Under the leadership of Tony Dongwook Kang and Woojae Kim, Bae, Kim & Lee LLC‘s arbitration bench has further strengthened by hires, including Christopher Mainwaring-Taylor, an experienced English-qualified solicitor, from A&O Shearman where he was a partner for over a decade. Kim has a strong track record in investor-state disputes. Junu Kim has extensive experience in investment arbitrations, while Hongjoong Kim has represented clients in international disputes across various industries. Dual-qualified in England and Wales and in New York, Yoon Jeong Park is a key practitioner on disputes relating to the shipping and shipbuilding industry.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘Ms Hangil Lee is astute and highly capable. Mr Sangchul Kim is excellent with his calm and steady manner’
‘Throughout our engagement, we received high-quality legal services across multiple areas, with a level of professionalism, expertise, and responsiveness that was truly impressive.’
‘Mr. Sangchul Kim provided invaluable support in connection with my company’s long-term arbitration matter. His deep knowledge of arbitration procedures, combined with his strategic insight and calm, professional demeanor, gave us great confidence throughout the process.’
‘Bae, Kim & Lee’s international arbitration team is highly experienced and trusted, particularly in investor-state disputes. They combine deep legal knowledge with a practical understanding of government concerns.’
‘Junu Kim is the standout partner at BKL. He is exceptionally smart, with deep expertise in Korean law and arbitration. His calm demeanor and strategic insight make him a reliable guide and a key asset in achieving successful outcomes. ’
‘Woojae Kim, Junu Kim, and Hongjoong Kim are the backbone of this team and its main leaders and also three of the hardest working lawyers in the business.’
Key clients
- Affinity Equity Partners Pte. Ltd.
- IMM Private Equity, Inc.
- Baring Private Equity Asia (now known as EQT Private Capital Asia)
- GIC Private Limited
- Republic of Korea
- Dongbu Corporation
- Actoz Soft Co., Ltd.
- Nibec Co., Ltd.
- Genexine, Inc
- Wonik PNE Co., Ltd
Work highlights
Advised a consortium of financial investors in a high-profile ICC arbitration against the chairman of Kyobo Life Insurance, securing a landmark partial award enforcing specific performance and financial penalties under Korean law.
Advised the Republic of Korea, alongside Arnold & Porter, in the ICSID annulment proceeding of a USD 216.5 million award, following its successful defense in Korea’s first-ever investor-state arbitration, which dismissed 95% of the USD 4.4 billion claim by Lone Star.
Advised the Republic of Korea in an ad-hoc investor-state arbitration under the EFTA-Korea Investment Agreement, defending against Schindler Holdings’ claims arising from regulatory actions related to Hyundai Elevator.
Lawyers
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Practice head
Tony Dongwook Kang; Woojae Kim
Other key lawyers
Junu Kim; Hongjoong Kim; Yoon Jeong Park; Chris Mainwaring Taylor; Hangil Lee; Sangchul Kim
Comparative Guides
Comparative Guide
Patent Litigation
South Korea
Kijoong Kang, Hojun Yeom, Samuel Sung Mok Lee & Jun Kyu Jeon
Comparative Guide
Intellectual Property
South Korea
Jihyun Kim, Tae Guen Kim, Mun Ki Nam & Samuel Sung Mok Lee
Comparative Guide
Shareholder Activism
South Korea
Yongman Bae, Gyeong Su Kim, Yonghwi Park & Eugene J. Hwang
Comparative Guide
Life Sciences
South Korea
Jung Min Jo, Hyojun An & Ahwon Choi