Recent Developments

Lee & Ko was honored with three major awards at the Asialaw Awards 2025, including the “South Korea Firm of the Year”, “Impact Deal and Case Awards”, and “South Korea Honourable Mention Lawyer (Client Choice Awards).” With these recognitions, Lee & Ko achieved the highest number of awards among Korean law firms this year. 

In the firm category, the “Client Choice Awards – South Korea Firm of the Year” is presented to the firm that receives the highest evaluation from clients, underscoring once again Lee & Ko’s strong client satisfaction and trust. Recognizing high-profile transactions that have made a significant impact on the global and regional stage, the “Impact Deal and Case Awards” honored Lee & Ko for its leading role in three major transactions: the Dangjin Phase 1 Solar Power Project (120 MW capacity) (in the energy sector); ICON Offshore's RM429 million maritime acquisition of equity interests in Vietnamese port operators (in the maritime sector); and the NAIA Airport USD1.38 billion financing (in the finance sector). In the individual category, Jaewoo Kwak, a Partner in Lee & Ko’s Intellectual Property Group, was named “South Korea Honourable Mention Lawyer (Client Choice Awards).” 

Asialaw’s latest annual rankings also distinguished Lee & Ko as an ‘Outstanding Firm’ across all 24 practice areas, reaffirming its outstanding capabilities across a broad spectrum of sectors in Korea and the wider Asia-Pacific region.

The Asialaw Awards are presented by Asialaw, an affiliate of Euromoney, the global financial publication. Each year, the awards celebrate leading law firms across 11 practice areas, 7 industries, and 20 jurisdictions throughout the Asia-Pacific region.
The awards won by Lee & Ko are as follows.
 
[Editor’s Choice Awards]
 Impact Deals and Cases
    - Dangjin Phase 1 Solar Power Project
    - ICON Offshore's RM429 Million Maritime Acquisition
    - NAIA Airport US$1.38 Billion Financing

[Client Choice Awards]
 South Korea Firm of the Year
 South Korea Honourable Mention Lawyer - Jaewoo Kwak

Lee & Ko has once again reaffirmed its position as one of Korea’s premier law firms earning six honors including “Korea Deal Firm of the Year” and “Litigation Law Firm of the Year” at the ALB Korea Law Awards 2025, hosted by Asian Legal Business (ALB), a Thomson Reuters affiliate and one of Asia’s most respected legal publications.

In the Firm Categories, Lee & Ko was recognized as “Korea Deal Firm of the Year”, “Litigation Law Firm of the Year”, and “Tax & Trusts Law Firm of the Year”, achieving its third consecutive recognition in the litigation category. These accolades highlight the firm’s sustained excellence across dispute resolution, corporate advisory, and tax practices, supported by exceptional teamwork and execution capabilities. In particular, the firm achieved significant victories in cases of broad social and economic importance, including the Pohang Earthquake Damages Appeal, the HSBC Short-Selling Criminal Case, and the SK Chemicals Humidifier Disinfectant Case. 

Beyond litigation, the firm’s transactional and advisory expertise was also recognized through its work on several landmark matters, such as LG Energy Solution’s acquisition of assets from Ultium Cells LLC, SK’s sale of SK Specialty, and Lotte Group’s VAT dispute, underscoring the firm’s depth of experience and cross-practice capabilities.

In the Deal Categories, Lee & Ko earned top honors for its exceptional advisory capabilities in M&A and Capital Markets, winning “Debt Market Deal of the Year” for advising on Hanwha Life Insurance’s Tier II Subordinated Capital Securities, “Equity Market Deal of the Year” for LG Chem, Ltd.’s issuance of exchangeable bonds due 2028, and “M&A Deal of the Year” for Korean Air Lines’ acquisition of Asiana Airlines and sale of Asiana Airlines’ cargo business.

The ALB Korea Law Awards celebrate the most outstanding achievements in Korea’s legal market, evaluating law firms and in-house teams based on submitted materials and independent research. These six awards are a testament to Lee & Ko’s unwavering commitment to excellence, innovation, and leadership across all practice areas.

