The Legal 500

Within Antitrust and competition, Yulchon is a first tier firm,

Yulchon’s 11-partner team is ‘timely and reliable’, and is led by Sai Ree Yun and Hae Sik Park. The group recently assisted Samsung in obtaining full exemption from sanctions, following a global cartel investigation into the production of LCD panels. Other clients include Universal Music and SK Telecom.

Within Banking and finance, Yulchon is a second tier firm,

Yulchon is acclaimed for its ‘superb client skills’, and recently boosted its offering with the recruitment of Hyeon Hwa Shin, Young Jae Shin, and Young Su Shin. The firm is particularly well known for aviation and ship financing, where clients include T’way Air, Jeju Air, and Hanjin Shipping. It recently advised POSCO Power on its ¥14.8bn financing from KDB. Hee Woong Yoon heads the team, and Christopher Cho, Jae Hyun Ko, and Esther Eun-Jeong Sohn are also recommended.

Within Capital markets, Yulchon is a second tier firm,

Yulchon is ‘excellent in all industries’. In 2011, the team advised Hana Bank on a THB8bn notes issuance. Lotte Shopping is a regular client, which the firm advised on issuing convertible bonds on the SGX. Young Jae Shin, Hyeon Hwa Shin, and Young Su Shin recently joined from Yoon & Yang LLC.

Within Corporate and M&A, Yulchon is a second tier firm,

Yulchon provides ‘a great service in a timely manner’, and regularly advises on outbound M&A transactions, particularly to the US and Russia. The firm is traditionally known for representing the motor industry but has been expanding its remit. It acted for Fila and Mirae Asset Private Equity on the $1.2bn acquisition of Acushnet Company, and advised Korea Resources Corporation on a $1.1bn multi-jurisdictional mining investment. John Kim has ‘experience across a broad range of industries, and utilises the firm’s resources impressively’. Daniel Yi has ‘excellent communication skills’.

Within Dispute resolution, Yulchon is a second tier firm,

Yulchon is ‘client-focused, professional, and experienced’. The group is particularly renowned among banking clients, and also has engineering and construction-related experience; examples include advising Hanil Engineering & Construction in a dispute with Tong Yang Securities. Hee Joong Lee is ‘very knowledgeable about financial products’, Sang Min Lee is ‘superb’, and Ju Bong Park is ‘one of the best lawyers for construction’.

Within Employment, Yulchon is a first tier firm,

Yulchon recently recruited Brendon Carr from Hwang Mok Park P.C., and subsequently boosted its foreign client base to include names such as Volkswagen Group, Audi and Marriott. Other recent hires include outsourcing expert Jae Woo Park from Lee & Ko. In 2012, the firm defended Cortec Corporation against a wrongful termination claim.

Within Insurance, Yulchon is a second tier firm,

Young Seok Lee heads Yulchon’s two-partner team, which has a large corporate client base. The firm’s expertise includes D&O liability insurance and professional indemnity insurance.

Within Intellectual property, Yulchon is a second tier firm,

Momentum is building at Yulchon following a series of hires, including Sang Tae Jeong, Jin Hyung Lee, and Kyung Jin Kim. It is representing Samsung in its ongoing IP infringement battle with Apple, and was instructed by Kolon Industries to establish an internal compliance system for IP management. Young-Hill Liew heads the team.

Within Intellectual property: patents and trademarks, Yulchon is a third tier firm,

Yulchon’s 2012 highlights included successfully representing Daelim Industrial in invalidating a copy of a registered service mark. Jeong Yeol Choe and associate Jeong Hoon Hwang are recommended.

Within Projects and energy, Yulchon is a second tier firm,

Song Wook Eun heads Yulchon’s two-partner team, which also includes Tong Chan Shin and Kyoung Yeon Kim. The team recently obtained the dismissal of a claim against a major gas client, and it has experience advising on nuclear-related issues.

Within Real estate, Yulchon is a second tier firm,

Yulchon advised a real estate fund managed by Shinhan BNP Paribas Asset Management on its KRW96bn refinancing, and advised the National Pension Fund on establishing its KRW420bn real estate blind fund. Practice head Bong Hee Han is recommended, along with Tong Chan Shin and Tae Jin Cha.

Within Shipping, Yulchon is a second tier firm,

Yulchon’s highlights included advising Kookmin Bank, Korea

Within TMT, Yulchon is a second tier firm,

The expanding group at Yulchon is active in entertainment disputes, cross-border business structuring, licensing, and regulatory matters. It is valued for its ‘collaborative approach’, and provides ‘advice that incorporates the input of the most knowledgeable person for each aspect of a complex problem’. Brendon Carr, who ‘understands the fundamentals of the technologies’, joined from Hwang Mok Park P.C.. Doil Son is ‘very strong in telecoms and media’. Also recommended are Jeong Yeol Choe, an ‘expert in copyright matters’, and Kumju Son, a ‘highly knowledgeable telecoms and media regulatory expert’.

Within Tax, Yulchon is a first tier firm,

Yulchon is ‘good in all industries, including internet-related businesses and financial services’. In 2011, the firm represented Seagate on the domestic and overseas tax implications of its acquisition of Samsung’s hard disk drive business; it also implemented solutions to minimise tax exposure. Soo-Jeong Ahn is ‘very technical and provides practical solutions’, and Sai Ree Yun and Kyung Geun Lee are also recommended.