song Lee & Ko hss@leeko.com
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Competition
COMPETITION This year, we identify 43 market-leading practitioners for their exceptional expertise across the full gamut of contentious and non-contentious competition matters.
Most Highly Regarded Yong Seok Ahn
Cecil Saehoon Chung
Jung-Won Hyun
Youngjin Jung
Gene Oh Kim
Kyoung Yeon Kim
Lee & Ko Seoul
Kim & Chang Seoul
Kim & Chang demonstrates its strength with 21 lawyers listed in this chapter. The “senior statesman” Youngjin Jung is a longstanding fixture in the Korean market and impresses sources with his “encyclopaedic knowledge across jurisdictions” and “practical strategies that take into account the myriad factors weighing on global businesses”. Gene Oh Kim is highlighted for his outstanding work advising domestic and international clients on antitrust matters in multi-sectoral M&A transactions. Kyoung Yeon Kim “always puts her clients first”, making her “a pleasure to work with” on complex merger filings, abuse of dominance and cartel activities. Jung-Won Hyun comes highly recommended “without reservation” from sources for her “great competence, first-class knowledge of local authorities’ practices and ability to determine the best strategy within firmly tight deadlines”. In Seon Choi possesses “a rare combination of skills and personal features” that leaves market respondents impressed with her “efficiency, calmness and her structured, powerful and dense written submissions”. Kee-Hong Chun has established himself as a key player in the competition space, who focuses his practice on cartel investigations, abuse of trading and bid-rigging. Kyung Taek Jung is well versed in antitrust law, with over four decades of experience advising foreign and local companies across diverse sectors. Sung Eyup Park ranks highly among peers thanks to his notable expertise in M&A and antitrust law, and regularly advises clients in the petroleum and IT industries.
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Yulchon Seoul
Kim & Chang Seoul
Sung Joo Yoon is singled out for his extensive experience in competition matters and frequently works on high net-worth M&A deals. Brian Tae Hyun Chung impresses commentators with his “sharp eye in spotting key issues and correspondent solutions”, reflecting his “practical, problem-solving mind”. Yulchon sees four practitioners listed here. Cecil Saehoon Chung is an “authoritative and respected figure” in the market who possesses “superb legal technical skills aligned with commercial awareness”. Sung Moo Jung is held in high regard thanks to his first-rate handling of competition-related regulatory matters stemming from an array of sectors. Lee & Ko sees six individuals recommended here. Yong Seok Ahn garners praise from sources for his exceptional handling of intricate merger reviews, abuse of dominance and cartel cases for global businesses. Hwan Jeong is an eminent lawyer with decades of experience, celebrated for his adept handling of high-profile multi-jurisdictional cartel investigations and merger review cases. Jung Won Park stands out for his decades of experience on KFTC-related matters, regularly representing domestic and international clients. Hyun Chul Kim is a top name in the market who excels at “explaining complex issue in plain and clear terms” and “providing practicable solutions”.
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Kim & Chang Seoul Kim & Chang Seoul
Shin & Kim achieves three listings. John Choi of Shin & Kim is lauded by sources for his top-tier antitrust practice, representing foreign corporations on prominent cartel litigations and abuse of market dominance cases. Hyun Young Ju impresses peers and clients with her sweeping knowledge of antitrust law, with a particular focus on unfair trade practices and transactions. Sang Don Lee is revered for his notable expertise in mergers filings and regulatory investigations involving the KFTC. Bae, Kim & Lee excels with five listings. Sang Hoon Shin garners widespread endorsements for his enviable track record in cartel investigations, merger filings, abuse of dominance and unfair trade practices. Keum Seok Oh focuses his stellar practice on the full gamut of competition law issues, spanning a variety of sectors such as banking, technology, engineering and retail. Il Kang is highly sought after by clients for his notable expertise in damage claims, conspiracy investigations and abuse of dominance matters. Yoon & Yang performs well with four listings. Hoil Yoon maintains a stellar reputation in the competition space thanks to his long-standing antitrust practice which encompasses merger reviews, litigations and arbitrations. Chul Ho Kim is “extremely knowledgeable in competition law” and is highly sought after by clients for his “practical and timely advice to the matters at hand”.
Competition
Profiles
Il Kang
Chul Ho Kim
Hoil Yoon
Ryan Il Kang has expertise in antitrust and competition law, intellectual property rights, merger and acquisition and telecommunications, media & technology. Since joining BKL in 2006, he has represented domestic and foreign clients in a wide variety of industries in connection with market dominance, cartel matters, merger and acquisition, unfair trade activities, litigation, counselling and compliance before The Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) and various foreign competition authorities for more than 10 years. He has delivered lectures on competition law in the master of intellectual property course of the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) and is a frequent speaker at diverse events (seminar/conference) hosted by both BKL and external institutes. Mr Kang earned his BA degree from Seoul National University and LLM degree from University of California, Berkeley School of Law. He was a visiting attorney to CMS EU Law office at Brussels from 2011 to 2012. Mr Kang has been listed as a leading lawyer in Competition/Antitrust practice area for five consecutive years since 2018 and recently selected as one of “Korea’s Top 100 Lawyers (The 2021 A-List)” by the Asia Business Law Journal.He has been serving as an adviser of Subcontracting Law Association of Korea Land & Housing Corporation and a secretary of planning for Korean Competition Law Association for a couple of years.
Chul Ho Kim is a partner and head of the competition and antitrust practice group at Yoon & Yang LLC. His main practice area is antitrust law. He has handled many high-profile cases and has provided legal advice to multinational companies, such as Qualcomm, Nike, and Bosch. His clients include some of Korea’s most well-known companies, including Samsung, SK, Hanwha, LS, POSCO and Korean Air. Mr. Kim’s antitrust expertise covers all areas of the field, including cartels, abuse of dominance, unfair trade practices, and business combinations. Mr. Kim served as the International Director of Korea Competition Law Association. He is the Vice President of Korea Competition Law Association and Asia-Pacific Competition Community. He was recognised as a leading individual in competition/ antitrust by Chambers and Partners Asia-Pacific in 2021 and 2022, and as a notable practitioner in competition/antitrust by asialaw in 2021 and 2022. Mr. Kim has recently contributed to the Korea chapter of Lexology Getting the Deal Through’s Competition in Digital Markets 2022 and The Legal 500’s In-house Lawyer Comparative Legal Guide: Merger Control (4th Edition). He is admitted to the Bar of Korea.
Hoil Yoon is a managing partner of Yoon & Yang. His practice concentrates on antitrust, international business transactions, and international litigation and arbitration. Prior to establishing Yoon & Partners (a predecessor of Yoon & Yang), Mr Yoon practised law in the United States as a partner of Baker & McKenzie. He served as an ambassador for International Economy and Trade of the Korean government; a non-standing commissioner of the Korea Fair Trade Commission; and a judge of the Seoul District Court. Mr Yoon was the chairman of the Asia Competition Association. He is a member of the ABA's section of antitrust law, where he was a member of the international cartel task force and the international task force. He was the chairman of the Korea Competition Forum. He served as a non-governmental adviser to the International Competition Network. He received a national camellia medal from the Korean government for his contributions to the advancement of antitrust law. Also, he has repeatedly been named by legal media as a leading lawyer in antitrust, corporate and dispute resolution. He has written numerous articles on antitrust and corporate law, and co-authored the Korea chapters of the ABA's Competition Laws Outside the United States (second edition) and the ABA's Antitrust Issues in Intellectual Property Licensing Transactions. He received GCR’s 2020 Lifetime Achievement Award. He received his JD, magna cum laude, from Notre Dame University; and his LLM and LLB from Seoul National University. He is admitted to the Bars of Korea, New York, Illinois and Washington, DC, as well as the US Supreme Court.
Centropolis B 26 Ujeongguk-ro, Jongno-gu Seoul, 03161 Tel: +82 2 3404 0689 il.kang@bkl.co.kr www.bkl.co.kr
18, 19, 22, 23 & 34 Floors, ASEM Tower 517 Yeongdong-daero, Gangnam-Gu Seoul, 06164 Tel: +82 2 6003 7522 chkim@yoonyang.com www.yoonyang.com
18, 19, 22, 23 & 34 Floors, ASEM Tower 517 Yeongdong-daero, Gangnam-Gu Seoul, 06164 Tel: +82 2 6003 7501 yoon.hoil@yoonyang.com www.yoonyang.com
WWL says: Il Kang receives widespread endorsements for his expertise in damage claims, conspiracy investigations and abuse of dominance matters.
WWL says: Chul Ho Kim is "extremely knowledgeable in competition law" and is highly sought after by clients for his “practical and timely advice to the matters at hand".
WWL says: Hoil Yoon maintains a stellar reputation in the competition space thanks to his long-standing antitrust practice which encompasses merger reviews, litigations and arbitrations.
Bae, Kim & Lee LLC
Yoon & Yang
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Yoon & Yang
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Competition
DIRECTORY An asterisk denotes practitioners who have profiles in the preceding pages. Nominees have been selected based on comprehensive, independent survey work with both general counsel and private practitioners worldwide. Only specialists who have met independent international research criteria are listed.
