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Lee & Ko has been recognized as a top-tier law firm in Managing IP’s 2026 IP Stars rankings across several key categories, including Trademark Disputes, Patent Disputes, Copyright & Related Rights, and IP Transactions. Of particular note, the firm has maintained the highest ranking in IP Transactions for six consecutive years since the category was first introduced, further underscoring its exceptional depth of expertise in this specialized area.

In the individual rankings, nine Lee & Ko attorneys and patent attorneys were recognized as IP Stars, Rising Stars, and Notable Practitioners, reflecting their distinguished expertise and achievements in the intellectual property field.

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

Lee & Ko’s IP Practice Group draws on its extensive international network to provide clients with sophisticated legal services in IP-related disputes and advisory matters across the United States, Europe, Japan and other major jurisdictions. Combining a deep understanding of both technology and law, the Group consistently delivers strategic and commercially effective solutions in complex 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.

Managing Intellectual Property, also known as 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 jurisdiction and practice area.

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 LLC held the "IFA Korea Monthly International Tax Forum" on Thursday, May 28, 2026, in collaboration with IFA(Chairman: Park Hun, Vice President of the University of Seoul).
 
Under the main theme of "Recent Issues in Transfer Pricing Practice," this forum was attended by more than 70 participants, including international tax experts from major law firms and accounting firms, academics, and association members. The forum participants engaged in in-depth discussions regarding the latest transfer pricing trends and practical issues.
 
In the emergency diagnostic session, Foreign Attorney Kyu-Bin Kang of Lee and Ko delivered a presentation on the topic of "California Corporate Tax Reform and Korean Companies." This session covered the key details of the corporate tax reform currently being pursued in California, its impact on Korean companies operating there, and key implications that need to be reviewed in practice.
 
The first session was conducted in a Fireside Chat format under the theme of "Practical Trends in MAP/APA related to Transfer Pricing." Steve Minhoo Kim, a senior Foreign Attorney at Lee and Ko, served as the moderator, while the panelists included Partner Hye-jin Jeon of Samil PwC, Managing Director Ju-won Park of Deloitte, CPA Jae-seok Park of Kim & Chang, and Senior Managing Director Sang-hoon Kim of KPMG. Focusing on Mutual Agreement Procedures (MAP) and Advance Pricing Agreements (APA), this session broadly covered operational trends in the practice environment where both the number and complexity of cases are increasing, the strategic selection and utilization of each procedure, and issues that practitioners must be aware of during consultations with tax authorities.
 
The second session was held under the theme of "Case Studies on DEMPE Regulations."  Partner Philje Cho of Lee and Ko delivered the presentation, while Managing Director Dong-Hoon Ha of EY Korea, Foreign CPA Tae-Hyung Kim of Yulchon LLC, and Attorney Si-Won Hur of Yoon and Yang participated in the panel discussion. Focusing on recent practical cases regarding the functional analysis of the Transfer Pricing Guidelines' DEMPE (Development, Enhancement, Maintenance, Protection, Exploitation), this session engaged in the discussions on Function, Asset, and Risk (FAR) analysis in intangible asset transactions, criteria for determining economic ownership, points of divergence with tax authorities, and strategies for dispute prevention.
 
The forum concluded with closing remarks by Junghong Kim, IFA Korea Incoming Chair, who expressed his deep gratitude to all presenters, discussants, and attendees, and stated that IFA Korea will continue to faithfully fulfill its role as a central platform for the exchange between practice and academia in the field of international taxation.

On May 26, 2026, Steve Minhoo Kim, Pilje Cho, and Jaekyoung Han, all from Lee & Ko's Tax group, delivered a presentation at the ECCK Tax Forum on the topic “The Korean Tax Landscape: Traditional Principles, Modern Enforcement.”

The seminar, held for members of the European Chamber of Commerce in Korea (ECCK), examined the Korean tax authorities’ increasingly practical and proactive approach to taxation in a changing global tax environment. The speakers discussed recent enforcement trends, including the application of traditional international tax concepts such as permanent establishment (PE) and transfer pricing (TP) from a modern market-oriented perspective, and highlighted key implications for multinational enterprises operating in Korea.

On May 22, 2026, Steve Minhoo Kim of Lee & Ko's Tax group participated as a panelist in the AMCHAM Taxation Committee Meeting, where he joined Professor Robert J. Danon and other leading international tax professionals in discussing the OECD’s recently released 2026 Manual on Effective Mutual Agreement Procedures (MEMAP).

The seminar, attended by members of the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea (AMCHAM), explored practical guidance and best practices for the effective use of Mutual Agreement Procedures (MAP), as well as recent developments in international tax dispute resolution. The discussion also covered the OECD’s tax certainty agenda and the evolving landscape of cross-border tax dispute prevention and resolution.

Lee & Ko held a seminar on “Recent Key Legal Issues,” including the mandatory cancellation of treasury shares and the proposed anti-stock price suppression legislation, for member companies of the KOSDAQ Association at the KOSDAQ Association Hall on May 22, 2026. The seminar consisted of three sessions, beginning with an introduction by Jinhong Kwon of Lee & Ko.
 
In the first session, Taejung Kim of Lee & Ko’s M&A group delivered a presentation titled “Mandatory Cancellation of Treasury Shares under the Third Amendment to the Commercial Act and Related Response Strategies.” In the presentation, Mr. Kim emphasized that, in response to the revised regulatory environment arising from the mandatory cancellation of treasury shares, companies would need to conduct sufficient review not only of amendments to their articles of incorporation and practical preparations for obtaining shareholder approval of treasury share retention and disposal plans at shareholders’ meetings, but also of issues such as whether treasury shares may be disposed of for management purposes and whether enhanced fairness measures would be required.
 
Next, Sanghoon Kim of Lee & Ko’s Tax group gave a presentation on “The Legislative Purpose and Implications of the Proposed Anti-Stock Price Suppression Act.” The presentation explained the legislative background, purpose, and specific provisions of the proposed amendments relating to the anti-stock price suppression legislation and provided a detailed analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of the proposal through comparison with foreign legislative precedents, as well as its practical impact on the stock market. The presentation also examined potential constitutional concerns and possible supplementary measures in the event the amendments are enacted into law.
 
Finally, Younghoon Song, senior advisor at Lee & Ko, delivered a presentation titled “Reform of the Delisting Regime and Key Considerations for Listed Companies.” This presentation reviewed the implications and practical issues arising from the strengthened delisting standards and explained the measures necessary to address potential future delisting risks, including the enhancement of internal disclosure systems, adjustment of reverse stock split schedules, and management of shareholders’ equity.