Firms To Watch: Intellectual property: local firms

DARAE Law & IP Group has a good track record in IP-related lawsuits, handling both domestic and overseas IP rights. The group is noted for mechanical, electrical, chemical, biotechnology, trade mark and design work. Managing partners and patent attorneys Seung-Moon Park and Jeong-Youl Yoon are notable.
Koreana Patent Firm (Patent Attorneys & Counselors At Law) provides a full-service IP offering. It advises on patents, industrial designs, trade marks and domain names. Patent litigator Hae-Sun Park, electronics patent specialist Yoon-Min Lee and biochemistry expert Seung-Yeon Han are among its key figures.
Nam & Nam has a strong reputation for representing foreign businesses in IP litigation in the Korean courts. Its team consists of patent and trade mark attorneys and technology specialists from a diverse range of disciplines. Sang-ki Park is the managing partner.  

PI IP Law (Lee, Park & Associates)‘s practice is led by Daeho Lee, who also serves as the executive director of the Korea Artificial Intelligence Association. Focusing of supporting start-ups and SMEs in the emerging areas of software, wireless communications and AI patents, the firm has good capabilities in IP advisory, commercialisation, prosecution, general IP litigation and trademark matters.

The sizeable team at Y.P. Lee, Mock & Partners advises clients, many of whom are listed Korean and international corporates on transactional IP, portfolio management and patent and trade mark litigation. Name partner Young-Pil Lee is the managing partner.

Firms in the Spotlight Intellectual property: local firms

Yoon & Lee

Yoon & Lee logo

Yoon & Lee is a specialist IP law firm with over 30 years of experiencing in providing the highest quality services to leading domestic and foreign companies. The firm provides a comprehensive range of IP services from prosecution and litigation for patents and trademarks to consultation services for management and enforcement of IP rights.

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Intellectual property: local firms in South Korea

Bae, Kim & Lee LLC

Bae, Kim & Lee LLC‘s highly respected IP practice, led by Kijoong Kang, is particularly strong at representing pharmaceutical and technology conglomerates in patent prosecution cases. The firm also stands out for its strong trade secret practice, led by Jihyun Kim and Tae Uk Kang. Former High Court judge Taeck Soo Kwon represents clients in patent invalidations, infringement cases and copyright disputes. Balancing its contentious work with transactional expertise, Mun Ki Nam works on licensing transactions.

Practice head(s):

Kijoong Kang


Other key lawyers:

Jihyun Kim; Tae Uk Kang; Mun Ki Nam; Taeck Soo Kwon


Testimonials

‘The team has a lot of experiences and capacities to handle any cases related to a IP issues. Lawyers and patent lawyers treat the cases properly and the costs are reasonable.’

‘I highly recommend Jihyun Kim and Tae Uk Kang, both great patent lawyers. They try to overcome a variety of concerns regarding to my company’s weak points in the case.’

‘I worked with Nam Mun Ki’s team. All of his team’s members are good at English and do much more than I requested.’

‘Partners at BKL are not just lawyers, but they could be considered as a business partners. With years of experience in the field and passion to help clients’ business, the advice is always well-balanced and very practical.’

Key clients

LG Energy Solution


Iljin Diamond Co., Ltd.


CJ


NETFLIX, Inc.


Apple Inc.


Walt Disney Korea


Uber Technologies Inc.


Starbucks Korea


Lotte Confectionary Co., Ltd.


CLIO Cometics


Celltrion


GC Pharma (Green Cross Corporation)


JW Holdings


SeAH Changwon Integrated Special Steel


ByteDance Ltd.


NEXON Korea Corporation


Actoz Soft Co., Ltd. and Zhen Chuanqi Co., Ltd


Work highlights


  • Represented LG ENSOL (formerly LG Chem) for the dispute over infringement of trade secrets and other intellectual properties.
  • Advising Netflix on all aspects of music licensing for its Korea service, including with respect to its licensing negotiation with the local collecting societies.
  • Advising Apple on the production of its original TV series for Apple TV+.

DR & AJU LLC

DR & AJU LLC offers capabilities in patent litigation and prosecution, largely operating in the biochemical and technology sectors. Practice head Jong Sun Choi and Shin Jeong Lee are its key figures.

Practice head(s):

Jong Sun Choi


Other key lawyers:

Shin Jeong Lee


Key clients

Orange Engineering Co., Ltd., Songho Golf Design Co., Ltd.


Sunhae F&S Co., Ltd


UTI Co., Ltd.


Gallery K Co., Ltd


Shinsung Materials Co., Ltd.