Jae-Hong (Jay) Ahn Kim & Chang jhahn@kimchang.com Yong Seok Ahn Lee & Ko yongseok.ahn@leeko.com Jae Hyung Ban Kim & Chang jhban@kimchang.com In Seon Choi Kim & Chang inseon.choi@kimchang.com John H Choi Shin & Kim LLC jhchoi@shinkim.com Kee-Hong Chun Kim & Chang khchun1@kimchang.com Brian Tae Hyun Chung Kim & Chang thchung@kimchang.com Cecil Saehoon Chung Yulchon cschung@yulchon.com Seung Hwan (Miles) Chung Kim & Chang miles.chung@kimchang.com Maria Hajiyerou Kim & Chang maria.hajiyerou@kimchang.com
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Cholsoo Han Yoon & Yang cshan@yoonyang.com Junghyun Han Kim & Chang junghyun.han@kimchang.com Jung-Won Hyun Kim & Chang jwhyun@kimchang.com Hwan Jeong Lee & Ko hwj@leeko.com Hyun Young Ju Shin & Kim LLC hyju@shinkim.com Kyung Taek Jung Kim & Chang ktjung@kimchang.com Sung Moo Jung Yulchon smjung@yulchon.com Youngjin Jung Kim & Chang youngjin.jung@kimchang.com Il Kang* Bae, Kim & Lee LLC il.kang@bkl.co.kr Gene Oh Kim Kim & Chang gokim@kimchang.com Hyun Chul Kim Lee & Ko hyunchul.kim@leeko.com Hyuna Kim Bae, Kim & Lee LLC hyuna.kim@bkl.co.kr Kyoung Yeon Kim Kim & Chang kyoungyeon.kim@kimchang.com Kyu Hyun Kim Yulchon khkim@yulchon.com Suruyn Kim Lee & Ko suruyn.kim@leeko.com Chul Ho Kim* Yoon & Yang chkim@yoonyang.com
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Tae Hyuk Ko Kim & Chang taehyuk.ko@kimchang.com Hemi Lee Kim & Chang hemi.lee@kimchang.com Kyung Yul Lee Kim & Chang kyungyul.lee@kimchang.com Min-Ho Lee Kim & Chang minho.lee1@kimchang.com Sang Don Lee Shin & Kim LLC sdlee@shinkim.com Keum Seok Oh Bae, Kim & Lee LLC kmseok.oh@bkl.co.kr Jung Won Park Lee & Ko won@leeko.com Sang Hyuk Park Kim & Chang sang.park@kimchang.com Sung Bom Park Yulchon sbpark@yulchon.com Sung Eyup Park Kim & Chang separk@kimchang.com Song Ryu Yoon & Yang sryu@yoonyang.com Luke Y Shin Kim & Chang lyshin@kimchang.com Sang Hoon Shin Bae, Kim & Lee LLC sanghoon.shin@bkl.co.kr Jeong-Ho Sun Lee & Ko jeongho.sun@leeko.com Sung Joo Yoon Kim & Chang sjyoon@kimchang.com Hoil Yoon* Yoon & Yang yoon.hoil@yoonyang.com Seong Un Yun Bae, Kim & Lee LLC seongun.yun@bkl.co.kr
Competition Economists
COMPETITION ECONOMISTS This year’s research sees five eminent economists selected for their broad experience and notable advisory work in complex competition matters.
Dong-Pyo Hong of Lee & Ko impresses market sources with his detail-oriented analyses in high-profile damage claims, cartel cases and unfair trade practices. At Sogang University, Jeon Seong Hoon is lauded for his extensive knowledge in industrial organisation economics and competition regulations.
DIRECTORY Nominees have been selected based on comprehensive, independent survey work with both general counsel and private practitioners worldwide. Only specialists who have met independent international research criteria are listed.
Seoul National University’s Keunkwan Ryu is revered for his first-class practice in developing economic arguments for complex antitrust matters. Sang-Seung Yi ranks highly among peers thanks to his encyclopaedic knowledge of competition law and guidance on regulatory compliance.
Dong-Pyo Hong Lee & Ko dongpyo.hong@leeko.com Jeon Seong Hoon Sogang University jeonsh@sogang.ac.kr Keunkwan Ryu Seoul National University ryu@snu.ac.kr
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Richard Tong-Jun Shin from Bae, Kim & Lee impresses peers and clients with his breadth of experience handling mergers, abuse of dominance and price-fixing claims.
Richard Tong-Jun Shin Bae, Kim & Lee LLC richard.shin@bkl.co.kr Sang-Seung Yi Seoul National University ssyi@snu.ac.kr
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Construction & Real Estate
CONSTRUCTION & REAL ESTATE This chapter identifies 17 lawyers who excel at handling sophisticated transactions, contractual issues and disputes across the construction and real estate sectors.
Most Highly Regarded John P Bang Peter & Kim Seoul
Matthew J Christensen Kim & Chang Seoul
Byung-Woo Im Kim & Chang Seoul
Kevin Kim Peter & Kim Seoul
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Five practitioners from Kim & Chang are listed here. Matthew Christensen is a “tough but fair opponent” in court who impresses market sources with his “technical knowledge and meticulous approach to complex construction disputes”. Dong-Seok (Johan) Oh draws widespread plaudits for his “attentiveness to clients’ practical needs” and “ability to come up with creative alternative strategies catered to a commercial company”. Byung-Woo Im is “strong in the construction space” and highlighted for his significant experience in the full life cycle of infrastructure and construction projects. Yon Kyun Oh ranks highly among peers who admire his “strong legal knowledge, professional attitude and persistence” in providing “thorough research and practical advice” to corporate clients. Daewoong Lee is singled out for his vast experience handling construction project agreements across multiple jurisdictions.
companies and financial institutions in PPI projects. Dong Eun Kim is commended by peers for his wide-ranging practice encompassing inbound and outbound construction transactions and development projects. Dong Ha Kim is highly regarded for his experience in the construction and real estate sectors, particularly when it comes to government-related matters.
Shin & Kim’s Kyung Don Lee enjoys a stellar reputation in the market and is highly sought after for his handling of development projects and M&A on behalf of foreign investors and corporations.
Peter & Kim’s Kevin Kim is an “ambitious and visionary” practitioner who is widely considered by market sources as “one of the leading lawyers in international arbitration”. John Bang is singled out by peers for his first-rate practice, which encompasses high net-worth development, procurement and construction negotiations.
Yoon & Yang’s Soo Hyeon Park garners widespread plaudits from sources for his “agility in grasping the issues” and “providing practical, strategic solutions in a timely manner”.
Mike McClure with Herbert Smith Freehills stands out in the market thanks to his top-notch construction practice, which handles all forms of dispute resolution.
Timothy Trinka of Dentons is a veteran in the market with an enviable track-record specialising in high-value acquisitions and leases.
Lee & Ko achieves three listings. Hun Ko is a prominent lawyer with two decades of experience representing key domestic and international construction
Jun Hee Kim at Arnold & Porter is lauded for his superb practice in contentious construction matters.
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Bae, Kim & Lee’s Gun Chul Do is a go-to name in the Korean market who is distinguished for his “specialism in new city development projects”.
At Yulchon, Jin Seok Choi is well versed in high-profile real estate transactions and financing matters.
Construction & Real Estate
Profiles
John P Bang
Matthew J Christensen
Peter & Kim
John P Bang is a senior partner (foreign attorney) at Peter & Kim in Seoul. He was previously a partner at Bae, Kim & Lee LLC, where he worked for 23 years in various roles, including as the co-founder and head of the international arbitration and litigation practice. John has represented parties in over 250 domestic and international arbitrations seated throughout Asia, Europe and North America, ranging from multimillion to multibillion-dollar disputes. John is consistently ranked as a “Global Leader” in construction disputes by Who’s Who Legal and regularly acts as counsel in high-value construction disputes. He has acted for parties in construction disputes under the auspices of all major institutions, and in cases where the relevant projects underlying the disputes were based in the Middle East, Asia, Eastern Europe, Africa and Latin America. In fact, John is currently acting for a major Korean construction company in a dispute concerning the development of a US$ 35 billion business district project. John is a specialist in construction disputes and has significant experience in managing disputes arising from standard form contracts including FIDIC and ICE conditions of construction contracts. In addition to his work as counsel in construction arbitration, he regularly provides strategic advice on construction disputes that go to national courts in both common and civil law jurisdictions.
Kim & Chang John is currently a member of the SIAC Court of Arbitration and is regularly engaged by parties and institutions to serve as arbitrator. In 2011, John was general editor of the first book-length treatise on arbitration in Korea, Arbitration Law of Korea: Practice and Procedure (Juris Publishing, 2012). John is the author of numerous articles concerning international dispute resolution and is a frequent speaker at domestic and international seminars and conferences. After receiving his education at the University of Pennsylvania and Temple University School of Law, John served as a federal law clerk for the Honorable Kathryn C Ferguson, USBJ prior to joining BKL. He is fluent in English and Korean.
