Recent Developments

April 22, 2025, The Korea Economic Daily featured Lee & Ko’s Management Dispute Team in a special report on law firms. The report described Lee & Ko’s team as the "living history" of management disputes in Korea, noting that they have been actively involved since more than 20 years ago, when the concept of management disputes itself was not clearly defined. The team has continued to make a strong presence in high-profile corporate management disputes, including cases involving SM Entertainment, Hanmi Pharm, Hanjin Kal, and Osstem Implant. The Management Dispute Team is led by Managing Partner Ho Joon Moon and consists of key members including Sejoong Lee of the Corporate Advisory Group led by Ho Joon Moon, and Dajoo Jung, of the Litigation Group. Ho Joon Moon commented, "Management disputes is where Lee & Ko’s strengths in traditional M&A and litigation really come to the forefront, marking the firm’s resurgence in its prime."

On April 22, 2025, the Korea Economic Daily published an interview with Sang Gon Kim, Managing Partner of Lee & Ko, in its special feature on law firms. In the interview, Mr. Kim highlighted, “This year, Lee & Ko will continue to grow based on amicable relationships with corporate clients who lead the outbound deal market.” Moreover, confirming the plan to establish the Singapore office aimed at the international dispute market, he added, “Lee & Ko will not only increase its contact points with the international arbitration market through local offices, but also accelerate full-fledged exchanges with global financial institutions.”

On April 17, 2025, the JoongAng Ilbo featured the Corporate Control Disputes Team of Lee & Ko. The article reported, “Lee & Ko has established a permanent task force dedicated to corporate control disputes, providing comprehensive responses ranging from shareholder and Proxy advisory firm engagement to media strategies.”
It went on to explain, “Responding to corporate control disputes requires expertise in both traditional M&A and litigation. This makes it an area where Lee & Ko, a longstanding powerhouse in M&A and a rapidly rising player in litigation, can showcase its strengths most effectively.”
The article continued, “Responding to disputes over corporate control—a field regarded as the epitome of M&A—requires a multifaceted approach that takes into account hostile opponents and various stakeholders, as well as the ability to adapt to constantly evolving circumstances. In this regard, extensive M&A experience is absolutely essential.”
Finally, the article emphasized, “Lee & Ko has consistently received top-tier (Band 1) rankings from major domestic and international evaluation agencies such as Chambers and The Legal 500 for decades. This solid foundation enables the firm to deliver optimal strategies for any type of corporate control dispute.”

On March 30, 2025, Seoul Economic Daily reported on the victory of Lee & Ko’s Intellectual Property Practice Group. The article stated, “Lee & Ko’s Intellectual Property Practice Group successfully represented Wonik PNE, a manufacturer of secondary battery activation devices, in a lawsuit over patent ownership against a competing company.” It further highlighted that “after a prolonged dispute lasting three years and four months, Lee & Ko’s Intellectual Property Practice Group secured decisive victories for Wonik PNE before both the court of first instance and the court of second instance.” During the litigation process, Lee & Ko attorneys proved that the patent was the result of an employee invention developed by Wonik PNE employees during their work duties, thereby preventing the leakage of core technologies.

On March 27, 2025, the Maeil Business Newspaper reported that Lee & Ko has recruited Mr. Zachary Sharpe to join its international arbitration team. Mr. Sharpe, former head of the Global Disputes practice at the global law firm Jones Day’s Singapore office, is an expert in international dispute resolution with expertise and experience in matters involving Korean companies. He is known as an expert on the Korean market for his deep understanding of its corporate culture and practical business operations, which is extraordinary for a foreign attorney. After graduating from George Washington University Law School, Mr. Sharpe worked at a Korean law firm for approximately six years, gaining extensive experience in matters including shipping and shipbuilding. He also spent approximately five years at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, handling various disputes involving shipbuilding, infrastructure, and offshore engineering projects. Mr. Sharpe will serve as the co-head of the international arbitration team alongside Dr. Eun Young Park, who joined Lee & Ko last October.

On March 23, 2025, the Employment & Labor Practice Group of Lee & Ko was featured in detail by Aju Business Daily. The article stated, “Lee & Ko recognized from the outset that, in order for individual companies to respond swiftly and effectively to complex and diverse labor issues, assistance from a group of experts with extensive experience is essential and accordingly launched its Employment & Labor Practice Group at the firm’s founding stage and has continued its activities ever since.”

As a representative achievement, the article highlighted a case involving a lawsuit to confirm the invalidity of disciplinary action, in which the legality of on-site monitoring measures to verify misconduct was at issue.

Aju Business Daily explained, “The case involved an employer filming a sales employee who was working outside the office, and subsequently terminating the employee based on the video footage. The court held that the act of filming to collect evidence of misconduct could not be deemed surveillance or a violation of human rights.” The article further stated, “Lee & Ko's involvement in this case provided both theoretical and practical significance by establishing a guideline regarding the measures an employer may take to maintain workplace discipline.”

On March 18, 2025, Money Today reported in detail on the establishment of Lee & Ko’s Environmental Crime Team. According to Money Today, “Lee & Ko has launched the Environmental Crime Team to enhance expertise in handling environmental criminal cases and to provide multifaceted legal solutions for complex and emerging types of criminal cases arising in industrial environments.”

