The Legal 500 > Asia Pacific > South Korea > Intellectual property: local firms

The 'well-organised' IP practice group at Bae, Kim & Lee LLC is renowned for its contentious capabilities in this space, which cover general IP litigation and dispute resolution in addition to patent prosecution and trade secret-related matters. A particular strength in representing major players in the pharmaceutical and high-tech industries distinguishes the practice. Elsewhere, the team also handles IP licensing and technology transfers and advises on data protection and privacy issues. Practice heads Taeck Soo Kwon, Jihyun KIM and Jong Wook Lee are all recommended. Also noteworthy is Tae Uk Kang, who boasts five years' prior experience as a judge including his two-year-long service at the IP department of Suwon District Court.

'Highly knowledgeable, responsive and accurate', the IP department at Kim & Chang is led by Jay (Young-June) Yang. The department comprises several sub-practices which liaise seamlessly to cover the full range of IP work; these are the patent practice, the trade mark practice, the IP litigation practice and the IP transactional practice. Key areas of operation include patent infringement litigation, domestic and foreign patent prosecution, patent due diligence for transactions and support on US-based IP litigation (including pre-trial discovery document review and deposition support). Senior patent attorney Young Kim boasts a track record of handling numerous landmark cases at the supreme court. Also recommended on this front is Man Gi Paik.

Un Ho Kim leads the IP department at Lee & Ko, which comprises IP trial lawyers and patent attorneys who possess expertise across a broad range of sectors including pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, telecommunications and software. Besides patent and trade mark prosecution, the group also acts for clients in cases pertaining to trade secrets and unfair competition and copyright enforcement. The firm's dedication to further developing its offering was evinced by the 18 new clients who recently instructed it on IP matters, including Korean media giant BigHit Entertainment. Choong Jin Oh and Hui Jin Yang are both highly recommended. Also of note is Young Mo Kwon, whose practice in this area spans over 30 years.

Highly respected practitioners Yong-Ho Moon and Ghyo-Sun Park head up the IP practice group at Shin & Kim. The offering is especially reputed for its contentious IP capabilities, often working on complex litigation (including patent prosecution) and arbitration cases in addition to disputes related to unfair competition and trade secrets. Elsewhere, the firm also advises on the registration and licensing of trade marks, designs and copyrights. Bo Kyung Lim boasts niche expertise in the area of drug patents and pharmaceutical trade secrets. Shortly after the departure of Changsu Park in February 2019, Jong Woo Lee joined from the judicial bench at Seoul Central District Court March 2019.

A significant uptick in trade secret matters is evident at Yulchon's IP department. In order to meet this demand, the firm has developed a devoted trade secrets subgroup which is headed by Hyeong Joo Lim. Lim boasts a track record of representing clients in patent infringement cases before the supreme court. The group is reputed for fostering strong relationships with major players in the healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors, although it also regularly services clients in the consumer electronics, software, specialty chemicals and steel sectors. Jeong Yeol Choe acts as overarching practice head. Cheol Hwan Kim, Yong Min Lee and foreign attorney Sung Mok Lee are also highly recommended.

At Jipyong, the nine partner-strong IP practice group is jointly headed up by Chang Ik Sung, So Young Lee and Mun Hui Kim. The firm handles an impressive breadth of contentious and non-contentious work in this area, from the registration of copyrights and trade marks to representation in litigation arising from trade secrets and unfair competition issues. Identifying and preventing the entry of goods that infringe clients' IP rights through customs is another key area of operation. Sung is especially noted, having previously served as a judge at the patent court.

Yoon & Yang LLC regularly represents clients in both prosecuting and defending claims of patent infringement. The firm is particularly well known for its role in IP dispute resolution cases with a cross-border element. Trade mark litigation and trade secret disputes are some other core areas of work. The group recently worked on a number of matters involving clients in the industrial and manufacturing industry, in addition to those regarding the pharmaceuticals and life sciences, aviation and shipping, as well as media and entertainment sectors. Practice head Wonil Kim is recommended, as is Dongju Kwon, who splits his time evenly between IP and broader corporate litigation. Kwon boasts prior experience at the Patent Court of Korea.