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Lee & Ko

Lee & Ko

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South Korea

1

Tax: local firms

Lee & Ko houses a tax team with expertise spanning all key tax services. The practice is equally skilled at handling tax litigation and appeals and tax audit defence work. The experienced team, led by Ok Hyun Ma and Tom Kwon, includes former judges, Korean and international attorneys, and former government tax officials. As a former judge, Ma lends his expertise to complex tax disputes, while Kwon chiefly concentrates on international tax and the tax aspects of M&A. Sung Hwan Kim is recognised for his broad tax portfolio, overseeing tax litigation, tax planning and compliance. Kyung Tae Kim is a notable name in tax litigation. Steve Minhoo Kim primarily acts in inbound international tax and transfer pricing structuring, and Sang Hoon Kim handles M&A and international and corporate tax.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • ‘Deep Korean knowledge and insights both from a technical and local practice perspective, as well as an excellent ability to understand quickly the client's agenda and specific considerations and blend that into the Korean environment to help fashion an approach that will work quickly and comprehensively.’

  • ‘Steve Minhoo Kim is outstanding as a client service partner as well as being technically excellent. He conveys the local issues and context in a way that is really relatable for the client, both delivering the nuances of the local considerations but also knowing the likely different concerns or viewpoints that may be front of mind from a parent company jurisdiction perspective.’

  • ‘I believe the biggest strengths of Lee & Ko's Tax and customs practice are their loyalty and attentiveness towards the client, as well as their expertise in Korean tax laws. They are highly responsive and harmonious, work as a team, and provide high-quality deliverables with tight due dates.’

  • ‘Jaewung Cho specialises in customs and trade law, and is always ready to provide practical answers to my questions. He efficiently makes use of his previous career experience as a legal officer in the Korea Customs Service, and is good at providing services in English, which is impressive.’

  • ‘The team at Lee+Ko is class. I interact with legal firms globally daily. Lee+Ko is more professional, more responsive than most firms in the industry.’

  • ‘Lee+Ko are knowledgeable and they take time to communicate with clients in a manner that is relevant to the file and the client. They are quick to respond and bring value to every conversation.’

Key clients

  • Daishin Securities Company
  • Lotte Shopping Co. Ltd.
  • Lotte Hi-Mart
  • Lotte Datviet Home Shopping Co., Ltd.
  • AK Plaza Department Store
  • Korea Rural Community Corporation

Work highlights

Successfully represented HDC Holdings before the District Court in tax litigation concerning the deductibility of expenses charged by a domestic affiliate, focusing on the fair market value standard.
Represented a prominent multinational pharmaceutical company in connection with a non-regular tax audit conducted by the Korean National Tax Service, successfully defending the client against the transfer pricing challenge related to its Korean operations.
Represented Lotte Retailers in high-stakes VAT litigation concerning the taxability of customer point/discount programmes, challenging the NTS’s position that such discounts should be included in the VAT base.
Practice head

Ok Hyun Ma; Tom Kwon

Other key lawyers

Sung Hwan Kim; Kyung Tae Kim; Steve Minhoo Kim; Sang Hoon Kim; Jae Wung Cho

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