#3805 Trade Tower 511 Yeongdong-daero, Gangnam-gu Seoul, 06164 Tel: +82 2 538 2900 johnbang@peterandkim.com www. peterandkim.com
WWL says: John Bang is singled out by peers for his first-rate practice, which encompasses high net-worth development, procurement and construction negotiations.
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Matthew is a senior foreign attorney (partner equivalent) in K&C’s international arbitration and crossborder litigation practice group. He has acted for private and public sector clients in many substantial international arbitration cases under ICC, SIAC, HKIAC, KCAB, LCIA, AAA/IDRC, ICSID and UNCITRAL rules. Matthew regularly acts for clients in large and complex construction and energy disputes, including in relation to investment treaty-based claims. In a typical case, his roles run the gamut from advising on dispute resolution strategy, to taking evidence from Korean-speaking witnesses in their native language, to presenting oral arguments before English-speaking tribunals. Matthew also advises on mediation, and is listed on the SIMC’s specialist mediator roster for Korea. He currently co-chairs the international construction projects committee of the Inter-Pacific Bar Association and has been honoured for his contributions to international arbitration practice in Korea by Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. A NITA Advocate, Matthew is recognised among the top international arbitration lawyers in Korea by The Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners (Band 1), where he receives “outstanding feedback for his work in construction disputes” and is noted for his “keen understanding of Korean disputes honed through experience" and “strong advocacy and effective cross-examination style”. He is also honored to have been listed as a Thought Leader in the areas of arbitration and construction by Who’s Who Legal, which commends his “deep experience in the construction sector as well as in complex commercial disputes. ”A native of Salt Lake City, Matthew received his law degree from Harvard Law School and also holds a master's degree in East Asian regional studies from Harvard University. Matthew speaks Korean fluently and has a working knowledge of Japanese.
Crescendo Building 75, Saemunan-ro, Jongno-gu Seoul, 03173 Tel: +82 2 3404 0227 matthew.christensen@kimchang.com www.kimchang.com
WWL says: Matthew Christensen has “technical knowledge and meticulous approach for complex construction disputes.”
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Construction & Real Estate
DIRECTORY An asterisk denotes practitioners who have profiles in the preceding pages. Nominees have been selected based on comprehensive, independent survey work with both general counsel and private practitioners worldwide. Only specialists who have met independent international research criteria are listed.
Kevin Kim Peter & Kim
Kap-You (Kevin) Kim is a co-founder and senior partner at Peter & Kim in Seoul, a leading transcontinental arbitration boutique with offices in Switzerland, Korea, Australia, and Singapore. Kevin was previously a senior partner, the co-founder and head of the international arbitration practice and the head of the domestic and international disputes group at Bae, Kim & Lee LLC. Over the past 30 years, Kevin has acted as counsel, co-arbitrator, sole arbitrator and presiding arbitrator in hundreds of international arbitrations under all major institutional rules and seated in all eminent arbitration venues. He is presently involved as counsel in a number of high-profile investment and commercial arbitrations and litigations. Kevin also serves as a co-arbitrator of an ICSID ad hoc annulment committee and as the presiding arbitrator in various commercial and investment arbitrations. Among other positions, Kevin is currently a vice president of the ICC Court, advisory board member of the International Council for Commercial Arbitration (ICCA) and chairman of the Korean Commercial Arbitration Board’s (KCAB) international arbitration committee. Kevin is considered a market leader in international arbitration. Kevin was previously the secretary general of ICCA (2010–2014), a member of the LCIA Court (2007–2012), and a vice chair of the IBA arbitration committee (2008–2010). Kevin holds degrees from the Seoul National University College of Law (LLB, LLM) and Harvard Law School (LLM). Kevin has authored various publications on international arbitration and litigation practice and was the general editor of Arbitration Law of Korea: Practice & Procedure (Juris Publishing, 2012), the first hornbook on arbitration in Korea written in English.
#3805 Trade Tower 511 Yeongdong-daero, Gangnam-gu Seoul, 06164 Tel: +82 2 538 2900 kevinkim@peterandkim.com www. peterandkim.com
WWL says: Kevin Kim is an "ambitious and visionary" practitioner who is widely considered by market sources as "one of the leading lawyers in international arbitration".
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John P Bang* Peter & Kim johnbang@peterandkim.com Jin Seok Choi Yulchon choijs@yulchon.com Matthew J Christensen* Kim & Chang matthew.christensen@kimchang.com Gun Chul Do Bae, Kim & Lee LLC gunchul.do@bkl.co.kr Byung-Woo Im Kim & Chang bwim@kimchang.com Dong Eun Kim Lee & Ko dek@leeko.com Dong Ha Kim Lee & Ko dhk@leeko.com Jun Hee Kim Arnold & Porter jh.kim@arnoldporter.com Kevin Kim* Peter & Kim kevinkim@peterandkim.com Hun Ko Lee & Ko hnk@leeko.com Daewoong Lee Kim & Chang daewoong.lee@kimchang.com Kyung Don Lee Shin & Kim LLC kdlee@shinkim.com Mike McClure Herbert Smith Freehills - Foreign Legal Consultant Office mike.mcclure@hsf.com Dong-Seok (Johan) Oh Kim & Chang dsoh@kimchang.com Yon Kyun Oh Kim & Chang ykoh@kimchang.com Soo Hyeon Park Yoon & Yang soohpark@yoonyang.com Timothy E Trinka Dentons Lee tim.trinka@dentons.com
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Corporate Tax
CORPORATE TAX Here, we highlight 15 practitioners for their excellent work in the corporate tax space, handling a range of matters from tax litigation and disputes to M&A transactions. Kim & Chang holds an impressive eight listings in this chapter. Hae Ma Joong Kim is a top-tier individual with “a lot of tax-related knowledge” and experience advising clients on a range of taxation issues in Korea. Sang Woo Lee is highly regarded by peers for his “talent in explaining complex legal theories” in litigation and taxation matters. Seung Jong Yang is highly sought after by clients for his broad practice, which covers a range of international matters, from tax audit and dispute services to tax consulting. Je Heum Baik impresses peers with his “high quality service” when it comes to tax litigation. Tae-Yeon Nam is a highly recommended practitioner with a sweeping knowledge of international tax audits and transfer pricing.
DIRECTORY Nominees have been selected based on comprehensive, independent survey work with both general counsel and private practitioners worldwide. Only specialists who have met independent international research criteria are listed.
Soo-Jeong Ahn Yulchon sjahn@yulchon.com Je Heum Baik Shin & Kim LLC jhebaik@shinkim.com
Peers commend Sung Gweon Cho for his top-tier handling of corporate tax issues and general tax consulting. Byung-Moon Jung is a distinguished practitioner who is renowned for his expertise in advising domestic and foreign clients on tax disputes. Clients endorse Im Jeong Choi for his experience in acquisition, real estate, and general tax matters. Yulchon excels with three practitioners listed in this chapter. Soo-Jeong Ahn is a top-tier name for tax matters involving cross-border M&A and real estate transactions. Seok Hoon Kang is a widely renowned lawyer in Korea who is sought after by clients for his encyclopaedic knowledge of tax law.
Sung Gweon Cho Kim & Chang sunggweon.cho@kimchang.com Im Jeong Choi Kim & Chang ijchoi@kimchang.com Byung Moon Jung Kim & Chang bmjung@kimchang.com Seok Hoon Kang Yulchon shkang@yulchon.com Dong Soo Kim Yulchon dskim@yulchon.com Hae Ma Joong Kim Kim & Chang hmjkim@kimchang.com Sang Kie Lee Lee & Ko lsk@leeko.com
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With over two decades of experience, Dong Soo Kim is highlighted by market sources for his handling of corporate tax matters Sang Kie Lee from Lee & Ko holds two decades of experience advising national and international clients on a range of corporate tax matters. Jay Shim is held in high esteem by market respondents for his experience handling the full spectrum of tax-related matters. Peers commend Yoon & Yang’s Jeongsu Park for his “excellent legal knowledge” and expertise in tax and administrative litigation. Seung Soon Lim is a prominent name in the corporate tax space thanks to his handling of tax and family business management matters.
Sang Woo Lee Kim & Chang swlee1@kimchang.com Seung Soon Lim Yoon & Yang sslim@yoonyang.com Tae-Yeon Nam Kim & Chang tynam@kimchang.com Jeongsu Park Yoon & Yang jspark@yoonyang.com Jay Shim Lee & Ko jay.shim@leeko.com Seung Jong Yang Kim & Chang sjyang@kimchang.com
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Data
DATA This year, we identify 12 leading practitioners who stand out for their top-tier knowledge and experience in data law.