Nikkagaku Co., Ltd.


NextEra Co., Inc.


Fugenbio Co., Ltd.


JW Household & Health Care


Work highlights


  • Represented Orange Engineering Co., Ltd., and Songho Golf Design Co., Ltd., a golf course design company, in litigation for prohibiting infringement of copyright and claiming for damages against a business entity that manufactures and sells screen golf systems.
  • Represented Sunhae F&S Co., Ltd., in litigation for the prohibition of misappropriation of trade secrets, changing jobs, and a claim for compensation for damages against former employees who misappropriate trade secrets taken out of when they moved to a competitor.
  • Represented Nikka Limited., a Japanese company holding a patent right in litigation for patent infringement and a claim for compensation for damages.

Jipyong LLC

Jipyong LLC maintains impressive capabilities in disputes concerning patents, utility models, trade marks and design, and in the non-contentious arena, advises on unfair competition, customs clearance and border measures and IP due diligence. Practice head Jeong Kyu Choe and Chang Ik Sung are experts in litigation. So Young Lee and Mun Hui Kim are the lead advisors in relation to commercialisation of IP in TMT, entertainment, copyright and fintech sectors.

Practice head(s):

Jeong Kyu Choe


Other key lawyers:

So Young Lee; Mun Hui Kim; Chang Ik Sung


Key clients

Aekyung Industrial Co., Ltd.


Dongkook Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.


GigaTera Lighting


Kakao Corp./Kakao M Corp.


HITEJINRO Co., Ltd.


Korea Communications Commission


TSE Co., Ltd.


Helinox


Korean Publishers Association


MBC


Musicow


The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Jeonbuk Technopark, the Korea Innovation Foundation, etc.


The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art of Korea (“MMCA”)


KT


Work highlights


  • Represented a client in trademark infringement and compensatory damages actions regarding “Pumping Toothpaste”.
  • Successfully represented Dongkook Pharmaceutical (“DongKook”) in a long-held dispute involving the trademark right of ‘Madeca’ by securing the court decision which held that “Madecca” as a registered trademark is valid in the first- and second-instances trials.

Kim & Chang

Kim & Chang continues to rapidly expand its market-leading IP practice, with the addition of numerous patent attorneys from KIPO, Korean firms and specialist practices and foreign IP specialists, to bolster its full-service offering in patents, trade marks, copyright and designs and transactional IP. Won Kim has ‘very deep and extensive knowledge‘ in trademarks, copyright in the IT, entertainment and game industries, while Sean (Seung-Hun) Lee has developed a specialism in patents in telecoms systems, wireless communications and computer networks, and Chul Hwan Jung in mechanical patents. In the pharmaceutical space, patent attorneys In Hwan Kim and Young Kim continue to represent Pfizer in enforcement and defense actions. Seok Hee Lee and Minjung Park are among the firms’ top IP trademark litigators. Jay (Young-June) Yang is another notable name in the team.

Practice head(s):

Jay (Young-June) Yang


Other key lawyers:

Won Kim; Sean (Seunghun) Lee; Chul Hwang Jung; In Hwang Kim; Young Kim; Seok Hee Lee; Minjung Park


Testimonials

‘In-Hwan Kim is very service-minded and knowledgeable. Walks the extra mile to understand the needs of the client.’

‘The strength of Kim & Chang is that it can build up a team of the best experts that fit your case. Kim & Chang has the most experienced legal experts backed by a big pool of talented patent attorneys who provide in-depth technical understanding.’

‘Jay Yang is the most experienced IP practitioner in South Korea. He has various experience in multi-national litigation cases and can provide helpful advice based on his experience in diverse IP related cases. All this extensive experience makes him unique so that he can point out the decisive aspects of highly complex issues.’

‘Kim & Chang’s IP team has the right people and the resources in place to get the job done, and their service is top-notch. The team comprises outstanding legal/IP professionals that possess the highest degree of professionalism, knowledge of the law, and understanding of the different business environments as well as a wide-range of technology areas. They are completely devoted to their work and are adept at handling complex and sensitive situations as they arise.’

‘Chul-Hwan Jung is a person you can always go to speak about the new ventures of technology. I believe his strength comes from his eagerness to find innovative ideas along with his conservative and strict standard of IP review process. He is not a passive IP reviewer or legal adviser, but a reliable partner to seek a new way of innovation not only about technology but also about new business opportunities with technology.’

‘The IP lawyers at Kim & Chang combine strong legal expertise with an understanding of business objectives. They understand our objectives and help to implement them with strong IP in Korea.’