The report further stated, “The Environmental Crime Team will handle cases relating to violations of various environmental regulations, including air, water, and soil pollution, waste management, and the control of hazardous chemicals and toxic substances, covering the entire process from investigation to litigation.”

Additionally, the report noted, “Lee & Ko’s Environmental Crime Team, is composed of experts in the environmental field, as well as former prosecutors and law enforcement officials specializing in criminal cases, enabling the team to go beyond legal defense during investigations and proactively develop effective legal solutions by taking into account potential administrative actions, legislative trends, and industry-specific factors.”

On March 10, 2025, Legal News published a detailed report on the “2025 First-Half Industrial Relations Response Seminar” hosted by Lee & Ko. According to Legal News, "the seminar featured three sessions focusing on recent legal issues, including labor commission matters, Supreme Court precedents, and the Serious Accidents Punishment Act, providing practical insights into corporate response strategies." The article further highlighted that: Session 1 featured Seong-ho Kim, Chairman of the Seoul Regional Labor Relations Commission, who presented on 'The Current Status, Role, and Future Direction of the Labor Commission.' Session 2 was led by Young-jin Kim, a former research judge at the Supreme Court and current attorney at Lee & Ko, who discussed 'Recent Supreme Court Stance on Labor Cases and Future Outlook.' And Session 3 was presented by Sang-hyun Lee, a former Chief Prosecutor of the Gyeongju Branch of the Daegu District Prosecutors’ Office and now an attorney at Lee & Ko, who addressed 'Safety Management Strategies for Subcontractors in Light of Recent Investigations and Judicial Precedents.'

On March 2, 2025, the Korea Economic Daily highlighted the growing influence of female attorneys at Lee & Ko, noting, “Hyunjoo Oh, a leading partner in Lee & Ko, distinguishes herself as the sole female member of its management committee, while Elizabeth Shin, a foreign attorney, is recognized as one of the top performers in international arbitration practice."

February 28, 2025
An interview with Tae Jung Kim and Hee Woong Lee, Lee & Ko’s attorneys, was featured in EDAILY. In response to questions about the upcoming shareholders' meeting season in March, they stated, "Individual investors' interest in the capital market has significantly increased compared to the past. As a result, there is greater attention on shareholders' meetings, and recently, approval of executive compensation limits and the actions of minority shareholders have become key issues."

Additionally, Tae Jung Kim emphasized, "Recent lower court rulings have suggested that the voting rights of major shareholders on matters such as executive compensation limits should be restricted even in cases of compensation limits for registered executives," noting that if the Supreme Court confirms such rulings, there will likely be increased pressure from minority shareholders. As such, he further stressed that companies should thoroughly prepare in advance to gain the support of external shareholders by establishing reasonable decision-making criteria.
 

On February 26, 2025, the Korea JoongAng Daily reported that Lee & Ko appointed Partner Ho Joon Moon, a member of the Management Committee, as the new Managing Partner of the Corporate Group and named Partners Chang Ho Seong and Dong Seok Woo as new members of the Management Committee. 

Following a firm-wide meeting, Lee & Ko confirmed the appointment of Mr. Moon as the Managing Partner of the Corporate Group. Since joining the firm in 2001, he has built a distinguished career in corporate law, amassing extensive expertise across a wide spectrum of corporate matters. Having served on the Management Committee since 2022, he has earned strong internal support for his exceptional leadership and strategic acumen, which helps culminate in his appointment to this key role.

In addition, Mr. Seong, an alumnus of Seoul National University College of Law, joined Lee & Ko in 2023 after a well-respected 24-year judicial career. His experience spans key roles, including the Director of Personnel Affairs at the National Court Administration and a presiding judge at the Secretariat for the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Korea, as well as at the Seoul Central District Court. Leveraging his comprehensive knowledge in judicial administration and litigation, he currently handles a wide range of trial and advisory matters.

Mr. Woo, another newly appointed committee member, is a seasoned practitioner with 22 years of experience in acquisition finance and real estate, with a track record of advising on high-profile cases since his arrival at the firm in 2004. He is also widely recognized for his deep expertise in various cross-border investments.

February 12, 2025
EDAILY reported on a seminar titled "Discussion on Practical Issues Related to Shareholders' Meeting Preparation and Operations in In-house Practice," jointly hosted by Lee & Ko and the In-house Counsel Association. The seminar was conducted as a town hall meeting, where Lee & Ko’s lawyers Tae Jung Kim and Hee Woong Lee, along with other lawyers from the Korean In-house Counsel Association, freely exchanged opinions on various relatively small topics based on pre-submitted questions from attendees. The seminar began with the issue of “special interests in the approval of director compensation limits,” which has recently become an important issue due to a series of lower court rulings that conflict with existing practices, and continued with heated discussions on a variety of issues, including “proxies for reviewing proxy statements, including electronic proxy statements,” which is still in the introduction stage, “problems with responding to general meeting attendees,” which is a frequent issue related to general meetings, and “problems with responding to issues raised by minority shareholders,” which is becoming increasingly more severe.