Yulchon > Seoul, South Korea > Firm Profile

Yulchon > The Legal 500 Rankings

South Korea > Antitrust and competition: local firms Tier 1

Yulchon’s excellent knowledge of the law’ shines through in a wide range of antitrust and competition work for major domestic and international clients, with the healthcare sector an area of notable expertise for the firm. Behavioural matters, merger controls, abuse of dominance and deceptive labelling are among the areas in which the practice excels. Sung Bom Park steers the team and has a strong track record in handling abuse of dominance cases involving global technology companies. Foreign attorney Seuk Joon Lee is a key contact for pharmaceutical companies, while fellow foreign attorney Cecil Saehoon Chung has a strong focus on international issues in the antitrust space. Woo Yul Lee is a further key contact. Song Ryu joined the practice from Yoon & Yang LLC in summer 2023.

South Korea > Dispute resolution: local firms Tier 1

Praised as ‘one of the top firms in Korea’, Yulchon houses an ‘outstanding’ practice, handling a broad range of corporate and financial cases, while branching out into cryptocurrency and blockchain-related disputes. The team has an established reputation, representing major Korean conglomerates in domestic disputes and working on the Korean exchange, co-led by post-M&A arbitration specialist Il Bong Moon. Other practice head Yong Pyo Yeom handles debt and equity matters, and advises on contentious construction, tax and real estate disputes. Elsewhere, Sy Nae Kim is an esteemed advocate in public and private international disputes, particularly in the trade and logistics sectors, while Ik Hyun Kim handles trust, white-collar crime and product liability cases. The team has been further boosted with the arrival of arbitration expert David MacArthur.

South Korea > Fintech and financial services regulatory: local firms Tier 1

Praised for being ‘up-to-date on the latest developments in fintech and financial regulations’ and for its ‘deep knowledge’ of blockchain and NFTs, Yulchon advises on fintech issues such as electronic finance, payments and data protection. Traditional financial regulatory work, including general banking and capital markets advisory work is further area of strength. Doil Son and Young Su Shin jointly lead the team, with the former well versed in fintech regulation in Korea and the latter possessing in-depth knowledge of finance ranging from structured finance to insurance-linked securities. Jun Hee Lee is highlighted for his payments expertise, while Sun Hee Kim is embedded in data and technology.

South Korea > Tax: local firms Tier 1

Yulchon’s team regularly advises major Korean and multinational clients in high-stakes tax disputes and litigation. Managing partner Seok Hoon Kang and Dong Soo Kim jointly lead the practice, and Kyu Dong Kim focuses on international tax matters, in addition to the tax elements of cross-border M&As. In a stand out case, Yun Heui Cho and Ki Seon Shin led a team which represented Samsung SDS on the largest royalty withholding tax case in Korean history, seeking the appeal of a corporate tax assessment of $114m. On the advisory side of the practice, US certified accountant Tae Hyoung Kim advises on tax due diligence and risk assessments, while providing support on tax audits and appeals.

South Korea > TMT: local firms Tier 1

Yulchon manages to ‘think creatively and look for alternative lines of argument.’ The team advises on a wide range of  TMT matters, including corporate transaction and finance regulations, as well as in new and emerging technology fields such as AI, Big Data, and BlockChain. Practice head Doil Son has handles a comprehensive range of TMT issues and M&A transactions, and contributes to government projects dealing with artificial intelligence. Seung Hyuck Han is an expert in both TMT and antitrust matters, and Sun Hee Kim specialises in data, e-commerce, technology, and fintech.

South Korea > Banking and finance: local firms Tier 2

Yulchon is a strong name in acquisition financing, with a depth of experience in both outbound and inbound transactions, including in the real estate, shipping, and aviation industries. The team is co-headed by Young Su Shin and Sung Wook Eun. Senior partner Sung Keun Park and senior foreign legal counsel Christopher Joon Tae Cho‘s work covers the full breadth of the firm’s practice, including financial restructuring and infrastructure related transactions. Ho Jin Lee is another senior attorney advising on acquisition in the construction industry, private equity and loan financing.

South Korea > Capital markets: local firms Tier 2

Yulchon’s capital markets department advises on structured and project finance mandates, overseas investments, and ABS issuances. The team is co-headed by Young Su Shin and Sung Wook Eun, while Jin Kook Lee advises on high-profile IPOs and equity capital transactions, as well as acquisitions in the shipbuilding and maritime industries. Gun Kim is a trusted adviser on stock and various bond instruments, as well as advising on high-value financing transactions. Another key team member is Geen Kim.

