The 'first-class' team at Kim & Chang is active across a range of sectors, including manufacturing, telecoms, and aviation. Practice head Kook Hyun Yoo is recommended for his extensive criminal defence and crisis case experience, while Myungsuk Sean Choi specialises in government investigations, acting for a diverse range of corporate clients. Key figures within the team include Ho Keun Ryu and Sung Won Hong, who stands out for his experience in handling matters concerning unfair labour practices and illegal strikes. Praised for his 'exceptional and unwavering dedication', Jong-Wong Jeon routinely acts for both domestic and global corporate clients in a wide range of corporate and criminal investigation, and is noted for his strong focus on the life sciences and tech sectors. Miji Song has since left the firm.
Regulatory: white-collar, compliance and investigations: local firms in South Korea
Kim & Chang
Praxisleiter:
Kook Hyun Yoo
Weitere Kernanwälte:
Ho Keun Ryu; Sung Won Hong; Jong-Wong Jeon; Hee Won (Marina) Moon; Jung-Il Han; Jeonghoon Kwon; Myungsuk Sean Choi
Referenzen
‘K&C’s team is composed of outstanding lawyers who are specialised in various fields, such as healthcare which is a highly regulated industry and governed by strict laws and regulations.’
‘Jong-won Jeon has rich experience in the healthcare industry which is highly regulated and governed by strict laws and regulations. The team is very impressive and has outstanding lawyers who not only have solid legal knowledge.’
‘Kim & Chang is forming a team of top experts in each field. Kim & Chang is the only law firm in Korea that has preemptively increased the team’s expertise in new technology-related high-tech disputes such as international financial disputes, bio-chemicals, blockchain, and cryptocurrency, and provide customized total services from advisory to litigation and criminal.’
Kernmandanten
Audi AG
Bayerische Motoren Werke GmbH
GlaxoSmithKline Korea Ltd.
LG Corporation
Apple Inc.
Samsung
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Lee & Ko
Lee & Ko houses a deep bench known for its broad expertise spanning the life sciences, financial services, and shipping sectors. Practice co-head Kyunghoon Lee is well-known for his deep knowledge of cross-border regulatory compliance, often advising global corporations. Co-head Tae Yop Lee utilises his prosecution experience to handle cases involving trade-related issues, corporate crime, and personal data management, while co-head Sedong Min is noted for his broad corporate and anti-corruption expertise. Jae Woo Jung is recommended for his distinctive focus on election fraud-related cases. Dividing his time between Pangyo and Seoul, You Chull Jung draws on his prior expertise in the Financial Services Commission to assist with cases involving breach of trust and embezzlement by public companies.
Praxisleiter:
Kyunghoon Lee; Taeyop Lee; Sedong Min
Weitere Kernanwälte:
Jung Han Nam; Jae Woo Jung; You Chull Jung
Referenzen
‘The team is composed with very talented attorneys and provide us with proactive strategy and comments. The team always cooperate very well with our firm and always provide us with customised opinions on our situation.’
Kernmandanten
Discovery Asset Management
Novozymes A/S
JW Pharmaceutical
Dunamu Inc.
Ildong Pharmaceutical
KB Securities
Agricultural Bank of China
Wan Hai Lines
Jusung Engineering
SK Multi Utility
Highlight-Mandate
- Represented Discovery Asset Management, obtaining dismissals of arrest warrants on the representative two times for the alleged violation of the Financial Investment Services And Capital Markets Act.
- Represented Novozymes in the merger filing for Novozymes’ merger with Chr. Hansen and successfully obtained unconditional clearance of the USD 12.3 billion transaction from the Korea Fair Trade Commission.
- Secured a no guilty verdict before the Supreme Court on behalf of officers and employees of Dunamu Inc., operator of a global virtual asset exchange in a case involving a fraud claim worth millions of dollars.
Bae, Kim & Lee LLC
Soo Bong Jung heads the practice at Bae, Kim & Lee LLC, which is recommended for its deep knowledge of anti-bribery and corruption, anti-money laundering, and intellectual property. Jung draws on his longstanding prosecution expertise to handle the full range of criminal cases involving tax, libel, and corporate law. Sangchul Lee is particularly adept at handling cases involving fair trade, industrial safety, and trade secret-related cases and investigations, and Jiyoung Sohn stands out due to her substantial expertise in criminal investigations, often acting for multinational corporations before Korean regulatory authorities. Corporate crime expert Jinwon Choi often handles matters concerning human resources and labour law, while Jinwon Choi routinely advises clients on potential violations of both domestic and overseas anti-corruption laws, in addition to internal investigations and trade secret leaks.
Praxisleiter:
Soobong Jung
Weitere Kernanwälte:
Sangchul Lee; Jiyoung Sohn; Jinwon Choi; Jinwook Song; Saroh Yoon
Referenzen
‘This team consists of not only criminal law experts, but practitioners from truly diverse background, from immigration to environmental law. This enables this team to meet unique scenarios involving various criminal and regulatory investigations in the context of many different industries.’
‘Jinwook Song in particular is a consummate attorney; he is 120% committed to his craft and adapts deftly to changing regulatory environment, devising solutions that best meets the client’s changing needs.’
‘With regard to the white-collar, compliance and investigations practice, I would like to mention one of the outstanding attorneys from the criminal department, Jin-Wook Song. I have been working with him for long time, I strongly would like to recommend him for his professional mindset, Prompt response and reasonable and appropriate advice tailored to the situation.’
