Tag: South Korea

Argus Partners appoints Saurav Kumar as head of its Japan and South Korea desk, alongside Swathi Sreenath as a partner

Lee & Ko and AKHH launch Jakarta desk to support Korean investment in Indonesia and bilateral business 

Barun Law and Dongin Law Group sign an equal merger MoU, potentially creating a 553-lawyer firm. 

Jipyong assists Korean cosmetics manufacturer iCure Pharmaceuticals to resume trading after the company faced potential delisting from the Kosdaq

KKR and an IMM Investment-Stonebridge consortium invest KRW3.08 trillion (USD2.2 billion) in Korean AI data centre company SK Horizon

Shin & Kim expands its white-collar defence practice with Kisoo Han joining as a partner from Kim & Chang

Clifford Chance guides a lender consortium on USD1 billion in financing for mining group Glencore to support copper exports into South Korea.

Yoon & Yang officially has opened its new northern Seoul branch in Gangbuk on 1 September 2026

South Korean law firm Yulchon hires former Supreme Court justice Jung Hwa Park as a senior adviser

South Korean law firms Barun Law and Dongin Law Group are in discussions regarding a potential merger.

Asset management company TPG to acquire KRW1.3 trillion (USD925 million) 61.2% stake in South Korean car rental enterprise Lotte Rental

Ingenia Therapeutics’ KRW60 billion (USD42.4 million) IPO to become first listing of a US-based company in Korea

Paul Hastings advises the selling shareholders on IMM Private Equity’s acquisition of South Korean toolmaker Ehwa Diamond Industrial.

Lee & Ko and ClassHankyul chart proposed merger of South Korean digital set-top box manufacturer Humax and its holding company Humax Holdings

Law firm NAM IP Group secures trademark registration for the official logo of English football club Manchester United in South Korea

Arnold & Porter lifts corporate and finance practice in South Korea with onboarding of Chee-Kwan Kim as a partner in its M&A team in Seoul

Yulchon expands its cross-border talent with the appointment of former vice minister Koo Rae Cho as a senior adviser

Shin & Kim and Yulchon counsel on Keistone Partners’ KRW400 billion (USD278 million) buyout of SSP

Hanwha Aerospace issues first US dollar bond offering of USD500 million in 5% senior unsecured notes due in 2029

Firms are working on a proposed merger of South Korean mobile parts manufacturer RFTech and automotive supplier Eco Volt

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett counsels alternative asset management company Blackstone on its investment in Korean actuator and motion control technology provider Futronic.

Firms act on Korea Electric Power Corporation’s USD700 million dual-tranche note issuance under its USD11 billion global medium-term note programme

South Korean law firm LIN strengthens its banking and finance practice, appointing former Samsung Card general counsel Jin Sung Jun as a partner

Lee & Ko is the sole legal adviser on a proposed merger between South Korean logistics and courier service provider Logen and electronic components developer Moda-InnoChips

Bae Kim & Lee and Kim & Chang advise on KRW500 billion (USD326 million) acquisition of Daekyung O&T, Korea’s largest biodiesel feedstock producer

South Korea’s oldest in-house counsel association, IHCF, has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Korea Mediation Institute

Baker McKenzie & KL Partners Joint Venture Law Firm unveils Jangwoon John Kwak as its new Korea managing partner

Bae Kim & Lee (BKL) is the sole legal adviser working on Sambu Engineering & Construction’s corporate rehabilitation proceedings in South Korea

South Korean law firm One Law Partners announces a merger agreement with IP boutique Minwho Law Group

Key industry issues took centre stage at the In-House Counsel Forum (IHCF) networking event held in the aT Centre in Seoul on 25 June 2026

Firms assists on US-South Korea AI driven drug discovery collaboration between Insilico Medicine and SK Biopharmaceuticals

Barun Law assists on a KRW324.2 billion (USD211 million) public-supported private rental housing project in Goyang, South Korea

South Korea’s sweeping reforms invite Japanese investors to reassess market opportunities, risks, governance and collaboration

South Korea dispute resolution guide for Japanese investors amid reforms, e-litigation and regulatory enforcement

Indochine Counsel advises Vietnam’s THACO Group on its agreement with South Korean railway manufacturer Hyundai Rotem

Yoon & Yang appoints Won Jung as a partner to lead its defence and public contracts practice

Ashurst set to rename South Korean joint venture as Ashurst Perkins Coie HwaHyun Joint Venture Law Firm

Korean in-house counsel are likely to face growing challenges in light of directors’ fiduciary duties to shareholders, says a lawyer at the IHCF spring academy

South Korea’s maritime hub status grows with advanced ports, shipbuilding strength, trade volumes and dispute resolution.

