Lee & Ko has appointed Hyun Dong Lee, who offers substantial practical experience in corporate compliance and criminal advisory.
Mr. Lee graduated from Seoul National University, College of Law and completed the Judicial Research and Training Institute (19th). He later served as a prosecutor at the Busan, Seoul, and Incheon District Prosecutors’ Offices, where he developed expertise in investigations and criminal justice. He further broadened his global legal perspective through advanced studies at the University of Michigan Law School and Duke University School of Law (LL.M.).
After joining Samsung Group in 2000, Mr. Lee held several senior positions, including Executive Director of the Corporate Restructuring Headquarters, Senior Executive Director of the Group Legal Office, and Vice President, where he was responsible for developing key group-level legal strategies and overseeing risk management. In particular, he played a pivotal role in establishing the compliance framework—one of the core pillars of ESG management—thereby contributing significantly to the embedding of a culture of compliance across Samsung Group.
Beginning in 2016, he acted as Vice President and Head of the Compliance Management Office at Samsung Heavy Industries, and from 2020, he assumed the role of Compliance Officer at Samsung C&T, making significant contributions to enhancing the group’s overall compliance standards.
Mr. Lee will become a member of Lee & Ko’s Corporate Advisory Group, where he will concentrate on advising across the full spectrum of compliance matters, including internal investigations, anti-bribery measures, governance framework development, criminal risk management, and responses to audits and regulatory inquiries. He will place particular emphasis on delivering practical, actionable solutions tailored to the complex regulatory environments confronting multinational corporations and large business groups.
Managing Partner Sanggon Kim (Judicial Research and Training Institute, 23rd) commented, “Mr. Lee is a rare practitioner who has advanced compliance not merely as legal advice, but as an integral component of corporate management strategy. As governance expectations rise for both domestic and international companies, his knowledge and insights will provide substantial value to our clients.”
Mr. Lee added, “Building on my background as a corporate lawyer, I aim to strengthen practical support across the firm to help companies achieve trusted and responsible management. Together with Lee & Ko, I look forward to leading the delivery of legal services that promote sustainable growth and foster transparent corporate governance.”