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Lee & Ko has once again demonstrated its market-leading capabilities across the full spectrum of patent practice in the IAM Patent 1000 2026 rankings. The firm received the highest band ranking of Gold in both Litigation and Prosecution, and was also recognized as Highly Recommended in Transactions and Recommended in Trade Secrets. This marks the firm’s 12th consecutive year in the Gold band for Litigation and its fourth consecutive year as a Highly Recommended firm for Transactions.

Of particular note, 11 Lee & Ko attorneys and patent attorneys were named as Recommended Individuals across Litigation, Prosecution, Transactions and Trade Secrets, reflecting their outstanding expertise, technical sophistication and market-leading capabilities across all key areas of patent practice.

 
  Litigation: Un Ho Kim, Hayoun Chun, Hwan Sung Park, Hyeon Gil Ryoo, John Kim, Keum Nang Park, Boo Gyu Kwak, Yong Sup Kim
  Prosecution: Hyeon Gil Ryoo, Sungsoo (Sean) Hwang
  Transactions: Hayoun Chun, Yong Jin Cho
  Trade Secrets: Hong Seon Kim

Lee & Ko’s IP Practice Group provides sophisticated legal services across the full life cycle of patent matters, from patent prosecution and portfolio strategy to high-stakes litigation, technology transactions and trade secret disputes. Drawing on its extensive international network and deep understanding of both technology and law, the Group advises clients in Korea and across major jurisdictions, including the United States, Europe and Japan, delivering strategic and commercially effective solutions in complex cross-border IP matters.

A recent example of the Group’s litigation capabilities is its successful defense of Samsung Heavy Industries in a patent infringement action and related invalidation proceedings initiated by a Canadian company in connection with a floating LNG project involving Samsung Heavy Industries and Cedar LNG. The favorable outcome helped the project proceed without legal impediment.
The Group also successfully defended Korean semiconductor company Eugene Technology in a patent infringement action brought by a Japanese competitor, while pursuing a robust invalidation strategy that further reinforced the firm’s strength in semiconductor-related patent disputes. In addition, the Group’s active involvement in cross-border trade secret disputes continues to enhance its reputation for global competitiveness in high-stakes IP matters.

IAM is a leading global patent publication that conducts extensive research each year, including submissions, surveys and interviews with patent professionals, law firms and clients around the world. Based on this research, IAM identifies and ranks leading law firms and practitioners in the patent field by jurisdiction and practice area.

Lee & Ko has once again garnered top-tier recognition across all evaluated categories in the 2025 edition of the IAM Patent 1000. The firm earned the highest band ranking of “Gold” in both patent litigation and prosecution, along with additional distinctions as “Highly Recommended” in transactions and “Recommended” in trade secret litigation. This marks the 11th consecutive year that the firm has ranked in the Gold tier for litigation and the fourth year running as a Highly Recommended firm for transactions. Notably, 10 attorneys and patent attorneys at Lee & Ko have been listed as “Recommended Individuals” across all key practice areas—litigation, prosecution, transactions, trade secrets, etc.—in recognition of their exceptional expertise in the patent field. 

 
 Litigation: Un Ho Kim, John Kim, Keum Nang Park, Hwan Sung Park, and Hayoun Chun
 Prosecution: Hyeon Gil Ryoo and Sungsoo (Sean) Hwang
 Transactions: Hayoun Chun and Yong Jin Cho
 Trade secrets: Hong Seon Kim

Lee & Ko’s IP Practice Group provides legal services catered to clients in response to various IP-related disputes in the United States, Europe, Japan, and other countries by leveraging its extensive overseas network while delivering optimal outcomes in IP-related consultancy and disputes through a nuanced understanding of both technology and law. A prime example of the group’s litigation excellence is its recent success representing Coway in a long-running patent infringement dispute with ChungHo Nais over ice water purifier technology. Following three years of protracted hearings, the Korean Supreme Court issued a final judgment in favor of Coway, bringing to an end the lengthy legal battle between the two companies that spanned 11 relentless years. Widely regarded as the longest-running patent litigation in Korea, this case began in 2014 when ChungHo Nais filed a complaint for patent infringement and damages against Coway. ChungHo Nais prevailed in the court of first instance, with the court acknowledging infringement claims and awarding significant compensation. Amid its multiple, though unsuccessful, patent invalidation attempts, Coway newly retained Lee & Ko in 2022 for the appellate phase, and stepping in at a pivotal juncture, the firm eventually secured a complete dismissal of all claims brought by ChungHo Nais, culminating a dramatic reversal and a landmark victory on behalf of Coway before the Supreme Court in this high-profile patent dispute.

Lee & Ko’s IP Practice Group also successfully represented Wonik PNE in a case involving the unauthorized patent registration of a secondary battery activation device developed by one of its employees in the course of performing official duties, by leading the case from filing a patent ownership transfer suit to securing a favorable ruling on behalf of Wonik PNE. In addition, the group is at the forefront of protecting companies from the leakage or misappropriation of their core technologies through its active engagement in trade secret litigation. As additionally evidenced by a recent court victory on behalf of Naver, where the firm obtained an injunction against unauthorized crawling of real estate listing data, Lee & Ko continues to reaffirm its strong track record across the full spectrum of IP law, including patents, trade secrets, and copyrights. This year’s newly awarded Gold ranking in the prosecution category further highlights its deep bench and outstanding expertise throughout all facets of IP matters.

IAM is a global patent publication released every year that conducts surveys and interviews with patent experts and law firms all over the world, and ranks the best law firms and experts in the patent field by country and sector, based on submissions and client feedback.