Lee & Ko&'s TMT Practice Group is dedicated to serving the needs of clients in the media, telecommunications and IT sectors. With more than 30 attorneys and industry specialists and with more than 30+ years of experience handling the entire spectrum of regulatory issues that have arisen in the TMT field, we provide well-balanced, insightful and useful guidance to our clients across all legal, policy-making and business aspects of the TMT industry.
Over the years, our TMT Practice Group has advised clients on a wide range of issues including inter-connectivity, rebates, mobile number portability, communication service disputes, mobile banking, product bundling, IPTV, MSO, satellite broadcasting, internet portal operators, e-commerce transactions, online games, IT outsourcing contracts, system development and system solution supply contracts.

Our TMT Practice Group also serves in an advisory capacity to the Ministry of Science, ICT & Future Planning and the Korea Communications Commission on various Korean law issues. We also work closely with the Financial Services Commission and Korea Free Trade Commission in order to render more effective regulatory advice to our clients on seemingly ambiguous regulations. Keeping abreast with new trends in the TMT industry, we always seek to provide insightful guidance to numerous clients in relation to new business opportunities as well.

Our clients speak highly of Lee & Ko’s TMT Practice Group for the provision of tailored, on-point legal advice based on years of experience, an in-depth understanding of the TMT field, and its comprehensive analysis of various regulatory issues. In helping our clients minimize their legal risks, our TMT Practice Group has solidified its position in the industry as the #1 go-to law firm.

The members of our TMT litigation team within the TMT Practice Group have been recognized for their exceptional abilities in successfully representing clients in lawsuits involving overhead cabling fees, interconnection fees, the retransmission of terrestrial TV, and service charges for using electric poles related to the installation of communications lines.

Expertise

Telecommunications

The telecommunications sector is one of the most highly regulated areas in Korea. This requires strategic formulation, coordination and experience in obtaining various regulatory approvals. We understand the unique qualities of different service providers (e.g., cable/wireless service providers, facilities-based/special-value/value-added telecommunications service providers, incumbent/new service providers) and providing tailored solutions for each.

We have represented major international and domestic telecommunications companies based on our years of experience and accumulated knowledge in regulatory clearance, interpretation of applicable law, deal structuring and dispute resolution.

Recently, we have represented SKT in the SKT v. KT interconnection fee lawsuit, advised SKT on its participation in the auction for the highly-covered spectrum of 1.8GHz, represented NOs and SOs in an overhead cabling lawsuit, and took action against the proposed amendment to the Enforcement Decree of the Road Act which would have subjected overhead cables to occupation fees.

Broadcasting and media

Lee & Ko's TMT Practice Group advises a wide range of global and domestic media companies including terrestrial TV broadcasters, cable TV broadcasters, program providers, and other paid TV broadcasters (i.e., satellite TV, IPTV) on various regulatory issues relating to licensing, and represent clients in lawsuits and administrative proceedings.

In this transforming industry, Lee & Ko has been providing optimal legal assistance to clients not only on traditional issues, but also on emerging issues regarding IPTV and OTT.

Some of our most recent representative cases are advising an SO on the lawfulness of DSC services, representing a service operator (“SO”) on the dispute involving the retransmission of terrestrial TV, and assisting the government on the implementation of comprehensive programming channels.

IT (Information Technology)

Korea is one of the most favored test beds for various IT gadgets and products. Lee & Ko's unparalleled up-to-date and well-balanced professional service is enabled by capitalizing on the in-depth knowledge and extensive experience we have accumulated in each of the following areas and fields: e-marketplace, portal/search engine, content regulation, online/mobile-advertising, online/mobile games, IT outsourcing, system development, provision of system solutions, registration of domain names, e-signature certification, e-commerce and so on.

Our representative work includes advising eBay Korea (Korea's largest open market operator) on its online platform, online advertising business, VoIP, and open market operations, advising Korea's largest web portal on its portal operations, and advising Korean Air on its IT outsourcing contract with IBM.

M&A Convergence and New Trends

We advise major multinational and domestic telecommunications, media and technology companies on all aspects of M&A transactions, including joint ventures, spin-offs, restructuring and private acquisitions and divestitures.

Some of our most recent representative cases include advising on the establishment of Korea's all-integrated media content company through the merger of 6 companies, acquisition of Korea's second-largest program provider (On Media) by Korea's top program provider, share acquisitions between broadcasting companies, and share acquisitions between telecommunications service providers.