Kim & Chang excels with four individuals listed in this chapter. Peers highly commend In Hwan Lee for his “professional advice” and “proactive attitude” when advising clients on privacy and data protection matters. Min Chul Park is a top-tier name in the data space with notable expertise in telecommunication regulatory matters and antitrust law. Eugene Kim is a highly regarded practitioner with impeccable knowledge on technology, media & telecommunication matters. Dong Shik Choi is a seasoned practitioner, well versed in data breaches and telecommunication and broadcasting regulation.
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Bae, Kim & Lee sees three practitioners listed. Tae Uk Kang is commended for his sweeping knowledge of IT law and his expertise in advising clients on IP and data protection disputes. Respondents highlight Ji Yeon Park for her impressive experience in regulatory and legislative matters involving clients from the media and telecommunications sectors. Sangjik Lee garners high praise from corporate clients for his skill in identifying and resolving data-related legal risks. Kwang Bae Park of Lee & Ko is a top-tier data specialist who receives widespread acclaim for his practice in data protection law. Ju Bong Jang is highlighted for his
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experience in advising domestic and international clients on data privacy and telecommunication issues. Yulchon’s Sun Hee Kim comes highly recommended for her stellar practice, which frequently handles data protection and fintech-related issues in M&A transactions. Clients are consistently impressed by Doil Son for his experience in advising local and multinational clients on a range of data privacy and management matters. Kwang-Myeong Moon from Moon & Song possesses an outstanding reputation for his top-tier work on a range of shipping cases involving data law issues.
Data
Profiles
DIRECTORY An asterisk denotes practitioners who have profiles in the preceding pages. Nominees have been selected based on comprehensive, independent survey work with both general counsel and private practitioners worldwide. Only specialists who have met independent international research criteria are listed.
Tae Uk Kang
Bae, Kim & Lee LLC
Kwang-Myeong Moon Moon & Song
Tae Uk Kang is the head of data protection practice team at Bae, Kim & Lee LLC (“BKL”) in Seoul, Korea. And he is also a senior partner of the intellectual property practice group. Prior to joining BKL in March 2007, he worked as a judge. Mr. Kang not only provides the advisory service but practices in civil and/or criminal litigation area regarding data protection, intellectual property disputes, and all legal matters related to the internet-service providers such as e-commerce and online game industry. On data protection matters, He has advised many Koran conglomerate groups such as Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, SK Hynix and multinational companies including Spotify, Twitter, Kering Group, Ralph Lauren, Chanel, Swarovski on diverse data protection issues and personal information protection compliance issues. He also advises many companies in e-commerce, consumer goods, pharmaceutical, and gaming industries responding to the investigations by Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC), etc, and in data protection related civil/ criminal disputes. He is also focusing and advising many clients on AI-related matter as well as Blockchain, NFT, Metaverse issues. In addition, Tae Uk has been advisory counsel on the PIPC for several years, and frequently advises Korea Internet & Security Agency, National Information Society Agency and serves as a member of several expert/advisory committees related to data practice areas including Open Data Mediation Committee, Copyright Protection and Deliberation Committee, Financial Security Institute. Tae Uk was awarded The Data Privacy Lawyer of the Year by the Asia Legal Awards 2020. Tae Uk is a member of the New York Bar as well as Korean and Seoul Bar.
Kwang-Myeong Moon is the founding partner of Moon & Song and brings more than 22 years of practice to the areas of shipping and marine insurance. He has expertise and experience in all aspects of shipping law, both wet and dry. During his long tenure as a maritime lawyer, he has advised on bills of lading, charter parties, contracts of affreightment and shipbuilding, and ship sale and purchase contracts. He also has extensive experience in handling marine incidents relating to fire, explosion, collision, oil pollution, salvage and wreck removal, and issues of cross-border insolvency involving international shipping companies and limitation of ship owner’s liability proceedings. He advises and represents leading shipping companies, hull and machinery underwriters and P&I Clubs in the civil courts, marine safety tribunals and arbitrations.
Centropolis B 26 Ujeongguk-ro, Jongno-gu Seoul, 03161 Tel: +82 2 3404 0485 taeuk.kang@bkl.co.kr www.bkl.co.kr
2/F Naeja Building 33 Gyeonghuigung-gil, Jongno-gu Seoul, 03176 Tel: +82 2 722 7447 mail@moonsonglaw.com www.moonsonglaw.com
WWL says: Tae Uk Kang is commended for his sweeping knowledge of IT law and his expertise in advising clients on IP and data protection disputes.
WWL says: Kwang-Myeong Moon possesses an outstanding reputation for his top-tier work on a range of shipping cases involving data law issues.
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Dong Shik Choi Kim & Chang dschoi@kimchang.com Ju Bong Jang Lee & Ko jubong.jang@leeko.com Tae Uk Kang* Bae, Kim & Lee LLC taeuk.kang@bkl.co.kr Eugene Kim Kim & Chang ekim@kimchang.com Sun Hee Kim Yulchon kimsh@yulchon.com In Hwan Lee Kim & Chang inhwan.lee@kimchang.com Sangjik Lee Bae, Kim & Lee LLC sangjik.lee@bkl.co.kr Kwang-Myeong Moon* Moon & Song mail@moonsonglaw.com Ji Yeon Park Bae, Kim & Lee LLC jiyeon.park@bkl.co.kr Kwang Bae Park Lee & Ko kbp@leeko.com Min Chul Park Kim & Chang minchul.park@kimchang.com Doil Son Yulchon dison@yulchon.com
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Energy
ENERGY In this chapter, we recognise 11 first-class lawyers for their extensive experience in the energy market, dealing with contentious, transactional and regulatory matters.
Most Highly Regarded Chang-hee Shin
Kim & Chang Firm name Seoul
Kim & Chang receives four listings in this chapter. Chang-hee Shin comes highly recommended thanks to her “deep experience in the energy practice” and “strong communication skills”, which she draws upon to “efficiently support clients” in the power and energy industries. Chang Sup Kwon is well versed in the “details of relevant laws and regulations” related to energy project developments and regularly represents parties in Korean and overseas renewable project developments. Daewoong Lee is revered for his expertise in claims, disputes and contracts related to energy projects around the world. He is
DIRECTORY Nominees have been selected based on comprehensive, independent survey work with both general counsel and private practitioners worldwide. Only specialists who have met independent international research criteria are listed.
Yun-Jae Baek Yulchon yjbaek@yulchon.com
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widely described as “a very inquisitive lawyer” with “excellent organisational, written and oral communication skills” who provides “tailored solutions for clients’ needs”. Young Kyun Cho is a highly respected practitioner who regularly handles domestic and offshore project financing on behalf of banks, asset management and insurance companies.
Jongkwan Peck of Lee & Ko is “a very experienced practitioner” who is well known for representing clients in “a lot of big, energy-related projects”.
Ken Nam at Herbert Smith Freehills is “very well regarded in the market” as “an excellent practitioner” who advises domestic and international clients on a range of cross-border investment transactions and projects in the energy sector.
Kyu Bang of Allen & Overy has amassed “considerable experience” advising domestic and global clients in investment banking matters in the energy sector.
Kyu Bang Allen & Overy LLP Foreign Legal Consultant Office kyu.bang@allenovery.com Young Kyun Cho Kim & Chang ykcho@kimchang.com Jin-Young Jung Lee & Ko jinyoung.jung@leeko.com Chang Sup Kwon Kim & Chang changsup.kwon@kimchang.com Daewoong Lee Kim & Chang daewoong.lee@kimchang.com
Ken Nam Herbert Smith Freehills - Foreign Legal Consultant Office ken.nam@hsf.com Yang Ho Oh Bae, Kim & Lee LLC yangho.oh@bkl.co.kr Jongkwan Peck Lee & Ko josh.peck@leeko.com Chang-hee Shin Kim & Chang changhee.shin@kimchang.com Matthias Voss Allen & Overy matthias.voss@allenovery.com
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Yun-Jae Baek with Yulcon is praised as “a very senior and very experienced” lawyer who “does a lot of energy-related disputes and arbitration”.
Environment
ENVIRONMENT This year, we identify five lawyers for their long-standing experience advising clients on a range of contentious and non-contentious environmental matters.
Having “worked in the environment field for almost three decades”, Yoon Jeong Lee at Kim & Chang is praised as “one of the key thought leaders on environmental issues in Korea”, renowned for “her understanding of environmental laws and related regulatory and ESG issues”. Hyeong Jun Hwang is lauded by sources for his “professionalism and sincerity”, as well as his expertise in environmental law, which allows him to provide “accurate advice”.
DIRECTORY Nominees have been selected based on comprehensive, independent survey work with both general counsel and private practitioners worldwide. Only specialists who have met independent international research criteria are listed.
Jong Sik Bang of Bae, Kim & Lee employs his profound knowledge of environmental law to provide skilful advice to clients on a broad range of environmental matters, from chemical accidents to waste recycling and soil pollution. At Lee & Ko, Tong Keun Seol is a top-tier practitioner in the field who advises clients on issues related to environmental regulations,
Jong Sik Bang Bae, Kim & Lee LLC jongsik.bang@bkl.co.kr Hyeong Jun Hwang Kim & Chang hyeongjun.hwang@kimchang.com Seong-Ik Hwang Shin & Kim LLC sihwang@shinkim.com
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including climate change matters, pollution-related disputes and ESG compliance. Seong-Ik Hwang with Shin & Kim is a go-to specialist in Korean environmental law, particularly when it comes to regulatory advice involving clients in the automotive industry.