South Korean law firm Shin & Kim has strengthened its corporate and M&A practice with the addition of partner Banghyun Kim from Bae Kim & Lee, who brings two decades of legal experience

HSF, Kewei and Goodwin advise Fosun Pharma on USD240 million AriBio Alzheimer’s drug agreement

Jipyong and Kudun and Partners advise RIMAN’s Thailand entry, managing licensing, regulation and compliance strategy    

KICA and JILA strengthen cross-border collaboration at a joint legal exchange event in Tokyo

IHCF vice president SongYi Son discusses the merits and possible obstacles for doing business in South Korea

Firms serve Kobe Bussan and Gourmet Kineya on their Meal Hub joint venture and airline catering business acquisition

Firms advise on HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering’s KRW2.37 trillion (USD1.55 billion) zero-coupon exchangeable bond issuance

South Korean law firm Barun Law appoints US attorney John JungKyum Kim as a partner and senior foreign attorney, effective 1 May 2026

A roundup of noteworthy legal developments in the region

South Korean law firms D&A (formerly DR & AJU) and LIN sign MoU on proposed merger on 29 April 2026 

Jipyong advises the underwriters for KRW427 billion (USD288 million) in project financing for the construction of a Musinsa logistics centre in Yeoju

Yoon & Yang has assisted South Korean conglomerate Kyobo Life Insurance on its  USD611 million acquisition of Japanese-owned SBI Savings Bank from SBI Holdings

Lee & Ko guides Korean global game developer Netmarble and affiliate Netmarble Neo on a bid to integrate the latter as a wholly owned subsidiary

D&A is the sole legal adviser on MG Non-Life Insurance’s restructuring in a first-of-its-kind bankruptcy in Korea

Norton Rose Fulbright and Kinstellar have advised on a USD2.2 billion, 50-50 joint venture between UAE renewable energy company Masdar

Myungin Bae, co-founder of Bae Kim & Lee, dies at 93 in Seoul after suffering chronic illness

The potential merger between the two firms would create South Korea’s eighth-largest law firm by revenue

South Korean law firms Lee & Ko and Shin & Kim are counselling on LY Corporation-backed LAAA Investment’s KRW300 billion (USD200 million) investment in Kakao Games

South Korean law firm Yoon & Yang has restructured its Vietnam strategy by securing a co-location arrangement

As M&A activities climb across the region, rising regulatory complexity and shifting market dynamics are redefining strategy, execution and the evolving role of general counsel

As artificial intelligence reshapes economies and industries, jurisdictions across Asia are racing to set the rules for the AI age

Women must show strength and professionalism so their male peers view them not simply as female lawyers but as excellent colleagues and strong performers

Dong Ho Yoo, the new head of Jipyong Vietnam as of 1 February, has unveiled his plans to strengthen the firm’s existing services

Squire Patton Boggs has launched a dedicated Korea desk to be led by partner Sam Song

South Korean law firm D&A has strengthened its corporate practice with the addition of former Hyosung Group general counsel Cheon Su Kim as a partner at its Seoul office

Paul Hastings has hired Sungjin Kang as a partner in Seoul to bolster its energy practice

The Korea In-House Counsel Association (KICA), the country’s largest in-house counsel association, has reappointed Jaehwan Lee, the chief legal officer of Musinsa, as its 8th president

South Korea’s Lee & Ko adds Min-Ho Lee as partner to boost competition and antitrust practice in Seoul

South Korean powerhouse Lee & Ko has expanded its criminal defense and regulatory capabilities by appointing former senior prosecutor Ho Dong Cha

Stay informed on the latest legal developments shaping Asia's business landscape

Lee & Ko and Kim & Chang have advised on Glenwood Private Equity’s KRW 1.4 trillion acquisition of LG Chem’s water solution business

The role of legal professionals is set to expand and become more critical as Artificial Intelligence (AI) develops