The awards won by Lee & Ko are as follows.
[Firm Categories]
 Korea Deal Firm of the Year 
 Litigation Law Firm of the Year 
 Tax and Trusts Law Firm of the Year 

[Deal Categories]
 Debt Market Deal of the Year (Hanwha Life Insurance Tier II Subordinated Capital Securities)
 Equity Market Deal of the Year (LG Chem, Ltd. Issuance of Exchangeable Bonds due 2028)
 M&A Deal of the Year (Korean Air Lines Acquisition of Asiana Airlines and Sale of Asiana Airlines Cargo Business)

19 lawyers from Lee & Ko have been selected in the '2025 Korea’s Top 100 Lawyers' researched by Asia Business Law Journal. Yong Seok Ahn and Kyu Wha Lee have also been recognized as one of the most influential lawyers in Korea, being named an “ICON” for their ability to provide valuable insights to the legal community based on their extensive experience.
 
The lists of Korea’s Top Lawyers selected from Lee & Ko are as follows:

 Banking & Finance: Woo Young Jung, Yeo Kyoon Yoon
 Capital Markets: Jin Hong Kwon, Hyunjoo Oh
 Competition/Antitrust: Yong Seok Ahn, Hwan Jeong
 Corporate/M&A: Sanggon Kim, Ho Joon Moon, Kyu Wha Lee, Hyeong Gun Lee
 Dispute Resolution: Arbitration: Jinyoung Jung
 Dispute Resolution: Litigation: Won Seok Ko
 Employment: Sang Hoon Lee 
 Insurance: Jin Hong Kwon, Jinyoung Jung
 IP: Jae Hoon Kim, Un Ho Kim
 Projects & Energy: Hun Ko, Dong Eun Kim
 Shipping: Jinyoung Jung, Woo Young Jung
 TMT: Hwan Kyoung Ko, Kwang Bae Park

Asia Business Law Journal (ABLJ), an Asian regional law magazine, conducts research on thousands of domestic and foreign in-house counsel as well as lawyers at international law firms to select the Top 100 lawyers in Korea every year.
 

Lee & Ko has once again reaffirmed its position as Korea’s leading law firm, being recognized as a top-tier firm across all 24 industry sectors and practice areas in Asialaw Profiles 2025. This marks the fifth consecutive year that Lee & Ko has achieved this distinction, an accomplishment unmatched by any other domestic law firm, many of which received top rankings only in select areas.

This recognition reflects Lee & Ko’s breadth of expertise, market-leading capabilities, and client trust across all key areas of legal practice in Korea and the Asia-Pacific region.

In addition, 44 Lee & Ko professionals were honored as Senior Statesman, Elite Practitioner, Distinguished Practitioner, Notable Practitioner, or Rising Star, highlighting the firm’s depth of individual talent and professional excellence.


Industry Sectors 
 Aviation and Shipping
 Consumer goods and Services
 Industrials and Manufacturing
 Insurance
 Pharmaceuticals and Life sciences
 Technology and Telecommunications
 Banking and Financial services
 Energy
 Infrastructure
 Media and Entertainment
 Real estate

Practice Areas
 Banking and Finance
 Competition/Antitrust
 Corporate and M&A
 Intellectual Property
 Labour and Employment
 Regulatory
 Tax
 Capital Markets
 Construction
 Dispute Resolution
 Investment Funds
 Private Equity
 Restructuring and Insolvency


 Banking and Financial services: Woo Young Jung, Yeo Kyoon Yoon, Yong-Jae Chang, Hyunjoo Oh, Seunga Hyun, Myoung Chul Kwak
 Banking and Finance: Woo Young Jung, Yeo Kyoon Yoon, Yong-Jae Chang, Myoung Chul Kwak, Samsung Kim, Min Ha Song
 Capital Markets: Hyunjoo Oh, Seunga Hyun
 Competition/Antitrust: Yong Seok Ahn, Hwan Jeong, Hyun Chul Kim, Jeong-Ho Sun, Jeong Yoon Choi, Suruyn Kim
 Corporate and M&A: Kyu Wha Lee, Sanggon Kim, Ho Joon Moon, Hyeong Gun Lee
 Dispute Resolution: Won Seok Ko, Saemee Kim
 Energy: Dong Eun Kim, Hun Ko, Insoo Kim
 Infrastructure: Dong Eun Kim, Hun Ko, Insoo Kim, Samsung Kim, Min Ha Song
 Insurance: Gidon Nam, Jinyoung Jung, Jin Hong Kwon
 Intellectual Property: Jae Hoon Kim, Un Ho Kim, Keum Nang Park, Jaewoo Kwak, Heon Lee
 Labour and Employment: Sang Hoon Lee, Chang Soo Jin, Hyunseok Song , William Kim
 Media and Entertainment: Kwang Bae Park
 Real estate: Jung Hwan Lee
 Restructuring and Insolvency: Wan Shik Lee, Eunjai Lee, Jung Hyun Lee
 Shipping: Jinyoung Jung , Gidon Nam
 Tax: Ok Hyun Ma, Sung Hwan Kim
 Technology and Telecommunications: Kwang Bae Park, Hwan Kyoung Ko, Samuel (Soon-Yub) Kwon, Yong Seok Ahn

