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Lee & Ko received dual honors at The Asia Legal Awards 2026, winning ESG Deal of the Year and Projects Lawyer of the Year.

These recognitions highlight the firm's outstanding legal advisory capabilities in the ESG and projects sectors, as well as the individual achievements of Partner Kwang Yul Kim in the projects practice.

 

ESG Deal of the Year

The firm was honored with the ESG Deal of the Year award for its advisory work on the Taepyeong Salt Farm Solar PV Project, a landmark domestic initiative converting salt-affected agricultural land and disused salt pans into large-scale solar energy infrastructure. The accolade recognizes the collaborative expertise of Lee & Ko’s ESG Group, particularly its Projects & Energy Team and Environment Team.

Lee & Ko maintains a dedicated ESG Group comprising experienced professionals across key practice areas, including environment, industrial safety, renewable energy, compliance, corporate governance, and labor and employment, providing comprehensive legal solutions to navigate today’s increasingly complex ESG landscape.

In addition to the Taepyeong Salt Farm project, the ESG Group advised the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment (MCEE) on designing and implementing a pilot initiative for Korea's green chemistry framework, as well as establishing a sustainability assessment system for chemical substances.

The group has also advised on developing carbon reduction methodologies for agricultural greenhouse gas initiatives using methane-reducing microbial technology, assisting clients with regulatory compliance and broader ESG strategy.

 

Projects Lawyer of the Year

Lee & Ko Partner Kwang Yul Kim has been named Projects Lawyer of the Year.

With more than twenty years of legal experience, Mr. Kim is widely recognized for his counsel on major power and energy, project finance, infrastructure, and development matters. He regularly guides domestic and international corporations, funds, and financial institutions through cross-border investments, real asset transactions, development financing and capital markets compliance.

As head of Lee & Ko’s Projects & Energy Team, Mr. Kim continues to lead some of the region's most prominent projects across conventional and renewable energy, construction, and property development.

 

The Asia Legal Awards 2026

Hosted by Law.com International, a legal platform operated by global legal and business information company ALM Media, The Asia Legal Awards is an annual awards program recognizing leading law firms, practitioners, landmark transactions, and in-house legal teams across Asia.

Lee & Ko’s recognition as ESG Deal of the Year and Projects Lawyer of the Year at The Asia Legal Awards 2026 reflects the firm’s notable transaction work and the achievements of its practitioners in the projects sector.

Asian Legal Business (ALB) has once again named Lee & Ko among Asia’s leading ESG law firms in its “ALB Asia Top ESG Law Firms 2026.” This marks the firm’s third recognition in this category, reaffirming Lee & Ko’s depth of expertise, market leadership and continued commitment to ESG-related legal services.

Lee & Ko provides comprehensive, one-stop advisory services through its ESG Group, which brings together dedicated professionals across key practice areas, including Environment, Occupational Safety & Health, Compliance, Corporate, and Labor & Employment. This latest recognition reflects the strength of the firm’s integrated advisory capabilities and its extensive experience in advising on a broad spectrum of ESG mandates.

Notably, Lee & Ko’s ESG Group has worked closely with the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment in shaping Korea’s green chemistry framework and advancing its pilot program, contributing to the development of a robust national system for assessing the sustainability of chemical substances. In the private sector, the Group has advised on the development of greenhouse gas reduction methodologies for agricultural projects utilizing methane-reducing microorganism technology, supporting clients in strengthening their carbon reduction strategies and ESG preparedness.

Lee & Ko has also been actively involved in a wide range of ESG-related matters, including green bond and ESG finance advisory, supply chain and human rights due diligence, and responses to greenwashing investigations. Through these engagements, the firm continues to support clients in building more sustainable, resilient and globally competitive businesses.

Asian Legal Business (ALB), a leading legal industry publication affiliated with Thomson Reuters, identifies outstanding ESG law firms across the Asia-Pacific region based on a comprehensive assessment of expertise, market reputation and client feedback from leading law firms and practitioners.

Lee & Ko has been selected as one of the “2024 Asia Top 15 ESG Law Firms" by Asian Legal Business for the second consecutive year.

This selection highlights the achievements of a one-stop, full service provided by the firm’s ESG Group, an integrated network of its ESG-related teams dedicated to Environment, Occupational Safety & Health, Compliance, Corporate, Labor, and more. It is noted that the Group has garnered positive reviews for its commitment to advancing ESG regulations in Korea, reflecting its efforts in participating in various government service projects to address legal and institutional shortcomings within the ESG framework and devise proactive measures to bolster support for the ESG industry. In recent years, unwavering endeavors to help enhance the global competitiveness of Korean companies have also been made by the Group, offering preemptive measures in response to anticipating full-fledge due diligence legislation on supply chains, such as the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, on a global scale, as well as undertaking extensive ESG due diligence projects to analyze risks found in their business activities with human rights impact assessments, etc. and to identify areas for improvement. In addition, the Group has successfully represented companies in greenwashing investigations to safeguard their brand value and market trust, while remaining committed to addressing emergent negative connotations associated with greenwashing in society.
 
Asian Legal Business, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters, publishes legal industry magazines for the Asia-Pacific region and selects the top 15 law firms in the ESG field in Asia based on experience, expertise, and evaluations from clients and peers.

Lee & Ko has been selected as the only Korean law firm on the "Asia’s Top 15 ESG Law Firms for 2023" by Asian Legal Business.

Lee & Ko has expanded and reorganized its ESG-related practices, which were previously conducted by its Corporate M&A, Finance, Environment, Occupational Safety and Health, Compliance and Labor & Employment teams, into a one-stop, full service team dedicated to ESG. With its extensive and in-depth advisory experience and expertise, the firm is committed to providing top-notch ESG consulting service and legal advice to its clients in their ESG management. In addition to advising numerous global companies on their structuring of ESG compliance systems that meet not only domestic laws but also international standards, the firm also supports the government and companies in every step to implement and advance their ESG systems by identifying the latest developments in ESG trends, such as the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive and the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, and providing all-rounded advice to help them take proactive approaches in addressing various domestic and international ESG regulatory risks. In particular, Lee & Ko played a leading role in the successful issuance of EUR 1.5 billion (approx. KRW 2.38 trillion) worth of bonds by the Export-Import Bank of Korea, of which EUR 550 million worth of two-year floating rate notes (FRNs) were issued as green bonds designated exclusively for eco-friendly projects. Such contribution by Lee & Ko seems to have played a significant part in achieving this award.

Asian Legal Business, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters, publishes a legal magazine focused on the Asia-Pacific region. This year, for the first time, the magazine has selected the top 15 law firms in the ESG field in the Asia region, based on evaluations of experience, expertise, clients, and peers.