VILAF (Vietnam) and Yoon & Yang (South Korea) have collaborated to launch a Vietnam-Korea practice unit in VILAF’s offices, managed by Zunu Lee

Facing unpredictable tariffs, compliance crackdowns and rising trade tensions, companies in Asia are rethinking contracts, manufacturing and supply chains

Experts at the 14th Asia-Pacific ADR Conference in Seoul discussed enhancing transparency, efficiency and user experience in international arbitration

MoFo advised SoftBank on its USD5.4bn acquisition of ABB’s robotics unit, with Freshfields advising ABB

BKL and K&L Gates advised SPC Group’s Big Bite and Chipotle on a JV to launch the fast-casual brand in Asia

Lee & Ko appoints former chief prosecutor Hoo Gon Kim as managing partner and head of criminal defence

South Korea’s LIN to merge with real estate-focused Daeji Law Firm; deal expected to close by end of September

Legal work in Asia's insurance sector is rising amid regulatory shifts and global disruptions

Architect Legal Advisory launches in Seoul, targeting foreign startups and entrepreneurs in South Korea          

Lee & Ko hires ex-judge Yun Seek Hahm, former GC of Woowa Brothers, to boost its corporate law practice

Legal experts discussed tech-driven changes at the 2025 Korea Legal-Tech Forum in Seoul

White & Case says Korean lawyers must now take a broader problem-solving approach, speaking at IHCF spring academy

Yulchon hires ex-army colonel Nan Hyung Kim as partner to boost its overseas defence industry team offerings

Daeryun, which is a Korean law firm established in 2018, has chosen New York as its first overseas office outside South Korea

Lee & Ko hires ex-labour minister Kyung Duk An (2021–22) as senior adviser to strengthen its labour practice

South Korea, the Philippines, and Taiwan are developing legal frameworks for renewable energy

Yoon & Yang expands by hiring three former judges to strengthen its litigation practice

Cleary Gottlieb will close its Beijing branch in July and merge with Hong Kong

LG CNS’s KRW1.2 trillion IPO, South Korea’s largest since 2022, was guided by Quartet of firms

South Korea's AI Basic Act, effective in 2026, balances innovation and regulation for law firms

IHCF names Australian lawyer with 16 years in global pharma as new president

Dentons Lee has hired senior attorney Eunjee Kim from Bae, Kim & Lee

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, Kim & Chang and Yulchon have advised on an IMM consortium’s USD2.04 billion full acquisition of South Korean waste treatment firm Ecorbit

Shin & Kim bolstered its financial regulatory team by adding new partner Seongkoo Cheong, a South Korean derivatives regulations expert

Yoon & Yang hires ex-deputy prosecutor general of South Korea’s Supreme Prosecutors’ Office, the firm tells ABLJ

In a digital era, AI reshapes our world, revolutionizing industries and societies

Drug pricing and reimbursement top the agenda in South Korea, while Japan is exploring the impact of digital technology on medical information

Stay informed on the latest legal developments shaping Asia's business landscape

South Korean law firm Yoon & Yang has reinforced its antitrust and competition practice with the hiring of a former director of the Korea Fair Trade Commission, Lee Hee Jae

Growing awareness of the impact of environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards is pushing companies around the globe

With a South Korean committee for women arbitrators firmly in place, we seek expert views on the way forward for arbitration in the country

After opening a presence in South Korea in 2019, Shearman & Sterling plans to close its Seoul office ahead of its proposed merger with Allen & Overy

Ashurst and law firm HwaHyun has established a joint venture, which secured the Ministry of Justice’s approval on 29 November 2022, to expand its outbound Korean practice

Choi Jong-ku, a former chairman of the Financial Services Commission (FSC) of South Korea, has joined Yoon & Yang as a special adviser in the Korean firm’s banking and finance practice group

This article discusses opportunities for South Korean investors, along with a brief on the regulatory and legal regime governing investment

One of the most digitalised and advanced nations, South Korea has been transformed into a technological powerhouse thanks to large conglomerates and government efforts to leverage startups to create disruptive innovation

The In-House Counsel Forum (IHCF) of Korea signed an MoU with the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) on 18 July to promote international arbitration as a preferred method of dispute resolution for resolving global disputes