Recent Developments

December 31, 2025
The Asia Business Daily reported on the M&A advisory achievements of Lee & Ko, stating, “Lee & Ko, with its 120-member M&A group, has demonstrated strength in cross-border deals and private equity transactions." It further noted, "With the cross-border team led by Ki Wook Kang, and the private equity team led by Daehoon Koo (35th Class of the Judicial Research and Training Institute) at the core, Kyungchun Kim (35th), Sung Min Kim (36th), Tae Jung Kim (37th) have joined to expand the firm's portfolio from large corporate M&As to tech and startup transactions." The report added, “Daehoon Koo has has successfully closed several high-profile deals this year alone, including the acquisition of DIG Airgas by the French company Air Liquide (worth 4.6 trillion won), the sale of LG Chem's Water Solutions business, and the acquisition of Ourhome by Hanwha Hotels & Resorts, all of which have drawn significant market attention."

July 2, 2025
Legal Times has reported on the M&A advisory performance of Lee & Ko for the first half of the year. According to Legal Times, “In Bloomberg’s 2025 first-half M&A league table based on deal value, Lee & Ko advised on 53 deals totaling USD 7.611 billion, holding a 16.5% market share and securing the top position.”

June 30, 2025

Seoul Economic Daily reported that Kyung Gyoon Park of Lee & Ko has been selected as one of the "Best Lawyers of the First Half of the Year" for providing advisory on key M&A deals. The article introduces Mr. Park as an M&A specialist, noting that he is "a guarantee of successful negotiations, bridging both large corporations and private equity funds (PEFs)." Seoul Economic Daily also mentioned, “Since joining Lee & Ko in 2013, Mr. Park has advised on transactions for major corporations such as LG, SK, HD Hyundai, Lotte, Shinsegae, as well as PEFs. His successful engagements include advising on JKL’s investment in Pluglink, Astra Asset Management’s acquisition of KC, JKL’s acquisition of Come In Wash, Eum Private Equity’s sale of Koryo Nobel Explosives, and Shinsegae International’s acquisition of Amuse.”
 

December 12, 2024
The performance of the Corporate Practice Group of Lee & Ko was reported by Legal Times in “Korea’s Corporate Legal Market Review of 2024.” Legal Times stated, "According to Bloomberg's cumulative 3rd quarter M&A league table, Lee & Ko topped the list in terms of deal value with a market share of 31.1%, having advised on 71 transactions worth $30.976 billion for the year to date, surpassing Kim & Chang. The results of full-year league table, including the 4th quarter, are awaited.” The report also highlighted that Lee & Ko’s M&A team consistently provides efficient and accurate advisory services, offering creative solutions to even the most complex and challenging requests from clients.
 

October 4, 2024
Legal Times reported on the M&A advisory achievements of Lee & Ko, stating that “Lee & Ko has advised on a cumulative total of 71 deals amounting to a deal value of USD 30.976 billion until the third quarter, achieving a market share of 31.1% and surpassing the previously leading law firm Kim & Chang to claim the top position in terms of transaction size.”

July 3, 2023 - Yonhap Infomax reported that the firm's performance in the legal advisory sector of the M&A market stands out. According to Yonhap Infomax, "In particular, if we isolate the second quarter of this year, the number of Lee & Ko’s transactions is overwhelming compared to that of competing law firms." Yonhap Infomax said "The total value of transactions Lee & Ko advised for the second quarter is KRW 3.8955 trillion, very close to that of the leading law firm, Kim & Chang (KRW 4.947 trillion)." Yonhap Infomax added that Lee & Ko's strong network and stable relationships with major domestic companies seem to have led to its impressive performance, and that it expects Lee & Ko to generate promising performance for the year.

Publication Date: April 20, 2022
The Korea Economic Daily reported on outstanding performance by Lee & Ko’s Litigation and M&A Groups. The Korea Economic Daily stated “Lee & Ko has shown steady growth throughout the legal market’s ups and downs with 14.2% year-on-year increase in revenue to record KRW 366 billion last year.” The Korea Economic Daily further noted that Lee & Ko is comprised of a total of 8 practice groups providing legal services, Corporate/M&A, Banking & Finance, Litigation & Arbitration, Intellectual Property, Tax & Customs, Antitrust & Competition, Labor & Employment, and White-Collar Crimes, and such specialization strategy is key to Lee & Ko’s sustained growth.

Publishing Date: 2022. 01. 14. The Legal Times selected Lee & Ko Law Firm’s Sang Gon Kim attorney as 2021’s South Korea’s leading lawyer
 
As the leading M&A expert in Lee & Ko, Sang Gon Kim is highly praised for representing in highest number of cases in South Korea. As of December of 2021, Lee & Ko has advised on more than 260 successfully signed merger and acquisition deals. Mr. Kim with more than 28 years of accumulated experience advised restructuring of leading Korean companies across multiple industries.