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Senior Foreign Attorney
| TEL |
+82-2-772-4328 |
| E-MAIL |
sungmee.hong@leeko.com |
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Sungmee Hong, a foreign-qualified attorney (California, U.S.), is a cross-border transactions specialist who joined Lee & Ko in 1999. She advises domestic and international clients on mergers and acquisitions (M&A), outbound and inbound investments, corporate governance, and corporate restructuring. She is particularly recognized for her strong track record among Korean law firms in advising on investment structuring, joint ventures, local M&A, and corporate governance matters across Southeast Asia, with a particular focus on Vietnam, as well as Cambodia, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Thailand.
Since 2017, she has headed Lee & Ko’s Vietnam Practice Group, overseeing major investment projects and the market entry of leading Korean companies into Vietnam. Drawing on her extensive cross-border experience and deep understanding of local legal practice, she provides comprehensive and strategic advice throughout all stages of a transaction, from contract negotiations through closing.
Education
| 1998 |
Whittier School of Law - J.D. |
| 1993 |
University of California, Irvine - B.A. in Psychology |
Work Experience
Expertise
| Mergers & Acquisitions |
| Corporate Governance |
| Foreign Investment |
| Outbound Investment |
| Vietnam · Southeast Asia |
Admissions & Qualifications
| Admitted to the California State Bar(1998) |
Languages
Representative Matters
[Banking and Financial Sector M&A]
- Advised major Korean commercial banks in their attempted acquisitions of micro-finance institutions in Cambodia
- Advised Woori Bank in its acquisition of Wealth Development Bank in the Philippines
- Advised a major Korean commercial bank in its attempted acquisition of minority stakes in a publicly listed commercial bank in the Philippines
- Advised Shinhan Capital in its acquisition of a securities company in Indonesia and subsequent exit from the investment
- Advised several major Korean banks and securities companies with regard to M&A and NPL trading in Vietnam
[M&A Experience in Other Sectors]
- Advised GS Home Shopping's joint venture project in Indonesia
- Advised Lotte in the investment and launch of duty-free businesses in the Thailand and Vietnam
- Advised a major corporation in its attempted acquisition of controlling stake in a publicly listed logistics company in Vietnam
- Advised E-mart in its joint venture project in the hypermarket business in Mongol
- Advised Key Safety Systems in its acquisition of Image-Next
- Advised eBay's investments into Hellomarket
- Advised LG Household and Health Care's joint venture projects in China
- Advised THE FACE SHOP's joint venture projects in China
- Advised Shinsegae in the joint venture with a foreign investor for Hanam Square project and Shinsegae Dongdaegu CTC (Transportation Hub) project
- Advised SK in its joint venture project with Nippon Oil in Ulsan Complex
- Advised Lotte Chilsung in the joint venture project with Asahi Beverage
- Advised LG Electronics in the multi-jurisdictional restructuring project with Hitachi
- Advised CJ E&M in the multi-jurisdictional restructuring project with FOX
- Advised CJ O Shopping in its acquisition of OnMedia Corporation
- Advised Lotteria in the acquisition of Burger King Japan
- Advised LG Household and Health Care in the acquisition of Haitai Beverage
- Advised Leoni Bordnetz-Systeme GmbH in its acquisition of shares in DLS and Daekyung T&G
- Advised Goldman Sachs Asset Management in its acquisition of shares in Macquarie-IMM Investment Management
- Advised ERGO International AG in its acquisition of shares in Daum Direct Auto Insurance
- Advised TJ Media in its acquisition of DREAM SAS
- Advised Hanjin in the joint venture project with Central Asian Trans in Uzbekistan
- Advised Hanwha Chemical Corporation in the joint venture projects in Saudi Arabia with Sipchem
Awards & Recognitions
| 2025 |
selected as 'Notable Practitioner' (Restructuring and insolvency, M&A) by IFLR1000 |
| 2024 |
selected as 'Notable Practitioner' (Restructuring and insolvency, M&A) by IFLR1000 |
| 2023 |
selected as 'Notable Practitioner' (Restructuring and insolvency, M&A) by IFLR1000 |
| 2022 |
selected as 'Notable Practitioner' (Restructuring and insolvency, M&A) by IFLR1000 |
| 2021 |
selected as 'Notable Practitioner' (Restructuring and insolvency, M&A) by IFLR1000 |
| 2020 |
selected as 'Notable Practitioner' (Restructuring and insolvency, M&A) by IFLR1000 |
| 2019 |
selected as 'Notable Practitioner' (Restructuring and insolvency, M&A) by IFLR1000 |