Yoon Jeong Lee Kim & Chang yjlee@kimchang.com Tong Keun Seol Lee & Ko tongkeun.seol@leeko.com
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Franchise
FRANCHISE This year’s research shines the spotlight on seven practitioners who demonstrate significant expertise in franchise agreements, deals and regulatory procedures.
Kim & Chang excels with three practitioners listed. Hi Sun Yoon earns plaudits from clients for his “excellent technical legal skills” in “drafting and coming up with innovative solutions” when handling multi-jurisdictional acquisitions and transactions. Kee-Hong Chun is lauded for his extensive experience representing companies from diverse sectors in franchise-related antitrust, transactional and licensing matters.
DIRECTORY Nominees have been selected based on comprehensive, independent survey work with both general counsel and private practitioners worldwide. Only specialists who have met independent international research criteria are listed.
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Anthony Jeong comes highly recommended by sources for his strong franchise know-how, particularly in distribution agreements, terminations and registrations. Sun Chang from Lee & Ko is celebrated for his first-rate franchise counsel offered to international clients in cross-border and domestic licensing negotiations, deals and competitive matters. Jae Hoon Kim enjoys a stellar reputation thanks to his top-notch advice on franchise
Sun Chang Lee & Ko sun.chang@leeko.com Kee-Hong Chun Kim & Chang khchun1@kimchang.com Soo-won Hong Hwang Hong & Co swhong20@gmail.com Anthony Jeong Kim & Chang anthony.jeong@kimchang.com
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deals for clients from a diverse range of sectors. Hwang Hong & Co’s Soo-won Hong gains recognition as an expert in franchise law with notable experience working on franchise contracts and transactions. Timothy Trinka of Dentons Lee is renowned for his wealth of experience in franchising agreements and Korean distribution law.
Jae Hoon Kim Lee & Ko jaehoon.kim@leeko.com Timothy E Trinka Dentons Lee tim.trinka@dentons.com Hi Sun Yoon Kim & Chang hsyoon@kimchang.com
Intellectual Property
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY In this chapter, we recognise 22 practitioners for their expertise across the full gamut of intellectual property law matters, including copyright, patents and trademarks.
Most Highly Regarded Catherine Eunkyeong Lee
Hwan Sung Park
Bae, Kim & Lee LLC Seoul
Five practitioners from Lee & Ko are listed in this chapter. Hwan Sung Park is celebrated for his adept handling of complex high-value IP matters, particularly from domestic and multinational technology corporations. Young Mo Kwon enjoys praise for his long-standing practice, which encompasses enforcement of IP rights, particularly when it comes to patents and technology licensing. Jae Hoon Kim is a standout practitioner in the market, revered for his first-class practice focusing on high-value trademark and copyright disputes. Bae, Kim & Lee excels with four lawyers listed.
DIRECTORY Nominees have been selected based on comprehensive, independent survey work with both general counsel and private practitioners worldwide. Only specialists who have met independent international research criteria are listed.
Duck Soon Chang Kim & Chang ducksoon.chang@kimchang.com Sun Chang Lee & Ko sun.chang@leeko.com Jeong Yeol Choe Yulchon jychoe@yulchon.com Eun-Hwa Choi FirstLaw PC firstlaw@firstlaw.co.kr Sang-Wook Han Kim & Chang swhan@kimchang.com
Lee & Ko Seoul
Catherine Eunkyeong Lee receives widespread endorsements as a “brilliant trademark attorney” and “an expert in both Korean and US matters”. Kijoong Kang comes highly esteemed for his deep understanding of patent, trademark and design litigations. Jung-hi Park possesses profound knowledge of intellectual property law, built on more than 25 years of experience. Hoodong Lee is a seasoned litigator with extensive experience appearing before the Korean courts in complex patent disputes, particularly for clients in the technology and manufacturing industries. Kim & Chang is home to six outstanding practitioners.
Kijoong Kang Bae, Kim & Lee LLC kijoong.kang@bkl.co.kr Angela Kim Kim & Chang angela.kim@kimchang.com Jae Hoon Kim Lee & Ko jaehoon.kim@leeko.com Young Mo Kwon Lee & Ko ymk@leeko.com Catherine Eunkyeong Lee Bae, Kim & Lee LLC eunkyeong.lee@bkl.co.kr Hoodong Lee Bae, Kim & Lee LLC hoodong.lee@bkl.co.kr Samuel Sungmok Lee Yulchon samuellee@yulchon.com Soowan Lee AIP Patent & Law Firm swl2043@aiplaw.com Hyeong Joo Lim Yulchon hjlim@yulchon.com
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Sang-Wook Han is noted for his “accuracy, concise communication and ability to reduce complicated matters to the core”. Jay (Young-June) Yang is singled out for his significant experience and “exceptional overview on various IP matters”. Duck Soon Chang is revered for his encyclopaedic knowledge of IP law and considerable experience advising on legislation. Man-Gi Paik enjoys a stellar reputation in IP disputes and focuses his expert practice on patent prosecution, licensing and litigation strategy. Park Kim & Partner’s Jang Won Park is a leading name in the market thanks to his work on complex trademark and patent infringement matters.
Choong Jin Oh Lee & Ko choongjin.oh@leeko.com Man-Gi Paik Kim & Chang mgpaik@kimchang.com Hwan Sung Park Lee & Ko IP hwansung.park@leeko.com Jang Won Park Park Kim & Partner pkppat@koreapat.com Jung-hi Park Bae, Kim & Lee LLC junghi.park@bkl.co.kr Ik-Hyun Seo Cho & Partners ihseo@cholaw.com Chun Y Yang Kim & Chang cyyang@kimchang.com Jay (Young-June) Yang Kim & Chang yjyang@kimchang.com
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Labour, Employment & Benefits
LABOUR, EMPLOYMENT & BENEFITS This chapter highlights 22 labour and employment lawyers who excel in both contentious and advisory matters, spanning collective labour relations, mass redundancy, bargaining and industrial disputes.
Most Highly Regarded Chun Wook Hyun Kim & Chang Seoul
Kim & Chang is home to an impressive 10 individuals listed in this chapter. Chun Wook Hyun comes highly recommended for his “very professional service” and “plentiful experience” giving “accurate legal advice based on the facts”. Deok Il Seo is revered for his “remarkable communication skills” and “strategically holistic advice” involving multi-party labour law issues. Jung Taek Park is highly esteemed by commentators for his “trustworthy expertise in applying employment law and regulations to meet and mitigate legal risks”. Yulchon sees three lawyers listed. The “superb” Soojung Lee impresses commentators with her “excellence in foreign law”, regularly handling employment
DIRECTORY Nominees have been selected based on comprehensive, independent survey work with both general counsel and private practitioners worldwide. Only specialists who have met independent international research criteria are listed.
Brendon Carr Hwang Hong & Co brendon.carr@hhc.law Paul Cho Kim & Chang paul.cho@kimchang.com Sang Wook Cho Yulchon swcho@yulchon.com Hong Young Ha Kim & Chang hongyoung.ha@kimchang.com
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matters such as terminations and workforce reductions. Sang Wook Cho “stands out” for his breadth of experience providing “top-notch advice” on a range of labour law issues for local and overseas corporations. Hee Chul Kang comes highly esteemed for his expert handling of labour and employment law matters in M&A and corporate governance cases. Lee & Ko achieves four listings. Chang Soo Jin is distinguished by his stellar track-record representing public and private clients in employment litigations involving unions, subcontracted workers and collective bargaining. Sang Hoon Lee is commended for his encyclopaedic knowledge on Korean
Chun Wook Hyun Kim & Chang cwhyun@kimchang.com Changsoo Jin Lee & Ko changsoo.jin@leeko.com Wan Joo Kim & Chang wanjoo@kimchang.com Hee Chul Kang Yulchon hckang@yulchon.com Young-Seok Ki Shin & Kim LLC ysgi@shinkim.com Ji-Hyung Kim Jipyong kimjih@jipyong.com Ki Young Kim Kim & Chang kykim@kimchang.com Weon Jung Kim Kim & Chang wjkim@kimchang.com Heon-Yup Lee Kim & Chang hylee@kimchang.com
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labour law and frequently acts for domestic and foreign corporates in crisis management, compensation negotiations and restructurings. Shin & Kim’s Young-Seok Ki is “a key name” in the market who shines in complex labour law advisory work. Ji-Hyung Kim from Jipyong is a seasoned veteran with a wealth of experience advising multinationals on layoffs, restructurings and regulatory compliance. The “terrific” Brendon Carr of Hwang Hong & Co garners praise for his “tremendous local knowledge on Korean employment law”.
