Recent Developments

Lee & Ko Attorney Jin Hun Kim has been selected for Benchmark Litigation Asia-Pacific’s ‘Top 40 Under 40 2026’ in recognition of his outstanding achievements, including his success in a claim valued at approximately KRW 106 billion brought on behalf of the Banpo Jugong Apt. Complex 1 — Districts 1, 2 and 4 — Housing Reconstruction Project Association against the Korea Land and Housing Corporation, seeking registration of transfer of ownership on the grounds of completed acquisitive prescription by possession.

Mr. Kim is a construction and real estate specialist whose practice focuses on litigation and advisory work relating to urban improvement projects, including redevelopment and reconstruction. He has built a strong track record of favorable outcomes across the full spectrum of project-related matters, including injunctions prohibiting general meetings, halting bidding procedures or suspending the performance of official duties; civil actions confirming contractor status and seeking damages; and administrative litigation to invalidate association establishment authorizations or rescind management and disposal plans.

He also achieved the distinction of having a constitutional complaint, filed on behalf of a housing reconstruction project association, referred to the Full Bench of the Constitutional Court — only the second such case since the mechanism was introduced. Most recently, he prevailed on behalf of the Banpo Jugong Apt. Complex 1 Housing Reconstruction Project Association in a claim valued at approximately KRW 106 billion for registration of transfer of ownership based on completed acquisitive prescription by possession. His expertise, capabilities and demonstrated track record have earned him a place on Benchmark Litigation Asia-Pacific’s ‘Top 40 Under 40 2026.’

Benchmark Litigation, published by Delinian, formerly Euromoney, is a globally renowned publication focusing on dispute resolution and litigation. Its ‘Top 40 Under 40’ list recognizes 40 outstanding lawyers under the age of 40 in the Asia-Pacific region based on extensive research and evaluation.

Lee & Ko has been ranked as a Tier 1 law firm in Korea in nine practice areas by ‘Benchmark Litigation Asia-Pacific 2026’, a leading publication focusing on dispute resolution and litigation. 

Notably, Lee & Ko was also recognized as a Recommended Firm in the newly introduced Government and Regulatory category, further demonstrating the firm’s exceptional capabilities and competitiveness across a broad range of dispute resolution and regulatory matters. 


 Commercial and Transactions  
 Competition/Antitrust 
 Construction 
 Insolvency 
 Intellectual Property 
 Labor and Employment 
 Product Liability and Recall 
 Tax 
 White Collar Crime 

In addition, 54 Lee & Ko attorneys were selected as either ‘Litigation Stars’ or ‘Future Stars’ for their outstanding achievements in their respective fields.


- Litigation Stars
 Competition/Antitrust: Jangwoo Park, Jeong-Ho Sun, Pyoung Keun Song,  Hwan Jeong, Suruyn Kim
 Commercial and Transactions: Won Seok Ko, Jae Heon Park, Dajoo Jung, Jin Soo Han, Chang Ho Seong, Kiri Yi
 Construction: Myung Jong Kim, Seon Tae Kim, Chanik Jang, Yang Rak Kim, Jae Sung Yoo
 Government and Regulatory: Taeyop Lee, Kwangbae Park
 Intellectual Property: Un Ho Kim, Keum Nang Park, Hayoun Chun, Heon Lee
 International Arbitration: Sang Hoon Han, Eun Young Park
 Insolvency: Wan Shik Lee, Jung Hyun Lee, Jiwoong Lim
 Labor and Employment: Young Jin Kim, Hyunseok Song, Sang Hoon Lee, Chang Soo Jin
 Tax: Tom Kwon, Sung Hwan Kim, Ok Hyun Ma, Kyung Tae Kim, Steve Minhoo Kim, Jung Ho Ryu
 White Collar Crime: Jae Deog Bae, Jin So, Taeyop Lee, Younsub Jang, Jangwoo Park

- Future Stars
 Competition/Antitrust: Byong Ki Chung
 Construction: Gangcheol Chu, Janghee Yoon, Joo Hye Hong
 Intellectual Property: Jaewoo Kwak, Hyeon Gil Ryoo
 International Arbitration: Grace Yoon
 Labor and Employment: William Kim, Se young Kang, Yong Su Oh
 Product Liability and Recall: Dajoo Jung, Soo Yeon Oh
 White Collar Crime: Ki Jung Sung, Kyeong-seop Yoon

Benchmark Litigation conducts its annual rankings based on in-depth analysis of law firm submissions, as well as interviews with legal practitioners, clients, and litigation experts.
 

