The Legal 500

Kim & Chang has a dominant market position, with a large team of lawyers specialising in patent and trade mark litigation. In 2010 it acted in a number of patent infringement cases for pharmaceuticals and electronics companies, both domestic and foreign. Managing partner Jay Young-June Yang heads the team.

Changse Leon Kim heads a specialist technology team at Lee & Ko that handles patent matters for clients such as Nokia and Intel. It also advises on trade mark matters for international brands.

Bae, Kim & Lee LLC’s IP practice provides patent registration, prosecution, litigation and enforcement advice to the likes of LG Chemical and POSCO Power. It acted for the latter in a complex, multimillion-dollar transfer of patents, and for Symphony 3D Technology on patent valuation and transfers/assignments related to its acquisition of a Korean company. Hoo Dong Lee leads the team.

Cho & Partners handles contentious trade mark matters for its international client base, with sector strengths including fashion, telecoms, and tobacco. Burberry and Nintendo of America are clients.

Lee International IP & Law Group fields 60 patent attorneys with a breadth of expertise in chemistry, biology and mechanical engineering.

You Me Patent & Law Firm specialises in IP, and has a 20-partner team handling contentious and non-contentious patent and trade mark matters. It also has a focused China practice, handling IP matters for Chinese and foreign companies.

Central International Law Firm has long had IP as its core focus, but is now expanding into the general corporate sphere. It fields a strong litigation team, with expertise spanning the gamut of contentious trade mark and patent matters.

Hansung International is a regular fixture before the Korean Intellectual Property Office, appealing final rejections to patent, utility model and design applications. It also provides legal opinions on the patentability of inventions, for a client base that includes Samsung and IBM Korea.

Kim & Cho is one of the oldest commercial patent and trade mark firms, and has a strong roster of domestic and international clients. Myung-Koo Kang is the key figure.

Myung Shin & Partners has a significant track record across the full suite of contentious and non-contentious patent and trade mark matters, from filing and registration to litigation and enforcement. Myung Shin Kim is the key figure.

Y.P. Lee, Mock & Partners fields around 120 IP attorneys, whose expertise runs the gamut of technology fields including electronic engineering, information technology, nanotechnology, and computer hardware and software. Youngpil Lee and Youngtong Mock both have patent expertise.

Highlights for Yoon & Yang LLC’s six-partner IP litigation team included representing Worlvi Trading in the defence of a claim against its registered trade mark Evis by Evis Japan, which confirmed the territorial scope of trade mark enforcement.

Yulchon now fields three partners with previous experience as Korean Patent Court judges, and is representing a growing number of major Korean companies in patent infringement claims. Jeong Yeol Choe is recommended.

DK Choi & Partners provides specialist IP advice to a broad array of Korean clients. Managing partner Dukkyu Choi is the key figure.

Jipyong & Jisung’s team advises on the registration and protection of industrial rights, and acts for a number of publishing agencies. Managing partner Seong Kang is the primary contact.

Kims & Lees has a dedicated patent unit with expertise in biotech, pharmaceutical, electronic and mechanical patents. Yoon Bae Kim heads the team.

Sechang & Co. handles local IP acquisitions for European and Singaporean companies, and is representing a Singaporean company in relation to the infringement implications of registered patents worth $10m. Hae Yeon Song and Thomas YJ Kim are the key figures.

Y.S. Chang & Associates handles trade mark and patent prosecution and litigation for domestic clients. Managing partner Bong-Sig Song is recommended.