Do-Hyung Lee Kim & Chang dhlee2@kimchang.com Hwa Sung Lee Lee & Ko hwasung.lee@leeko.com Jeong Han Lee Bae, Kim & Lee LLC jeonghan.lee@bkl.co.kr Sang Hoon Lee Lee & Ko shl@leeko.com Soojung Lee Yulchon slee@yulchon.com Wookrae Lee Bae, Kim & Lee LLC wookrae.lee@bkl.co.kr Jung Taek Park Kim & Chang jtpark@kimchang.com Deok Il Seo Kim & Chang diseo@kimchang.com Hyun Seok Song Lee & Ko hyunseok.song@leeko.com
M&A and Governance
M&A AND GOVERNANCE In this chapter, we shed light on 17 first-rate M&A and corporate governance lawyers with significant skill and experience in advising domestic and international clients across a range of transactional and governance matters.
Most Highly Regarded Sang Gon Kim – Lee & Ko Lee & Ko Seoul
Kim & Chang stands out with 10 listings. Jong-Hyun Park comes highly recommended in the market by public and private sector clients for his expert advice on the gamut of domestic and cross-border transactional matters. With “more than two decades of M&A practice in Korea”, Shin-Kwon Lim is noted as “one of the most experienced, yet wellupdated lawyers” in the field, “offering decisive advice” across a range of complex M&A matters. Young Man Huh is highly sought after for his long-standing experience in the field, having handled many of the most significant M&A transactions in Korea for corporates, financial institutions and public companies. Do Young Kim advises clients across numerous industries, particularly those within the automotive and shipping
industries, on complex M&A transactions and governance-related matters. Yun Goo Kwon is renowned for his M&A practice, which spans buy-out transactions and minority investments for large Korean conglomerates. Lee & Ko receives three listings. Sang Gon Kim is held in high esteem as “one of the most famous lawyers in the M&A field”, and is highlighted as having “a sophisticated knowledge of and experience in M&A legal issues”. Hyun Tae Kim is a dedicated M&A lawyer, singled out by market sources for his deep understanding of hostile M&A disputes and other corporate advisory affairs. Hyeong Gun Lee is a well-established lawyer, distinguished among peers for his
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in-depth knowledge of matters related to M&A and corporate governance. Sang Jin Han of Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton wins praise for his outstanding ability when it comes to advising clients on cross-border M&A transactions. Bae, Kim & Lee’s Ri Bong Han garners praise as “a very impressive lawyer” in the fields of M&A and corporate governance. Peers further enthuse that he “has all the answers and explains things very clearly” for clients. Seong Hoon Yi at KL Partners possesses extensive experience advising domestic and foreign clients in some of the most highprofile and complex M&A transactions in Korea.
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M&A and Governance
Profiles
Ji Pyoung Kim
Joon B Kim
Seong Hoon Yi
My primary areas of focus include M&A and corporate governance. I have advised numerous companies around the world — including industrial companies and financial institutions — in a wide variety of M&A transactions from transaction structuring to due diligence and definitive agreement negotiation. I have also advised these companies on corporate governance, general corporate matters and capital market issues. Many of my clients include market leaders in their respective industries. Furthermore, I represent numerous private equity funds in fund formation matters, M&A transactions and restructuring issues of portfolio companies. I am also active in the firm's insolvency and restructuring practice and has advised on M&A of companies under insolvency proceeding and purchase and sale of distressed securities. As a member of the Banking Practice and the Securities Practice at the firm, I advise a number of large publicly held banks and financial holding companies on M&A, and financial regulatory matters. In addition to my experience practising law in Korea, I was a visiting attorney at Slaughter and May's London office in 2013. I received my law degree from Seoul National University (LLB in 2002, LLM in 2006, and PhD in 2011) and graduated from the Judicial Research and Training Institute of the Supreme Court of Korea in 2004. I passed the AICPA exam in 2007 and got admitted to the Certified Financial Analyst (CFA) in 2015 in order to enhance accounting and corporate finance expertise. I also received my LLM from Harvard Law School in 2013 (corporate law and governance concentration). I am admitted to the Korean bar and the New York Bar.
Joon B Kim is a senior member at Kim & Chang’s corporate M&A practicegroup. While his practice is diverse spanning inbound, outbound, private equity, strategic, private and public, he chairs the firm’s outbound M&A practice and has been involved in a vast majority of major deals by Korean conglomerates investing abroad during the past five years. Joon also has extensive experience in the shareholder activism sphere, having been involved in substantially all cross-border shareholder activism campaigns in Korea during the past two decades. His keen legal / business acumen and practical problem solving approach have fostered significant business in the practice group. Mr Kim continues to be recognised as a top M&A practitioner in various media outlets. He has also co-authored multiple “Getting the Deal Through” and “Practical Law” articles on foreign investments and mergers & acquisitions. Most recently he published “The Shareholder Rights and Activism Review (Edition 4-5): Korea Chapter” (2019-2020) in Law Business Research’s The Legal 500 - Corporate Governance Country Comparative Guide: Korea Chapter (Edition 1,2) (2019–2020) in Legalease and Getting the Deal Through – Foreign Investment Review: Korea chapter (2016) in Law Business Research. Kim & Chang is the largest preeminent law firm in Korea, with over 1,800 professionals and over 100 M&A practitioners. The M&A practice group continues to be ranked at the very top in terms of reputation and deal value for over two decades.
Mr Seong Hoon (Sean) Yi is the chair of the M&A/ corporate group at KL Partners. His practice focuses on representing domestic and foreign clients in M&A transactions. Mr Yi is widely recognized as one of the leading M&A practitioners in Korea, particularly in the increasingly growing area of private equity transactions. Based on his leadership and reputation in the Korean M&A market, KL Partners has quickly become one of the leading firms in Korea in representing private equity firms with their investments in Korea, including leading domestic private equity firms. Based on his involvement in numerous high-profile transactions, Mr Yi was ranked in leading individual by The Legal 500 in Corporate/M&A – South Korea for 2020 and has been continuously ranked in The Legal 500. Mr Yi has also ranked in top tier by Chambers AsiaPacific for four years in a row from 2019 and named as one of the five finalists across all practice areas for “Dealmaker of the Year” by Asian Legal Business for 2018. Not only is Mr Yi exceptionally known for his work as an attorney, but he continues to build up the Korean legal community with his M&A and Patent Dispute-related seminars hosted by Thomson Reuters, and he also a professor at Yonsei University law school giving his lectures on ‘M&A practice’. Prior to joining KL Partners, Mr Yi was the co-chair of the corporate group at Shin & Kim. Mr Yi is the member of both Korean bar association (2000) and American Bar Association (2006). Mr Yi speaks Korean and English.
Kim & Chang
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Kim & Chang
KL Partners
CentrePoint Building 31, Saemunan-ro 5-gil Jongno-gu Seoul, 03173 Tel: +82 2 3703 1410 jpkim@kimchang.com www.kimchang.com
Crescendo Building 75, Saemunan-ro, Jongno-gu Seoul, 03173 Tel: +82 2 3703 1139 jbkim@kimchang.com www.kimchang.com
17th Floor, East Wing Signature Tower, 100 Cheonggyecheon-ro, Jung-gu Seoul, 04542 Tel: +82 2 6226 7703 shyi@klpartners.com www.klpartners.com
WWL says: Ji Pyoung Kim is renowned among clients for his “impressive track record and deep expertise in large-scale M&A and corporate governance matters”.
WWL says: Joon Kim is widely revered for his "dedication and credibility", as well as his "ability to provide not just legal advice, but also strategic solutions for his clients".
WWL says: Seong Hoon Yi possesses extensive experience advising domestic and foreign clients in some of the most high-profile and complex M&A transactions in Korea.
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M&A and Governance
DIRECTORY An asterisk denotes practitioners who have profiles in the preceding pages. Nominees have been selected based on comprehensive, independent survey work with both general counsel and private practitioners worldwide. Only specialists who have met independent international research criteria are listed.
Bo-Yong Ahn Kim & Chang byahn@kimchang.com Myoung Jae Chung Kim & Chang mjchung@kimchang.com
Ri Bong Han Bae, Kim & Lee LLC ribong.han@bkl.co.kr Sang Jin Han Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton Seoul shan@cgsh.com Young Man Huh Kim & Chang ymhuh@kimchang.com Hee Chul Kang Yulchon hckang@yulchon.com Do-Young Kim Kim & Chang dykim@kimchang.com Gene Oh Kim Kim & Chang gokim@kimchang.com Hyun Tae Kim Lee & Ko htk@leeko.com Sang Gon Kim Lee & Ko sgk@leeko.com
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Ji Pyoung Kim* Kim & Chang jpkim@kimchang.com Joon B Kim* Kim & Chang jbkim@kimchang.com Yun Goo Kwon Kim & Chang ygkwon@kimchang.com Hyeong Gun Lee Lee & Ko hgl@leeko.com Shin-Kwon Lim Kim & Chang sklim@kimchang.com Jong-Hyun Park Kim & Chang jhpark@kimchang.com Seong Hoon Yi* KL Partners shyi@klpartners.com
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Private Funds
PRIVATE FUNDS In this chapter, we highlight seven practitioners who are held in high esteem for their handling of contentious and non-contentious private funds matters. Kim & Chang excels with four outstanding practitioners listed. Yun Goo Kwon is a prominent name in the private funds space who maintains a broad practice advising domestic and international clients on M&A and equity matters. Shin-Kwon Lim is an established lawyer in the market who holds a strong trackrecord handling a range of M&A issues. Respondents regard Young Man Huh as a leading lawyer who frequently advises clients on various pension and private equity funds disputes.
