Lee & Ko excels across all areas of dispute resolution. Its team of talented and experienced litigators is led by 25 partners and 70 lawyers who together cover more than 40 different specialties. The disputes team frequently collaborates with an extensive roster of practice area specialists, from construction to insolvency, and employs the expertise of industry specialists such as economic analysts, international trade experts, accountants, tax specialists, patent attorneys and regulatory analysts. The firm is a known market leader for handling serious accidents punishment act matters and a specialist NFT team was recently formed to tackle clients’ increasing blockchain technology, cryptocurrency and NFT issues.
A marquee matter for the disputes team was its role in the first case clarifying the scope of personal information handlers, involving Naver Corporation and Gmarket against the Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC). The Lee & Ko lawyers successfully argued that third-party sellers were independent controllers and not subject to the same regulations, leading to a significant ruling that sets a precedent in the e-commerce context. In another high-profile victory, the team defended Kakao against allegations it violated the Financial Investment Services and Capital Markets Act. The client was accused of market manipulation during its acquisition of SM Entertainment’s management rights. Lee & Ko argued that the government's policy was essential for public welfare and successfully defended Kakao, resulting in a favorable court ruling that acknowledged the legitimacy of the acquisition.
Client feedback
"Lee & Ko is a very strong player in the Korean arbitration market. It has seen a lot of change this year in terms of team leadership, but they recently hired Dr EY Park, former co-head of the Kim & Chang team, to lead the global disputes offering, and they promoted Sanghoon Han to lead the international arbitration team - both of which are good moves. I have been appointed by them on around 4-5 commercial arbitrations and have felt well supported on all of them. They work hard and provide high quality legal representation to their clients." – Commercial arbitration
"The overall litigation strategy is excellent, including the collection of litigation materials through effective communication with the client, well-reasoned drafting based on the collected materials, and outstanding arguments during oral hearings." – Intellectual property
"Lee & Ko conducted a forensic investigation and provided appropriate advice on how to dismiss and remove each of the corrupt executives." – Labor and employment
Unho Kim
"He excels at bringing out the full potential of the entire litigation team, is skilled in managing litigation risks, and is dedicated to communication with clients. Despite being the managing partner, he is deeply involved in meetings and drafting and personally delivers arguments during oral hearings."
Young Jin Kim
"Young Jin is very knowledgeable and also a very strong communicator. He is able to explain complex situations in a very succinct manner, and me and the team are able to understand clearly the situation and legal implications he delivers. Attorney Kim figured out the key aspects of the company's overall situation and presented the best alternative by utilizing the latest case law on those aspects."
Jaeheon Park
"Mr. Park is a very diligent and conscientious lawyer who can be contacted early in the morning or late at night and is excellent at forming a team of the best experts within Lee & Ko no matter what issue arises, so he is our main point of contact. He is also a great strength in always communicating with clients with a bright expression and warm attitude. I understand that he has been selected as the best lawyer by the Korean media several times."