We also provide our clients with insightful up-to-date guidance on new trends in TMT areas, such as convergence, cloud computing, smart TV, mobile ads, location- based services, app store, U-health and new upcoming trend and regulatory updates inside and outside Korea. Through the foregoing, we further expand our practice and expertise, keeping our clients abreast with recent developments in all TMT sectors.

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Major Cases

Telecommunications

Advising SKT in Korea’s first-ever spectrum auction
Representing SKT on appeal in the SKT v. KT lawsuit arising from disputes relating to interconnection fees
Representing major communications service providers and cable TV network operators in the overhead cabling lawsuit filed by local governments.
Advising and representing Korea’s top wireless carrier and the second largest broadband operator before the Korea Communications Commission and Korea Fair Trade Commission on the issues arising from the KT-KTF merger and remedies required for improvement concerning the fixed and mobile telecoms markets.
Reviewing interconnection agreements, facility provision contracts and all associated contracts among network operators ("NO") (i.e., between fixed-line NOs, between fixed and mobile NOs and between mobile NOs)
Advising and representing a fixed-line NO with respect to investigations conducted by regulatory authorities
Advising Japan’s largest NO and its affiliates on various regulatory issues
Advising fixed-line NOs on the sale and purchase of shares
Advising a NO on various mobile banking and related issues in connection with its launch of Korea’s first mobile banking system
Advising a NO on the internet crisis lawsuit

Broadcasting and media

Advising IT and media companies in a simultaneous merger of 4 publicly-listed companies (e.g., 1 KOSPI- and 3 KOSDAQ-listed) and 2 privately-held companies, engaged in broadcasting, entertainment, movie, music and game businesses to create an integrated media contents company (i.e., CJ E&M).
Advising the KCC on the selection of comprehensive programming channels
Advising an SO on the lawfulness of DCS services
Advising and representing an SO with respect to the terrestrial TV retransmission lawsuit between the SO and a terrestrial TV broadcaster
Advising a multi-system operator (“MSO”) on its acquisition of another MSO
Advising several Korean home shopping channel networks on various matters relating to their foreign business
Advising on contracts and legal issues between an SO and NO.
Advising on legal issues relating to satellite DMB and terrestrial DMB
Advising on the selection of public interest channels
Advising the CJ media group (Korea’s top program provider (“PP”) in its acquisition of On Media (the second largest PP)
Advising on contracts between an IPTV operator and terrestrial TV broadcaster
Advising IPTV operators on acquiring digital contents from foreign service providers

IT (Information Technology)

Reviewed legal issues that may arise from new products of Microsoft
Advised Google on localization of its services in Korea, privacy, regulations applicable to a search site, etc., and reviewed various business-related contracts and its standard terms and conditions
Advised on Korea’s largest portal operator on various contracts concerning portal site operation
Advised Korea’s No.1 open market operator on its platform operation, online advertising, VoIP service, etc.
Reviewed overseas publication-related contracts for Korea’s leading online game company
Represented online game companies in copyright disputes and publication-related litigation, and advised on various contracts related to online game publications, joint ventures, etc.
Reviewed Korea’s leading online game company’s acquisition of management control over a foreign joint venture company and various business-related contracts
Advised KAL on a contract with IBM for the global outsourcing of data processing
Advising KAL on its introduction of Asia’s largest ERP and MRO system from Oracle
Advised a leading foreign bank on outsourcing its global network
Advising a credit card company on the building of its computerization system

Convergence and New Trends

Advising NOs and leading general hospitals on their U-health projects
Advising major leading broadcasting and media companies in relation to their cloud-based ubiquitous platform services to be launched in Korea, i.e., so-called OSMD (One Source to Multiple Devices) service
Advising a major electronics company in Korea on its launch of smart TV
Advising on zapping advertisements
Represented a set-top box business operator in criminal proceedings concerning violation of copyright law and the information and communications network laws of Korea
Advised a Samsung subsidiary specialized in building telecommunications systems, in relation to its overseas business expansion to Malaysia, Indonesia, Brazil, Pakistan and China
Advised a major wireless software developer on its overseas business expansion (i.e., various legal issues on strategic alliance with Qualcomm and Motorola)