Lee & Ko has established the IT Finance/Digital Assets Team within its Litigation Group in response to the distinctive legal challenges and risks arising from the rapid advancement of digital finance and the emergence of finance sector based on information technology and digital assets sector. The Team delivers integrated solutions to disputes arising across the new financial ecosystem — encompassing blockchain technology, virtual asset exchanges, and digital asset management — by combining the Litigation Group's extensive litigation experience with deep subject-matter expertise in these emerging fields.

The recent tightening of regulatory oversight over the digital asset market has been accompanied by a marked increase in investigations by financial supervisory authorities and the National Tax Service, as well as a surge in criminal matters. Disputes are proliferating across a broad spectrum — from investor protection and disclosure obligations to exchange liability and smart contract disputes — and in the course of such disputes, a growing number of novel legal issues have emerged that existing doctrine and practice are not yet fully equipped to address.

The IT Finance/Digital Assets Team comprises litigation specialists — including numerous former judges — with substantial knowledge and experience in IT finance and digital assets. Working in close coordination with Lee & Ko's Digital Assets Center, the Team represents a diverse client base including digital asset enterprises, exchanges, and investors across a wide range of litigation matters. The Team continuously monitors domestic and international case law and regulatory developments relating to the new financial ecosystem, and brings to bear an approach that integrates technical understanding with rigorous legal analysis to deliver practical solutions to its clients.

Expertise

Disputes relating to the delisting of digital assets on exchanges
Criminal matters involving the operation of digital asset exchanges
Disputes arising from digital asset trading on exchanges
Compulsory enforcement proceedings involving digital assets
Civil and criminal disputes relating to the issuance and distribution of digital assets
Criminal matters involving market manipulation of digital asset prices

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Major Cases

Representation in injunction proceedings and civil litigation concerning the delisting of digital assets determined by the Digital Asset eXchange Alliance (DAXA) (favorable outcome)
Defense in criminal proceedings arising from the operation of a domestic digital asset exchange (acquittal)
Representation in disputes involving erroneous transactions on domestic and international digital asset exchanges
Representation in litigation regarding damages claims arising from account restriction measures and failures in abnormal transaction detection by digital asset exchanges
Representation of digital asset service provider, as third-party obligor, in compulsory enforcement proceedings involving digital assets, resulting in a modification of the enforcement method
Representation in civil litigation concerning digital asset custody agreements
Prosecution and defense of various civil and criminal proceedings relating to the issuance and distribution of digital assets
Representation in arrest warrant application proceedings related to allegations of market manipulation under the Act on the Protection of Virtual Asset Users (warrant denied)