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 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
 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: 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, a global legal production, 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 received the honor of “South Korea Firm of the Year” at the Benchmark Litigation Asia-Pacific Awards 2025.

Presented annually by Benchmark Litigation, a leading global publication dedicated to litigation and dispute resolution, the “South Korea Firm of the Year” is awarded to only one leading firm in each country in the field of dispute resolution. Lee & Ko, recognized consecutively from 2021 to 2023, has received the esteemed accolade once again, reaffirming its continued standing as a top-tier dispute resolution practice in South Korea. This recognition reflects the firm’s competence and excellence in handling complex dispute resolution matters, as notably demonstrated by the IP Practice Group securing a final victory for Coway in a prolonged, nearly 11-year infringement dispute with ChungHo Nais over ice-making water purifier technology.

In addition, two of the firm’s attorneys garnered individual honors: Joohye Hong, a partner of the Real Estate & Construction Group was selected for the “Top 40 Under 40 2025.”
Asia-Pacific’s “Top 100 Women in Litigation” recognizes 100 distinguished female professionals within the region, selected through months of in-depth research. 

On the other hand, Asia-Pacific’s “Top 40 Under 40” recognizes 40 lawyers, the most accomplished litigators under 40, selected through rigorous research and high evaluations. Ms. Hong is a construction and real estate specialist with strong industry experience in construction, real estate, energy, and social overhead capital (SOC) projects. Her practice includes negotiating EPC contracts related to the export of nuclear reactors to the Dukovany plant in the Czech Republic, providing regular legal counsel for overseas nuclear power plant exports for projects in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, and representing special purpose companies established for privately financed infrastructure projects such as railways, particularly in cases involving total project cost increases and insurance claims. She also provides guidance and legal representation on a wide range of construction-related matters, including disputes arising from power plant construction projects.

Benchmark Litigation annually hosts the Benchmark Litigation Asia-Pacific Awards, which recognize the most notable dispute resolution cases and law firms in the Asia-Pacific region each year, based on law firm submissions, interviews with litigation experts, and independent research.

Lee & Ko was selected as an outstanding law firm in all 24 sectors (below) of ‘Asialaw Profiles 2023 (28th edition)’ for three consecutive years.

In addition to the top law firm for all 8 categories of IFLR 1000 2023 edition, the firm has also been ranked as an outstanding law firm in all 24 categories of Asialaw profiles 2023 and was recognized once again for its high level of competence as a leading law firm in Korea. The fact that Lee & Ko was rated outstanding in all sectors evaluated by Asialaw should be taken as a considerable distinction which sets them apart from other domestic law firms that have only received outstanding rankings in certain fields.

Additionally, 41 Lee & Ko professionals were named Elite practitioner/ Distinguished practitioner/ Notable practitioner/ Rising star/ Senior Statesman and these individuals were provided special recognition for their expertise in the field.
 
[Firm Rankings]

Industry Sectors
 Aviation and Shipping
 Banking and Financial Services
 Consumer Goods and Services
 Energy
 Industrials and Manufacturing
 Infrastructure
 Insurance
 Media and Entertainment
 Pharmaceuticals and Life Sciences
 Real Estate
 Technology and Telecommunications

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

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


Asialaw Profiles is published by Asialaw, which is an affiliate of the global financial journal Euromoney, and each year Asialaw Profiles ranks law firms and professionals in the Asia-Pacific region based on law firm submissions, interviews with lawyers and clients, and independent research and announces the results.

Lee & Ko was selected as Tier 1 law firm in Korea for the every 10 categories by ‘Benchmark Litigation Asia-Pacific 2023.’ All categories are listed below. 

Commercial and Transactions  Competition/Antitrust  Construction  Insolvency  Intellectual Property  International Arbitration  Labor and Employment  Product Liability and Recall  Tax  White Collar Crime 

Also, 46 Lee & Ko attorneys were chosen as ‘Litigation Star’ and ‘Future Star’ and were recognized for their achievements in their respective fields.

Benchmark Litigation is a world-renowned publication which highlights the fields of dispute resolution and litigation and publishes rankings based on in-depth analysis of submissions by law firm and interviews with lawyers, clients, and litigation experts every year.