‘When it comes to ‘K&C IP team’, it is impossible to compare this team with the other law firms. This team is the best professional team in South Korea, in all indicators such as the number of experts, the scope of advisory fields, the depth of experience and competence, and the winning percentage in dispute cases. I personally had such amazing experience with this team over the past 20 years, and I believe that K&C IP team will maintain their position in the future.’

‘Won Kim has very deep and extensive legal knowledge and experience, even beyond the IP sector. He has an exceptional communication skill and receives praise and appreciation from everyone related to the matter.’

Key clients

Apple Inc.


BASF


Intel Corporation


Canon Inc.


Robert Bosch GmbH


L’oreal


Autostore Technology


Samsung Display


Tencent


CJ CheilJedang


Work highlights


  • Prevailed in a significant Patent Court decision which confirmed that a generic’s prodrug ester of AstraZeneca’s Forxiga product was within the scope of equivalents of the Forxiga compound patent, despite the fact that “prodrug ester” had been deleted from the patent claims during prosecution.
  • Successfully represented Novartis in an invalidation action against a patent for a sustained release formulation containing octreotide.
  • Successfully represented the KBO League teams in a litigation involving the modification of certain K-Pop songs which were used as chant songs allegedly in violation of the authors’ rights to maintain integrity.

Lee & Ko

Described as ‘one of the top IP practices’ in Korea, Lee & Ko‘s substantial group of patent attorneys, trademark specialists and commercial IP partners have the breadth and depth of experience to represent technology and pharmaceutical patent holders, global consumer brands, and various international corporates, across all facets of contentious and transactional matters. Young Mo Kwon is a top patent litigator for clients in the electrical, mechanical, chemical, pharmaceutical and technology sectors. Un Ho Kim is a leading figure for patent infringement and invalidation cases, while Choong Jin Oh focuses on patent and trade mark prosecutions. Keum Nang Park and Hui Jin Yang are the lead specialists in pharmaceutical patents, with associate Soo Yeon Park providing transactional expertise.

Practice head(s):

Un Ho Kim


Other key lawyers:

Young Mo Kwon; Choong Jin Oh; Keum Nang Park; Hui Jin Yang; Soo Yeon Park


Testimonials

‘Lee & Ko has good team work between partners and associates. For patent litigation, the partners suggested a good strategies and the associates showed good understanding in technologies. LK has good performance both in offensive and defensive actions.’

‘Un Ho Kim is a former patent judge and he served as a research judge at the Supreme Court. Thus he has enough experiences in patent litigation both as a patent litigator and patent judge. Also he has very good skills in client relationship. He always shows a positive, customer-oriented attitude. He also earns a reputation as the best patent attorney in Korea.’

‘They are not bound by legal theories, but try to give practical solutions to their clients’ problems. They fully accept the customer’s problem as their own, and work hard to solve it beyond the scope of customer-provided explanations and materials.’

‘One of the top IP practice with great technical knowledge and depth of the team.

Key clients

Novartis


GlaxoSmithKlein


Celgene


AstraZeneca


Marriott International


Ericsson-LG


Armani


Williams-Sonoma


Samsung Biologics


LG Electronics


Naver


Kakao


Coupang


HYBE


YG


LG Household & Health Care


AGC


Nitto Denko


JNC


Samsung SDI


Work highlights


  • Representing GlaxoSmithKlein in patent infringement and damages actions against an alleged infringer pharmaceutical company.
  • Representing Novartis in a non-infringement confirmation action initiated by Korean generic companies.
  • Assisting SKC Kolon PI, the global No.1 manufacturer and supplier of PI films in a U.S. patent infringement action initiated by the Japanese competitor.

Shin & Kim

Shin & Kim‘s robust group of Korean and foreign litigators and commercial IP lawyers demonstrate expertise IN patent, trademark, design and copyright prosecution and enforcement matters, and trade secrets, domain names, counterfeiting, customs seizure, cyber-squatting, and licensing related disputes. Growing its transactional offering, the firm is increasingly instructed on IP due diligence in connection with cross-border transactions and licensing agreements. Yong-Ho Moon and practice head Ghyo-Sun Park are the practice’s most experienced IP and trade secrets litigators, with fellow senior litigator Bo Kyung Lim specialising in patent prosecution. Head of copyright and media, Sang-Hyeok Im is also recommended.

 

Practice head(s):

Ghyo-Sun Park


Other key lawyers:

Yong-Ho Moon; Sang-Hyeok Im; Bo Kyung Lim


Testimonials

‘Attorney Lim, Bo Kyung is a highly rated counsel. He is responsive, delivers excellent quality of advice and his experience is unmatched.’

