Sechang & Co. > Seoul, South Korea > Firm Profile

Sechang & Co.
16TH FLOOR, OPULENCE BUILDING
254 SEOCHO-DAERO, SEOCHO-GU
SEOUL 06647
South Korea

South Korea > Shipping: local firms Tier 3

Leveraging its ‘deep legal experience and skill’, Sechang & Co. advises major national and international clients on shipping, shipbuilding, maritime and logistics matters. In particular, the firm provides support in high-value rehabilitations and liquidations. The client base spans shipping companies, P&I clubs and insurance companies. The team is led by Hyun Kim, who specialises in transportation and maritime-related matters. Thomas Kim is also recommended.

Practice head(s):

Hyun Kim

Other key lawyers:

Testimonials

‘Thomas Kim is very quick and very knowledgeable.’

‘They stand out by providing prompt, thoughtful and on-point legal advice.’

‘Thomas Kim is excellent.’

‘Sechang’s team provides superior legal services as they are very client focused and responsive, are able to identify issues in advance, and are commercially minded.’

‘Thomas Kim and the international team are forward thinking and very knowledgeable, having the expertise and skill to advise on any  legal matter, in particular in the areas of corporate, commercial and maritime.’

‘Hyun Kim – an expert who has accumulated years of experience in the shipping field.’

‘Sechang’s team provides superior legal services as they are very client focused and responsive, able to identify issues in advance, commercially minded, and able to provide detailed, comprehensive and practical legal advice with an effective problem-solving approach drawing upon their demonstrated deep legal experience and skill in corporate matters, maritime and shipping.’

Key clients

Samsung SDS

Kuehne & Nagel

Pan Ocean Co., Ltd.

Heung-A Shipping

Hyundai Marine & Fire Insurance

North of England

MOL (Mitsui O.S.K. Lines) Korea

KSS Line

Pan Continental Shipping Co.

Korea Shipping Association

Korea Ministry of Maritime Affairs & Fisheries

Korea Freight Forwarders Association

Kennedys

Haynes Boone

Lebuhn & Puchta

Triton

TAL

Textainer

Expeditors

Stena Holdings

Teekay Tankers

Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance

Aioi Nissay Dowa Insurance

KB Insurance

Work highlights

  • Representing Samsung SDS as claimant in an arbitration against another Samsung affiliate concerning imposed demurrage/detention fees in light of port congestion caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
  • Defending Kuehne & Nagel in a damages claim brought by the manufacturer involving the carriage of wind turbine gearboxes transported from a European nation to China, which involves three separate suits in the courts of Hong Kong, the Czech Republic and Korea.
  • Representing Hyundai Marine & Fire Insurance in a recovery suit against shipowners and charters for a fire which occurred while the vehicle carriers were anchored in the port of Ulsan, Korea.

Sechang is Korea’s premier maritime and shipping specialist law firm providing first class legal services to international and local shipping concerns. Sechang takes great pride in its transportation legal expertise in general and maritime, aviation and ship financing achievements and practice in particular. Sechang offers comprehensive transportation legal service in the areas of aviation, maritime, litigation and ship finance to domestic and international clients. Sechang is well known and highly respected throughout the international legal community in the above-mentioned areas.

Sechang’s areas of expertise include: Chapter 11 rehabilitation and Chapter 7 liquidation of large shipping companies and shipbuilders: Sechang has been and is legal counsel to the largest foreign based creditors with respect to all the large shipping company and shipbuilder Chapter 11 rehabilitation and Chapter 7 liquidation cases in Korea, including the rehabilitations of Samsun Logix, Daewoo Logistics, TPC, Yanghai, Korea Line, STX PanOcean and STX Offshore and Shipbuilding and the infamous Chapter 11 and Chapter 7 of Hanjin Shipping; Maritime: collisions, groundings, salvage, personal injury, safe port and berth disputes, towage and wreck removal, pollution and marine insurance, Ship Finance: sale and purchase, shipbuilding and repair contracts, finance for banks and owners, leasing and ship registration, shipping litigation and arbitration: domestic and international litigation and arbitration, including charter parties, bills of lading, ship arrests and fraud investigation, aviation: defense of global parcels carrier for cargo damage claims.

Sechang has the honor and distinction of exclusively representing all of the major global container lessors (Textainer, Triton, TAL, SeaCube, Florens, Dong Fang, Beacon, Blue Sky, CAI and others) in regards to their claims and disputes against all Korean shippers which have gone under Chapter 11 rehabilitation and Chapter 7 liquidation, the most recent shipper being Hanjin Shipping.

Sechang has been and is legal advisor to Korea Ministry of Maritime Affairs & Fisheries, Incheon Port Authority, PanOcean Co., Ltd., SK Shipping, KSS Line, Hyundai Marine & Fire Insurance, Hyundai Glovis, Samsung C&T, Samsung SDS, Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance, Incheon Harbor Authority, Incheon International Airport, Korea Shipping Association, Korea Marine Environment Management Corporation (KOEM), Korea International Freight Forwarders Association (KIFFA), Korea Tugowners’ Association, Korea Marine Pilots’ Association, National Federation of Fisheries, Pan Continental Shipping (PanCon), Korea Maritime Transportation Safety Authority (KOMSA) and Korea Marine Police.