Asialaw Profiles is published annually by Asialaw, an affiliate of the global financial journal Euromoney. Asialaw Profiles ranks law firms and individual practitioners across the Asia-Pacific region based on law firm submissions, client and peer interviews, and independent market research.

 

Lee & Ko has been recognized as a top-tier law firm in Managing IP’s 2025 IP Stars rankings in the categories of Trademark Disputes, Patent Disputes, Copyright & Related Rights, and IP Transactions. Particularly impressive is the firm’s continued success in IP Transactions, where it has maintained the highest ranking for five consecutive years since the category was first introduced, further underscoring its unrivaled expertise in this specialized practice area.

In the individual rankings, 11 Lee & Ko attorneys and patent attorneys have been recognized as IP Stars, Rising Stars, and Notable Practitioners, reflecting their distinguished expertise and achievements in the intellectual property field:


Patent Star: Un Ho Kim, Jae Hoon Kim, Keum Nang Park, Hwan Sung Park
Trademark Star: Jae Hoon Kim, Vera Eun Woo Lee
Rising star: Min Soo Kim, Min Wook Kim, Sung Hoon Kim

Lee & Ko’s Intellectual Property Group leverages its extensive global network to deliver premier legal services in patent disputes across multiple jurisdictions, including the United States, Europe, and Japan. With a deep and precise understanding of both technology and law, the Group consistently achieves favorable outcomes in both litigation and advisory matters. Most recently, Lee & Ko secured a landmark ruling before the Patent Court of Korea, the first decision to hold that posting and selling products covered by a Korean patent on overseas e-commerce platforms constitutes an “offer to assign,” thereby infringing the Korean patent right. This precedent-setting decision, grounded in a sophisticated analysis of cross-border e-commerce transactions and global case law developments, has been recognized as establishing a new interpretive standard for the protection of intellectual property rights.

Lee & Ko also provides comprehensive contractual and IP clearance advice, including matters relating to the Copyright Act, the Unfair Competition Prevention and Trade Secret Protection Act, and rights of publicity, in connection with the production of Netflix series and other major content projects. By combining its deep expertise in copyright and IP transactions with extensive practical know-how, the firm offers production companies effective, tailored legal solutions to ensure the smooth production and distribution of creative works.

Managing Intellectual Property (Managing IP) is a leading international publication in the field of intellectual property. Each year, it publishes the IP Stars rankings based on surveys and interviews with IP professionals worldwide, identifying leading law firms by country and practice area.

Lee & Ko has once again secured Tier 1 ranking in the M&A category of the Asian Legal Business (ALB) M&A Rankings 2025. It has also captured No. 1 position among Korean law firms in both the Bloomberg M&A and Dealsite Capital Markets league tables, reaffirming its market-leading position in both M&A and capital markets advisory.
 
In this year’s Dealsite Capital Markets league table, Lee & Ko achieved the top ranking for M&A legal advisory, outperforming Kim & Chang by an impressive KRW 174.2 billion. Particularly notable was the firm’s second quarter performance, where it overtook the long-time market leader Kim & Chang to become the undisputed No. 1, which industry observers describe as a dramatic reversal that saw the firm making the leap to a market leader. According to Bloomberg’s 2025 first-half M&A league table, based on deal value, Lee & Ko advised on 53 transactions with an aggregate value of USD 7.61 billion, capturing 16.5% market share and securing the top position. The firm’s accomplishments were further highlighted at the Korea Capital Markets thebell League Table Awards 2025 hosted by thebell, where it was honored with the “Best M&A Buyer” award for its role in high-profile acquisitions, including E1 Consortium’s acquisition of Pyeongtaek Energy Service.
 
Asian Legal Business (ALB), a Thomson Reuters publication and a leading legal media platform in the Asia-Pacific region, compiles its rankings each year through extensive surveys and interviews with M&A practitioners across 12 Asian jurisdictions.