 

Key clients

Samsung Display Co., Ltd.


Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.


Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd


Gilead Sciences, Inc.


Naver Corp.


SD Biosensor Inc.


Zhejiang Sanhua Intelligent Controls Co., Ltd.


Helixmith Co. Ltd.


Essentech Co. Ltd


Seoul Semiconductor Co. Ltd.


Hanmi Pharm Co., Ltd.


Chong Kun Dang Pharmaceutical Corporation


Neo ICP Korea, Inc.


Wemade Entertainment


Binggrae Co., Ltd.


CJ CGV Co., Ltd. (CGV)


Seoul Broadcasting System (SBS)


POSCO


Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism


Korea United Pharm


Golfzon


HYBE


Work highlights


  • Represented Golfzon in a highly significant patent infringement case at the Supreme Court.
  • Represented copyright holders, KBS, MBC, SBS (Korean terrestrial TV networks), in successful persuading the Supreme Court that liability should be attributable to link sites for providing “accessibility” that aid in copyright infringement and changing the Supreme Court’s position from prior decisions.
  • Successfully defended SD Biosensor, a global leader in the manufacture of antigen rapid test kits used for detection of the COVID-19, in patent infringement and damages proceedings brought by a competitor.

Yoon & Lee

Yoon & Lee is one of Korea’s standout specialist IP boutiques, boasting an extensive list of Korean household names in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, electronic, mechanic and technology sectors. Trade mark and design portfolio management, enforcement and prosecution is another strong area of focus, led by Sang-yong Lee. Ji-man Park heads the telecoms patent sub-team, while Byeong-ok Song leads on mandates on patents involving mechanical engineering elements. Managing partner Dong-yol Yoon, a recent president of the Intellectual Property Forum, heads its highly esteemed biochemical and pharmaceutical patent offering.

Practice head(s):

Ji-man Park; Yong-won Lee;  Byeong-ok Song; Sang-yong Lee; Dong-yol Yoon


Testimonials

‘All the professional staff, from partners to more junior members are fully up-to-date with the latest IP and technology developments. They strive for the best outcome for any client, no matter the size, and they are really eager to win every case they handle.’

‘Yoon & Lee’s team comprises of an efficient and effective combination of patent attorneys, former KIPO examiners, foreign attorneys, and technical advisors with advanced degrees in their specialist subjects, which inspires confidence in the client, and provide accurate legal opinions.’

‘Jiman Park and the patents teams are very strong in terms of technical ability and lots of experience of patent prosecution. They work hard to obtain the best possible solutions for overcoming any rejections in the patent prosecution process.’

‘Song-hee Lee, has an outstanding ability for understanding the invention and recognizing its areas of patentability. All individuals handle their cases in the most professional manner and clients can have confidence that they will receive an excellent service for the protection of their interests.’

 

Key clients

Samsung Electronics


Amore Pacific


Naraenano-Tech Co. Ltd.


Naeilhae Co. Ltd.


Wavelink Co. Ltd.


KMDP Co. Ltd.


Bandyco Co. Ltd.


Chrio Korea Co. Ltd.


Handu Korea Co., Ltd.


Trust & Communication Co., Ltd.


Homyung Eng. Co. Ltd.


Hon-ik Group


Gachon University


Security Zone, Co. Ltd.


CardCam Co., Ltd.


Gigalana Co., Ltd.


Bizmarvel Co., Ltd.


Pelsonic Co., Ltd.


Work highlights


  • Successfully argued for patent applications of Gigalane Co., Ltd., a maker of antennas and semiconductor equipment, by presenting convincing technical arguments to the patent examiner to overcome Office Actions.
  • Acted for KMDP Co. in successfully overturning a patent invalidity.

Yoon & Yang LLC

With expertise in patents, trade secrets, copyright and trade mark disputes and prosecution, Yoon & Yang LLC is particularly sought after by Korean technology, media and life sciences companies. Its most senior partners, Wonil Kim and Dongju Kwon retain their top reputation in patent infringement and invalidation proceedings. Chang Woo Lee and Sejung Lee are also active in patent litigation. Keun Woo Lee is an IP transactional and regulatory advisor focusing on trade secrets, copyright, e-commerce and data privacy.

Practice head(s):

Wonil Kim


Other key lawyers:

Dongju Kwon; Keun Woo Lee; Chang Woo Lee


Key clients

SK Innovation


Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp.