Kernmandanten
Affinity Equity Partners
Highlight-Mandate
- Represented the executives and employees of Affinity Equity Partners, a private equity fund, to secure an acquittal on charges of conspiring with accountants in submitting false valuation reports in violation of the Certified Public Accountants Act.
Shin & Kim
The team at Shin & Kim is recommended for its strong focus on criminal investigations, particularly in relation to taxation, embezzlement, and serious workplace accidents. Keonjoo Lee leads the team, and is noted for his broad knowledge spanning unfair competition, trade secret, and public security-related mandates. Ok-Sook Byun draws on her prosecutorial expertise to handle cases concerning accounting irregularities and mergers, while Seong-Jin Choi is well-known for his expertise in digital forensics and anti-corruption compliance work. Joo Hyeong Kim is an expert is cybercrime and violent crime cases, in addition to cases concerning internal corporate misconduct.
Praxisleiter:
Keonjoo Lee
Weitere Kernanwälte:
Ok-Sook Byun; Tak-Kyun Hong; Seong-Jin Choi; Joo Hyeong Kim; Ki Hong Lee; Juho Kim
Referenzen
‘I believe that Shim & Kim LLC’s greatest strength is that it has a diverse workforce specialized in each field, including civil affairs, criminal affairs, domestic affairs, intellectual property rights related to cutting-edge technology, and administration. Speedy processing of work along with depth of work processing skills are a big advantage compared to other law firms. Therefore, from the client’s perspective, these are considered to be Shim & Kim LLC’s differentiating strengths.’
‘I think that Byeon Ok-sook has a distinctive strength in that she always thinks from the client’s perspective and provides the correct direction for work on what should be considered top priority. In addition, Attorney Byeon Ok-sook always treats clients with sincerity when communicating with them, making her more trustworthy than lawyers at any other law firm.’
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Yulchon
Dong Ryul Choi, Il Bong Moon, and Yong Pyo Yeom all jointly lead the 'exceptional and outstanding' team at Yulchon handles a wide variety of disputes arising within the automobile, IT, ad defence sectors. Choi is noted for his broad knowledge of corporate and electoral crime, while the 'professional, persuasive and logical' Sang June Uhm focuses on corporate investigations and financial crime, in addition to tax evasion-related matters. Seung Hyun Lee has broad expertise, particularly in relation to environmental law and the pharmaceutical industry.
Praxisleiter:
Dong Ryul Choi; Il Bong Moon; Yong Pyo Yeom
Weitere Kernanwälte:
Sang June Uhm; Seung Hyun Lee
Referenzen
‘Yulchon demonstrated exceptional and outstanding legal knowledge and consistently prioritised excellent client service.’
‘The team of Yulchon LLC worked extensively to represent our position to the authorities. The team helped us disprove the charges against us. The strength of the team is skilled manpower. The most outstanding lawyer of the team was Sang June Uhm. He has the expertise to deal with complicated cases, and to lead cases.’
‘Sang June Uhm is a professional, persuasive and logical lawyer. He fully understands the practical affairs and theories of criminal law. He has always helped us make the best decision.’
Kernmandanten
Korean Air Lines Co., Ltd.
Hyundai Motor Company
GC Pharma
GS E&C Corp.
KEB Hana Bank
SOCAR
Hanwha Aerospace Co., Ltd.
Hanwha Solutions
Seoul Semiconductor Co., Ltd.
Posco E&C Co., Ltd.
Lotte Shopping Co., Ltd.
LG Chem
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Yoon & Yang LLC
Yoon & Yang LLC is particularly experienced in handling investigations initiated by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, The Regional Environment Agency, and the National Tax Service. All jointly leading the practice, Sun Bong Lee is well-placed to advise on clinical malpractice claims, Sang-Pil Lee, regularly advises both domestic and overseas construction companies and financial institutions, and Tae-Gu Zeon is an expert in financial disputes. Dong Gyu Lee often draws on his prosecutorial expertise, and Jin Seok Lee often handles cases involving tax law. Gyun Min Kim is well-versed in cases concerning breaches of trust, breaches of the Public Official Election Act, and work safety accidents.
Praxisleiter:
Sun Bong Lee; Sang-Pil Lee; Tae-Gu Zeon
Weitere Kernanwälte:
Dong Gyu Lee; Jin Seok Lee; Gyun Min Kim
Kernmandanten
Kolon Life Science
Daewon Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd
Samsung Engineering Co
Shinhan Bank
Deutsche Securities Korea
SK Innovation
Hanssem
Samsung Electronics Service
Samsung C&T Corporation
KEB Hana Bank
KB Securities
Highlight-Mandate
- Successfully defended Hana Bank and its employees against fraud charges related to the Optimus Fund scandal, achieving a complete acquittal and setting a precedent on the legal status of private fund trustees under the Capital Market Act.
- Secured a not guilty verdict for KB Securities on charges of violating the Capital Market Act, emphasizing the company’s structural inability to be aware of underlying asset insolvencies. This case protects securities company executives from similar future prosecutions.
- Secured an acquittal for Kolon Life Science executives accused of fraud and regulatory violations in the development of Invossa, marking a significant step toward clearing suspicions and potentially reviving the osteoarthritis gene therapy.