DIRECTORY Nominees have been selected based on comprehensive, independent survey work with both general counsel and private practitioners worldwide. Only specialists who have met independent international research criteria are listed.
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Sang Goo Lee is a top-tier practitioner who regularly advises Korean and multinational clients on a range of corporate law matters, from regulatory compliance to criminal defence issues. Wonkyu Han from Lee & Ko is a distinguished practitioner with an in-depth understanding of private equity management and capital markets.
Wonkyu Han Lee & Ko wkh@leeko.com Young Man Huh Kim & Chang ymhuh@kimchang.com Yun Goo Kwon Kim & Chang ygkwon@kimchang.com Jin Kook Lee Yulchon jklee@yulchon.com Sang Goo Lee Kim & Chang sglee@kimchang.com Shin-Kwon Lim
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Peers recommend Jin Kook Lee at Yulchon for his knowledge and expertise in handling private equity and M&A transactions. Hee Woong Yoon receives widespread endorsements for his handling of corporate finance matters for a diverse range of clients.
Kim & Chang sklim@kimchang.com Hee Woong Yoon Yulchon hwyoon@yulchon.com
Product Liability Defence
PRODUCT LIABILITY DEFENCE This year, we identify six outstanding lawyers for their expertise in advising clients across the full spectrum of product liability dispute matters. Kim & Chang sees three lawyers listed in this chapter. Sung Jin Kim is celebrated for his experience working on a variety of product liability claims, from computer software to vehicle equipment. Peers praise Brian Oh for his expertise in advising local and international clients on product liability and consumer law.
Sang Ho Han is well versed in product liability law and frequently advises multinational institutions on a range of disputes. Tony Dongwook Kang from Bae, Kim & Lee holds a “great depth of knowledge” in product liability law regularly handles high-level product liability claims.
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At RosettaLegal, Young Seok Lee is singled out by peers for his expertise in advising domestic and international clients in complex product liability claims. Kurt Gerstner with Dentons Lee ranks as one of the go-to lawyers for product liability claims across various sectors, from aviation and maritime incidents to medical devices.
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Product Liability Defence
Profiles
DIRECTORY An asterisk denotes practitioners who have profiles in the preceding pages. Nominees have been selected based on comprehensive, independent survey work with both general counsel and private practitioners worldwide. Only specialists who have met independent international research criteria are listed.
Young Seok Lee RosettaLegal
Young Seok (YS) Lee is the founding partner of RosettaLegal. Prior to establishing RosettaLegal in 2017, YS was a senior partner of Yulchon LLC where he was the founder and head of the firm’s international dispute resolution practice from 2003. For the first 15 years of his practice from 1987, YS practised law with a focus on foreign investment at the beginning and then on maritime dispute. Because the parties at stake in maritime disputes are almost always from different countries (eg, shipyards, shipowners, charterers, crew) and the vessels usually carry marine insurance, YS expanded his practice to cross-border disputes and insurance. After joining Yulchon in 2003, YS started the more general practice of international dispute resolution encompassing all types of international disputes, including arbitration, maritime and insurance disputes in particular. RosettaLegal’s practice is based on YS’s extensive experience and expertise in cross-border disputes, inter alia arbitration, maritime and insurance disputes. YS is regularly engaged by parties and institutions to serve as counsel, arbitrator or legal expert in international arbitrations and court cases. Among other positions, YS currently serves as the vice chair of Asia-Pacific Maritime Arbitration Center of the Korean Commercial Arbitration Board. YS previously served as the chair of Korean Council for International Arbitration (until 2018) and the secretary-general of Seoul International Dispute Resolution Center (also until 2018). YS also served as the president of Korean International Trade Law Association, a leading forum for academia and practicing lawyers to study and discuss issues in international trade law (until 2021). YS authored publications, including South Korea Chapter to 2021 DELOS Guide to Arbitration Places.
Kurt Gerstner Dentons Lee kurt.gerstner@dentons.com Sang Ho Han Kim & Chang shhan@kimchang.com Tony Dongwook Kang Bae, Kim & Lee LLC tony.dw.kang@bkl.co.kr Sung Jin Kim Kim & Chang sjkim@kimchang.com Young Seok Lee* RosettaLegal yslee@rosettalegal.co.kr Brian C Oh Kim & Chang brian.oh@kimchang.com
2216 Gwanghwamun Officia Bldg 92 Saemunan-ro Jongno-gu Seoul, 03186 Tel: +82-6956-8971 yslee@rosettalegal.co.kr www. rosettalegal.co.kr
WWL says: Young Seok Lee is singled out by peers for his expertise in advising domestic and international clients in complex product liability claims. 40
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Project Finance
PROJECT FINANCE In this chapter, we recognise four stellar individuals for their top-tier project advice to a wide array of domestic and international companies.
Clients of Young Woo Park at Yoon & Yang are awed by his “exceptional projects and real estate-related capabilities” and “ability to provide innovative solutions to overcome legal challenges and disputes”. The “well-respected” Young Kyun Cho from Kim & Chang is renowned for his
DIRECTORY Nominees have been selected based on comprehensive, independent survey work with both general counsel and private practitioners worldwide.
vast experience in high-value construction projects, where he excels at advising clients on structuring and financing matters. Ick Ryol Huh is heralded as “a statesman lawyer” in the industry and is celebrated for his top-tier practice assisting energy companies in domestic and cross-border project financing.
Sang-Hyun Lee with Shin & Kim is applauded by domestic and international clients for his encyclopaedic knowledge on financing natural resources and infrastructure projects.
Young Kyun Cho Kim & Chang ykcho@kimchang.com Ick Ryol Huh Kim & Chang irhuh@kimchang.com
Sang-Hyun Lee Shin & Kim LLC shlee@shinkim.com Young Woo Park Yoon & Yang ywpark@yoonyang.com
Only specialists who have met independent international research criteria are listed.
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Restructuring & Insolvency
RESTRUCTURING & INSOLVENCY In this chapter, we recognise six lawyers for their longstanding experience in advising clients on the full spectrum of restructuring and insolvency matters.
Eunjai Lee of Lee & Ko is highly sought after by major companies and financial institutions for cross-border insolvency and trust litigation matters. Wan Shik Lee is renowned for his in-depth knowledge of corporate restructurings and dispute involving bankruptcy and shareholder issues.
DIRECTORY Nominees have been selected based on comprehensive, independent survey work with both general counsel and private practitioners worldwide. Only specialists who have met independent international research criteria are listed.
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Chi Yong Rim with Kim & Chang is highlighted for his top-tier practice, which sees him advise local and international clients on a wide range of insolvency and restructuring matters. Shin & Kim’s Yong-Seok Park is a distinguished practitioner with a wealth of experience in insolvency law and international investment.
Sung-Jun Hong Bae, Kim & Lee LLC sungjun.hong@bkl.co.kr Chul Man Kim Yulchon cmkim@yulchon.com Eunjai Lee Lee & Ko lej@leeko.com
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Chul Man Kim at Yulchon is a highly regarded practitioner with an impeccable knowledge of bankruptcy and finance disputes. Sung-Jun Hong at Bae, Kim & Lee has built up an impressive civil and criminal litigation practice, which regularly handles a range of bankruptcy and corporate restructuring matters.
Wan Shik Lee Lee & Ko wsl@leeko.com Yong-Seok Park Shin & Kim LLC yspark@shinkim.com Chi Yong Rim Kim & Chang chiyong.rim@kimchang.com
Trade & Customs
TRADE & CUSTOMS This chapter recognises 11 leading trade and customs lawyers for their excellent work assisting clients on trade, export controls, customs and regulatory issues.
Most Highly Regarded Hyesoo Kim Lee & Ko Seoul
Lee & Ko performs well with four practitioners listed. Hyesoo Kim is “very active in international trade work” and is praised as “very detail-oriented, analytical and well organised”, with “impressive expertise” in WTO matters. Kichang Chung comes highly recommended as “definitely the best lawyer in Korea” who is revered for his “impressive expertise” in international trade law, particularly in WTO disputes.
DIRECTORY Nominees have been selected based on comprehensive, independent survey work with both general counsel and private practitioners worldwide. Only specialists who have met independent international research criteria are listed.