W-Scope


SK hynix


SK bioscience


SK Chemicals


Hanmi Pharm


Kolon Life Science


Meditox


Kumho Petrochemical


SK Shipping


Hyundai Mobis


Otis Elevator Companty


Sumitomo Chemical


Toyota Motor Corporation


Dyson Technology


REG Life Sciences


HITE Jinro


E-mart


Work highlights


  • Represented SK Innovation in the trade secret and patent disputes between the client and LG Chem before the Korean courts and assisted the client in the trade secret and patent disputes between the parties before the United States International Trade Commission and the United States District Court of the District of Delaware in collaboration with the client’s local counsel, Covington & Burling and Jones Day.
  • Represented and advised Merck, Sharp and Dohme in the patent disputes between the client and Pfizer/Wyeth before the Korea Intellectual Property Trial and Appeal Board and Korean courts over Wyeth’s patents relating to pneumococcal polysaccharide-protein conjugate vaccines.
  • Represented SK Chemicals in the patent dispute raised by Novartis alleging that SK Chemicals infringement its patent relating to Exelon Patch. The district court ruled in favour of SK Chemicals, and Novartis’s appeal is pending before the Patent Court.

Yulchon

With ‘unsurpassed technical expertise’ in bet-the-company contentious IP cases, Yulchon‘s lawyers represent a range of pharmaceutical multinationals, domestic electronics companies in patent infringements, and in the trade mark and designs sphere, act for global fashion houses and entertainment copyright holders. Patent litigator Jeong Yeol Choe chairs the practice, and works alongside fellow litigators Da Woo Lee, Min Seung Ku, Kyung Ae Yoon and Hyeong Joo Lim. Foreign attorney Samuel Sungmok Lee, and Yong Min Lee are also highly recommended. Associates Ji Haeng Hwang and Min Ju Park lend crucial support in litigation relating to telecoms, semiconductors, LED technologies and pharmaceuticals.

Practice head(s):

Jeong Yeol Choe


Other key lawyers:

Da Woo Lee; Min Seung Ku; Hyeong Joo Lim; Kyung Ae Yoon; Samuel SungMok Lee; Yong Min Lee; Ji Haeng Hwang; Min Ju Park


Testimonials

‘I can confidently say that Yulchon provides the highest level of legal service in Korea. The partners suggest the optimum suggestions based on our commercial requirements, which are always so thoughtfully presented based on their extensive experience, and deep expertise in the relevant IP laws. Their lawyers have unsurpassed technical expertise, allowing the client to fully trust their opinion and quality of work.’

‘Working with Kyung Ae Yoon, a partner patent attorney, I could not help being astounded by her wealth of experience, insight and the ability to push ahead with the work. It was a great joy to work with her and I can confidently say that she is the most passionate patent attorney I have worked with.’

‘Yoon, Kyung Ae, is a very good patent attorney. With her medical background knowledge and experience at the Korean Intellectual Property Office, she finds a way to register and protect a patent when no other lawyer could. Her advice is well-organised and legally sound, drawn from year of experience in the pharmaceutical sector.’

‘I would like to mention Lim Hyeong Joo, the partner, leading the IT team. His technical background in engineering, as well as his willingness to understand client’s internal dynamics revolving around the case at hand is what makes him stand out among others. ’

‘Kyung Ae Yoon, a partner patent attorney, promptly gave us feedback, produced good results in the trial and greatly supported the company in strengthening its capabilities. Based on her high level of expertise in the pharmaceutical industry and long experience accumulated in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, we highly recommend her as IP counsel.’

Key clients

Samsung Group


Corning Inc.


Seoul Semiconductor Co., Ltd.|


SK Group


Hanwha Group


Hyundai Group


LG Group


Daesang Corporation


Coupang Inc.


Pohang Iron and Steel Company (POSCO)


Work highlights


  • Co-counsel with Haynes & Boone to HiCon Ltd., a Korean semi-conductor testing equipment manufacturer, and its CEO, Mr. Dong Weon Hwang, against Dallas-based Plastronics Socket Partners, Ltd. and Plastronics H-Pin, Ltd. in a rare defense jury victory in the Eastern District of Texas and received a 100% win on appeal to the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
  • Successfully represented Corning in defending validity of Corning’s valuable patent relating to Gorilla® Glass against one of Corning’s main competitors, AGC, Inc.
  • Represented ToolGen Inc., a patent owner of patents claiming various technologies of the CRISPR/Cas9 system in several legal actions stemming from its CRISPR/Cas9 patents, including a criminal action, negotiation, mediation.