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Lee & Ko received the honor of “South Korea Firm of the Year” at the Benchmark Litigation Asia-Pacific Awards 2025.
Presented annually by Benchmark Litigation, a leading global publication dedicated to litigation and dispute resolution, the “South Korea Firm of the Year” is awarded to only one leading firm in each country in the field of dispute resolution. Lee & Ko, recognized consecutively from 2021 to 2023, has received the esteemed accolade once again, reaffirming its continued standing as a top-tier dispute resolution practice in South Korea. This recognition reflects the firm’s competence and excellence in handling complex dispute resolution matters, as notably demonstrated by the IP Practice Group securing a final victory for Coway in a prolonged, nearly 11-year infringement dispute with ChungHo Nais over ice-making water purifier technology.
In addition, two of the firm’s attorneys garnered individual honors: Miji Lee, a partner of the Antitrust & Competition Group was named to the “Top 100 Women in Litigation 2025”; while Joohye Hong, a partner of the Real Estate & Construction Group was selected for the “Top 40 Under 40 2025.”
Asia-Pacific’s “Top 100 Women in Litigation” recognizes 100 distinguished female professionals within the region, selected through months of in-depth research. Ms. Lee is a seasoned antitrust lawyer with extensive experience in advising and representing both domestic and multinational clients across the full spectrum of competition law matters, from initial investigations by the Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) to successive stages of administrative, criminal, and other antitrust litigation.
On the other hand, Asia-Pacific’s “Top 40 Under 40” recognizes 40 lawyers, the most accomplished litigators under 40, selected through rigorous research and high evaluations. Ms. Hong is a construction and real estate specialist with strong industry experience in construction, real estate, energy, and social overhead capital (SOC) projects. Her practice includes negotiating EPC contracts related to the export of nuclear reactors to the Dukovany plant in the Czech Republic, providing regular legal counsel for overseas nuclear power plant exports for projects in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, and representing special purpose companies established for privately financed infrastructure projects such as railways, particularly in cases involving total project cost increases and insurance claims. She also provides guidance and legal representation on a wide range of construction-related matters, including disputes arising from power plant construction projects.
Benchmark Litigation annually hosts the Benchmark Litigation Asia-Pacific Awards, which recognize the most notable dispute resolution cases and law firms in the Asia-Pacific region each year, based on law firm submissions, interviews with litigation experts, and independent research.