Korea
Young Jae Cho Lee & Ko
Kim & Chang sees four lawyers listed in this chapter. Seong Joong Kim stands out in the market as “an active participant in international trade matters” thanks to his experience negotiating free trade agreements and handling related disputes. Juhong Kim is “a mature and candid practitioner” who has built up an impressive practice offering “practical solutions based on his keen knowledge of the industry and understanding of relevant Korean authorities”.
youngjae.cho@leeko.com Kichang Chung Lee & Ko kcc@leeko.com Youngjin Jung Kim & Chang youngjin.jung@kimchang.com Doo-Sik Kim Shin & Kim LLC dskim@shinkim.com Hyesoo Kim Lee & Ko hyesoo.kim@leeko.com Juhong Kim Kim & Chang jhkim5@kimchang.com
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Doo-Sik Kim at Shin & Kim is highlighted as “a very senior and very experienced” lawyer who is “a fixture in the Korean international trade scene”. At Yulchon, Tong-chan Shin comes highly esteemed for his “vast knowledge of sanctions” and “more than 10 years of experience working in international trade”. He regularly deals “with matters related to hostile or limited access countries”.
Seong Joong Kim Kim & Chang seongjoong.kim@kimchang.com Jin-Hwan Lee Kim & Chang jhlee2@kimchang.com Sungbum Lee Yoon & Yang sblee@yoonyang.com Keum Sub Park Lee & Ko keumsub.park@leeko.com Tong-chan Shin Yulchon tcshin@yulchon.com
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Transport | Aviation
TRANSPORT | Aviation This year’s research into the Korean aviation market sees three top practitioners recognised for their expertise in aviation matters spanning portfolio financing, acquisitions and lease management. The “excellent” Robert Gilbert from Kim & Chang is well versed in the gamut of Korean aviation law, with his prolific experience spanning aircraft sales and acquisitions, multinational jet investments and structured airline transactions.
DIRECTORY Nominees have been selected based on comprehensive, independent survey work with both general counsel and private practitioners worldwide.
HK Helen Sohn with Lee & Ko is a pillar of the Korean aviation market. She brings formidable experience and expertise “representing the leasee in aircraft lease transactions”.
Yong Suk Yoon impresses peers and clients with his adept approach to resolving aircraft-related disputes for notable domestic and international companies.
Robert Gilbert Kim & Chang rlgilbert@kimchang.com HK Helen Sohn Lee & Ko helen.sohn@leeko.com
Yong Suk Yoon Lee & Ko ysy@leeko.com
Only specialists who have met independent international research criteria are listed.
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Shipping | Transport
TRANSPORT | Shipping This year, 12 top-notch individuals won acclaims for their excellence in resolving maritime transactional, financing, regulatory and claims issues.
Kim & Chang receives three listings in this chapter. Jae Bok Lee is renowned for his encyclopaedic knowledge of maritime insurance, cargo claims and ship financing. The “excellent” Byung Suk Chung comes highly recommended for his extensive experience in cross-border and domestic marine insurance matters and trade litigation. Admiralty law specialist Jin Hong Lee is held in high esteem for his deep expertise in shipping damages claims and charter party disputes.
JH Choi of Choi & Kim is a well-established figure in the Korean market, highly acclaimed for his shrewd handling of domestic and international insurance and casualty claims. The “brilliant” CJ Kim excels across the gamut of Korean maritime law and possesses considerable experience representing clients in marine transactional and damages proceedings.
With 25 years of experience, Lee & Ko’s Jin-Young Jung continues to impress market sources with his first-rate practice in maritime insurance and contractual disputes.
Kwang-Myeong Moon with Moon & Song is exalted for his excellence in advising clients on shipping accidents and ensuing freight claims.
Jong Ku Kang from K1 Chamber is held in high esteem for his in-depth understanding of maritime liability claims.
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At Kwon & Co, Tae Il Kwon is a leading name with a sterling track record acting for international shipowners on high-value charter party disputes and recovery proceedings. Pusan Pacific Law Office’s Young Hwa Suhr secures endorsements as an authority in nautical accident investigations and casualty issues. Michael Kim of Stephenson Harwood ranks highly among peers for his astute handling of maritime contracts, charter parties and outbound investment litigations and arbitrations. Seasoned practitioner Hyun Kim with Sechang & Co is highly sought after by domestic and international clients for his expertise in ship financing and cargo claims.
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Transport | Shipping
Profiles
DIRECTORY An asterisk denotes practitioners who have profiles in the preceding pages. Nominees have been selected based on comprehensive, independent survey work with both general counsel and private practitioners worldwide. Only specialists who have met independent international research criteria are listed.
Hyun Kim
Sechang & Co
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Kwang-Myeong Moon Moon & Song
Dr Hyun Kim is founder and senior partner of Korea’s premier specialist transportation and maritime law firm Sechang & Co, where he has spent nearly 30 years assisting many foreign and local clients with his expert knowledge and extensive experience in transportation and maritime-related legal matters. Dr Kim has been legal adviser to the Korea Ministry of Maritime Affairs, the Incheon Port Authority, KSS Lines, Hyundai Glovis, SK Shipping, the Korea Shipping Association, the Korea Marine Environment Management Corporation, the Korea International Freight Forwarders Association, the Korea Tugowners' Association and the Korea Pilots' Association.Dr Hyun Kim is the former president of the Korean Bar Association (2017-2019) and the Seoul Bar Association (2009-2011). During his presidency, Dr Kim succeeded in increasing the use of attorneys in Korea by adopting a new system of compliance offices for listed companies, and of recruiting attorneys at national and local levels of the government. He also succeeded in persuading Congress to file 12 bills to the National Assembly that relate to the promotion of the rule of law and the protection of human rights.Dr Kim is an avid mountain hiker and extensive global traveller. He has a PhD in law (1990) and an LLM (1985) from the University of Washington Law School; an LLM (1984) from Cornell Law School; and an LLM (1983) and an LLB (1980) from Seoul National University Law School. He is admitted to the Korean Bar (1988) and the New York Bar (1991). He is an arbitrator of the LCIA and the ICC, and served as a country councillor for the IBA (2007-2009). He has co-authored a basic text on maritime law in Korea (fifth edition, 2015).
Kwang-Myeong Moon is the founding partner of Moon & Song and brings more than 22 years of practice to the areas of shipping and marine insurance. He has expertise and experience in all aspects of shipping law, both wet and dry. During his long tenure as a maritime lawyer, he has advised on bills of lading, charter parties, contracts of affreightment and shipbuilding, and ship sale and purchase contracts. He also has extensive experience in handling marine incidents relating to fire, explosion, collision, oil pollution, salvage and wreck removal, and issues of cross-border insolvency involving international shipping companies and limitation of ship owner’s liability proceedings. He advises and represents leading shipping companies, hull and machinery underwriters and P&I Clubs in the civil courts, marine safety tribunals and arbitrations. He is an arbitrator on the Korean Commercial Arbitration Board. He is the drafter of the arbitration rules of the Seoul Maritime Arbitrators Association established in 2018. He received an LLM from the University of Texas at Austin School of Law, and a PhD in law from Korea University. He has also published articles including “A Study on the Civil Liability in Connection with the Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Sea” (PhD dissertation), "Bill of Lading FIOST Clause: Is It Surviving The Hague Rules” and “A Study on Recent Issues Regarding Application of Limitation of Shipowners’ Liability and Procedure for Limitation”. He has been consistently recognised as a leading lawyer by The Legal 500: Asia-Pacific, and is praised as “a straightshooter and a very knowledgeable shipping lawyer with a very good commercial mind” by Chambers and Partners.
16F, Opulence Bldg. 254 Seocho-daero, Seocho-gu Seoul, 06647 Tel: +82 10 5315 7121 hyunkim@sechanglaw.com www.sechanglaw.com
2/F Naeja Building 33 Gyeonghuigung-gil, Jongno-gu Seoul, 03176 Tel: +82 2 722 7447 mail@moonsonglaw.com www.moonsonglaw.com
WWL says: Seasoned practitioner Hyun Kim is highly sought after by P&I clubs and underwriters for his breadth of understanding in ship financing and cargo claims.
WWL says: Kwang-Myeong Moon earns acclaim for his strong expertise in advising clients on shipping accidents and related freight claims.
whoswholegal.com
JH Choi Choi & Kim jhchoi@choikim.com Byung Suk Chung Kim & Chang bschung@kimchang.com Jin-Young Jung Lee & Ko jinyoung.jung@leeko.com Jong Ku Kang K1 Chamber LLP jkkang@k1chamber.com CJ Kim Choi & Kim cjkim@choikim.com Michael Kim Stephenson Harwood michael.kim@shlegal.com Hyun Kim* Sechang & Co hyunkim@sechanglaw.com Tae Il Kwon Kwon & Co mail@kwonco.co.kr Jae Bok LEE Kim & Chang jblee1@kimchang.com Jin Hong Lee Kim & Chang chlee@kimchang.com Kwang-Myeong Moon* Moon & Song mail@moonsonglaw.com Young Hwa Suhr Pusan Pacific Law Office mail@pusanlaw.com
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