Sae Youn Kim > Kim & Chang > Seoul, South Korea > Lawyer Profile

Kim & Chang
39 SAJIK-RO 8-GIL
JONGNO-GU
SEOUL 03170
South Korea

Work Department

International Arbitration & Cross-Border Litigation; Construction & Engineering Disputes; Corporate & M&A Litigation; Product Liability & Consumer Claims; Energy; Border Measures

Career

Sae Youn Kim is a senior member of the International Arbitration & Cross-Border Litigation Practice of Kim & Chang.

Ms. Kim practices primarily in the areas of international litigation and arbitration with an emphasis on commercial and international law.

Before joining Kim & Chang, she served as a judge at various Korean district courts, and practiced as a key member in major Korean law firms. Ms. Kim also sits as an arbitrator. Her expertise in international dispute resolution has been recognized by the variety of roles she holds and held in various institutions, including but not limited to a Commissioner of the Korea Trade Commission, a Vice-Chair of the Arbitration Committee of the International Bar Association, a Co-Chair of the Dispute Resolution and Arbitration Committee of the Inter-Pacific Bar Association, and a Court member of the ICC International Court of Arbitration. She is regularly selected as a leading lawyer by publications such as Chambers Global, Who’s Who Legal, Legal 500, and Asialaw.

She has co-authored various publications on several aspects of Korean law, including commercial litigation, arbitration, investment arbitration, construction, and privilege. She also speaks regularly in conferences organized by the International Bar Association, Inter Pacific Bar Association, and various arbitral institutions across the world. Besides being regularly selected as leading lawyer, she was also awarded Commended Counsel by ASIAN-MENA COUNSEL in 2016 and Woman Lawyer of the Year, by ALB Korea Law Awards in 2018.

Ms. Kim received an LL.M. from Duke University Law School in 2007, and her LL.B. from Seoul National University College of Law in 1991. She graduated the Judicial Training and Research Institute by the Supreme Court of Korea in 1994. She speaks and practices in both Korean and English.

Languages

Korean and English

Memberships

Admitted to bar, Korea, 1994; New York, 2011

Education

Duke Law School (LL.M., 2007)
Judicial Research and Training Institute of the Supreme Court of Korea (1994)
Seoul National University (LL.B., 1991)

Lawyer Rankings

South Korea > International arbitration

(Leading individuals)

Sae Youn KimKim & Chang

Featuring ‘high-calibre practitioners,Kim & Chang‘s international arbitration practice is ’known to be one of the biggest and best in South Korea,’ with a large market-leading team specialising in investor-state disputes and serious cross-border commercial disputes. Byung-Chol Yoon, who is active as both counsel and arbitrator, leads the practice, handling disputes concerning mergers and acquisitions and joint ventures, often within the construction industry. The ‘stellar’ Sae Youn Kim specialises in commercial international law, handling contentious shareholder matters. Elsewhere, ‘highly distinguished litigator’ Hye Sung Kim  represents Korean energy companies, while Chul-Won Lee advises handles work before tribunals in intra-Korean disputes. Ji Hwan Kim and Joel Richardson are also noted.

Asia Pacific: Regional International Arbitration > Leading firms

Kim & Chang has vast international arbitration capabilities, acting on a wide range of complex international disputes. ESG, as well as blockchain and crypto disputes are a key strength of the practice, along with investor-state disputes, a space in which the firm represents both governments and investors. The firm has offices, directly or through affiliates, in Seoul, Singapore, Hong Kong, Vietnam, and Indonesia, allowing for an offering spanning the region. Based in Seoul, Byung-Chol Yoon acts as chair of the international arbitration and litigation practice. Sae Youn Kim, Joel Richardson, Dong-Seok (Johan) Oh, and Byung-Woo Im are all key names within the team.