We further represent North of England P&I Club, UK P&I Club, Britannia, London P&I Club, Steamship Mutual, West of England, Swedish Club, Nordisk, Gard, Skuld, Japan P&I Club, German Shipowners’ Defense Association, Korea Shipping Association, Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance, AIU Insurance, Aioi Nissei Dowa Insurance, Hyundai Marine and Fire Insurance, Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance, AIG Insurance, Lotte Insurance, KB Insurance.

Sechang is a major and leading Public Private Partnership, infrastructure, construction and projects law firm in Korea. We advise our clients relating to construction matters, including but not limited to, bids, contract documents, drafting proposals, negotiating agreements, and obtaining government clearance with respect to construction projects. Sechang clients include the Ministry of Construction & Transportation, Samsung Engineering & Construction, GS Engineering & Construction Corp., Daelim Industrial, Dongbu Engineering & Construction, Hyundai Mobis, Hanhwa Engineering & Construction, Kumho Engineering & Construction, Posco Engineering & Construction., Mokpo New Port Corp., Pohang-Yeongil New Port Corp., Seoyeong Engineering Corp., Halla Energy & Environment, and Beomwoo Corp. in their respective construction matters. The Korean Government retains Sechang in its construction matters and Sechang litigates construction cases on behalf of the Government. Sechang has contributed to the successful resolution of numerous disputes involving construction companies, either through private negotiation or mediation/arbitration.

Sechang has extensive domestic and cross-border experience in corporate and commercial matters, including mergers and acquisition of both private and public companies and corporate rehabilitation and restructuring. Sechang advises and represents many foreign and domestic corporations in all their corporate legal matters, which clients include, China Telecom Global, Logitech, Unilever, United Parcel Services, Citco Global, Eaton Industries, Suzlon Energy, Puratos, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure & Transport (MOLIT), Hanjin Heavy Industries & Construction, SK Shipping, LG Engineering & Construction Corp., TMC, Pulmuone, Korea Railroad, Woori Bank, Hanmi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance Co. Sechang’s area of expertise include: mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and disputes, venture capital investments, debt and equity financing, technology licensing, franchising, shareholders’ agreements, strategic alliances, regulatory matters.

Department Name Email Telephone
Maritime/shipping and ship finance/aviation Dr Hyun Kim hyunkim@sechanglaw.com
Maritime/shipping and ship finance/aviation KwangHoo Lee khlee@sechanglaw.com
Maritime/shipping and ship finance/aviation Thomas Kim tykim@sechanglaw.com
Maritime/shipping and ship finance/aviation JinTae Joo jtjoo@sechanglaw.com
Maritime/shipping and ship finance/aviation HeeSoo Cho hscho@sechanglaw.com
Construction Dr Hyun Kim
Construction Young Hwan Ahn yhahn@sechanglaw.com
Dispute resolution Dr Hyun Kim
Dispute resolution Kwang Hoo Lee
Dispute resolution Young Hwan Ahn
Labour Dr Hyun Kim
Labour Young Hwan Ahn
Labour Jintae Joo
Infrastructure projects Young Hwan Ahn
Infrastructure projects Thomas Kim
Infrastructure projects Jintae Joo
Corporate/commercial Thomas Kim
Corporate/commercial Jintae Joo
Corporate/commercial HeeSoo Cho
Mergers and acquisitions Thomas Kim
Mergers and acquisitions Jintae Joo
Mergers and acquisitions HeeSoo Cho
Civil and commercial litigation/arbitration Dr Hyun Kim
Civil and commercial litigation/arbitration Kwang Hoo Lee
Civil and commercial litigation/arbitration Young Hwan Ahn
Bankruptcy/corporate restructuring Thomas Kim
Bankruptcy/corporate restructuring Jintae Joo
Foreign investment Thomas Kim
Foreign investment Jintae Joo
Foreign investment HeeSoo Cho
Banking/finance/capital markets Dr Hyun Kim
Banking/finance/capital markets Young Hwan Ahn
Banking/finance/capital markets Thomas Kim
Insurance Dr Hyun Kim
Insurance Kwang Hoo Lee
Insurance Jintae Joo
Insurance HeeSoo Cho
Intellectual property Dr Hyun Kim
Intellectual property Kwang Hoo Lee
White-collar crime Dr Hyun Kim
White-collar crime Jung Hwan Cho
White-collar crime Dong Chan Kim
Photo Name Position Profile
Young Hwan Ahn photo Mr Young Hwan Ahn Partner: Sechang & Co.  Area of Emphasis: Maritime law, Charterparty, Bills of…
HeeSoo Cho photo Ms HeeSoo Cho Associate: Sechang & Co. International Commercial Transactions, Insurance, Tort, International Commercial Arbitration;…
JinTae Joo photo Mr JinTae Joo Jr Partner : Sechang & Co. Area of Emphasis :  International Commercial…
Thomas Y.J. Kim photo Mr Thomas Y.J. Kim International Commercial Transactions, Mergers and Acquisitions, Foreign Investment, Telecommunications, Bankruptcy/Rehabilitation, International Trade,…
Hyun Kim photo Dr Hyun Kim Senior Partner and Founder Corporate; commercial; banking and financing; insurance; technology; insurance;…
Kwang-Hoo Lee photo Mr Kwang-Hoo Lee Partner: Sechang & Co.  Area of Emphasis:  Maritime law, Ship Finacing and…
Number of lawyers : 20
English
Japanese
Korean
Chinese
Maritime Insurance Association
Korea International Trade Association
Korea Air Law Association
International Bar Association
US Maritime Law Association