South Korea > Corporate and M&A: local firms Tier 2

Yulchon‘s experienced corporate and M&A team includes ‘a deep bench of excellent practitioners,‘ co-led by Young Su Shin and Sung Wook Eun. The latter advises on complex high-value mergers and partnerships, while Jin Kook Lee handles major acquisitions and shares and stakes transactions for high-profile Korean conglomerate clients. Former judge Jae Hyun Park is experienced in private equity and corporate restructuring matters, while senior foreign counsel Hyung Ki Lee is sought after for work with connections to the world of insolvency.

South Korea > Insurance: local firms Tier 2

The insurance team at Yulchon is jointly led by Young Su Shin, who is also recognised for his corporate and financial expertise, and Hyeon Hwa Shin. The group has a solid track record in assisting the country's major financial regulators, bolstering the department's strength in handling regulatory reviews for insurance clients. Additionally, the team fields expertise in advising on insurance disputes and insurance and reinsurance arrangements.

South Korea > Intellectual property: local firms Tier 2

With a multidisciplinary practice that represents leading companies across various industries, Yulchon is a reliable firm for all matters concerning IP litigation and transactions. Heading the IP and technology group is Jeong Yeol Choe, who served as a judge for 21 years before joining the firm. Kyung Ae Yoon, a seasoned patent attorney, regularly handles patent strategic counselling, patent portfolio development, and licensing. Hyeong Joo Lim has ‘a very good understanding of new technologies’ and is recommended for cases involving trade secrets, technology leakage, and internal investigations. Ji Haeng Hwang is especially experienced with IP matters in the fields of electrical and computer engineering, while associate Min Ju Park has an in-depth knowledge of the pharmaceutical industry. Samuel Sungmok Lee, Da Woo Lee, and Min Seung Ku are also noted for the expertise they bring to the team.

South Korea > Labour and employment: local firms Tier 2

Yulchon's labour and employment practice, led by Sang Wook Cho, has established strength in handling health and safety matters, as well as workplace accident claims and compliance matters concerning the Serious Accidents Punishment Act. Jung Woo Lee and foreign attorney Christopher Mandel advise on labour relation issues and restructurings, and Soojung Lee assists domestic and international clients with employee terminations, downsizings, and market exits with subsequent redundancy issues. Kwang-Sun Lee and Ja Hyeong Ku joined the team in February 2023.

South Korea > Real estate: local firms Tier 2

Advising on the full range of inbound and outbound real estate investments, Yulchon’s team has experience in handling cross-jurisdictional acquisition and financing work. Tae Jin Cha, who advises on asset management, collective investment and REITs, jointly leads the team alongside Ju Bong Park, who handles a range of construction mandates. Jin Seok Choi advises on real estate deals and finance matters, while Geen Kim is praised for her 'vast experience in overseas transactions'. Other key contacts in the group include Sung You Choi and Young Joon Yoon.

South Korea > Regulatory: compliance and investigations: local firms Tier 2

The continuously expanding criminal defence team at Yulchon houses a deep bench of former regulatory specialists and prosecutors, handling the full depth and breadth of compliance and investigation work. Managing partner Dong Ryul Choi co-heads the practice alongside Il Bong Moon and Yong Pyo Yeom. Former prosecutor Hak Seok Kim handles the full range of corporate and white-collar crimes, and financial regulation and prosecution. Seung Hyun Lee, who is also a former prosecutor, specialises in environmental criminal investigations and trials.

South Korea > International arbitration Tier 3

Yulchon‘s international arbitration team is headed by esteemed arbitration counsel and arbitrator Yun Jae Baek, who in addition to his counsel work is currently serving as an arbitrator number of arbitral institutions, including the Korean Commercial Arbitration Board and the ICC. Jeonghye Sophie Ahn handles a range of corporate and commercial disputes, including matters with intellectual property and media elements. Jae Hyong Woo deals with treaty arbitration cases, international construction projects and pharmaceuticals. Woo Suk Jung is another key team member, who handles a broad range of commercial arbitrations.

South Korea > Projects and energy: local firms Tier 3

The ‘nimble and versatile’ team at Yulchon is noted for its expertise in greenfield development projects, advising on a range of matters concerning investment structure, tax structuring and commercial agreement negotiations, as well as financing and exit strategies. Senior foreign counsel Raymond Kang, who has experience advising on domestic and international greenfield and brownfield energy and infrastructure projects, jointly leads the team alongside Kum Ju Son. Hong Kim is another key contact in the group.

South Korea > Shipping: local firms Tier 3

Yulchon combines its strong shipping background with the expertise of the firm's other practice groups to provide its clients with comprehensive support on any matter that may arise, including both contentious and non-contentious issues. The firm is well versed in wet and dry shipping law, including ship financing and shipping-related restructurings. Young Su Shin and Sung Wook Eun jointly lead the shipping group.