There have been increasing opportunities for Korean medical institutions to enter overseas healthcare markets and for them to attract an increasing number of foreign patients to their hospitals from abroad as the excellence of Korea’s medical services and doctors have gained wider recognition in global healthcare markets.  Moreover, with the recent convergence of various technologies caused by the advent of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the medical service industry has been viewed by medical institutions as an area with high growth potential fueled by opportunities in smart medicine and bioeconomics.  Among such opportunities are patient-specific treatments using advanced diagnostic tools, the development of new drugs based on AI technology, and an electronic system for exchanging medical treatment data.

Lee & Ko’s Medical Service Practice Group provides a wide array of legal services tailored to the needs of our clients engaged in the medical service sector.  Among others, we advise Korean medical institutions on the expansion of their services into overseas healthcare markets, foreign medical institutions on their entry into Korea’s healthcare market, issues related to the establishment and operation of medical institutions, and on responding to an investigative agency’s investigation into a medical institution’s suspected statutory/regulatory violations and sanctions imposed as a result thereof.

Lee & Ko’s Medical Service Practice Group is comprised of some of the best medical industry experts that possess an in-depth understanding of the medical and healthcare fields and have accumulated valuable know-hows over the years working with various hospitals, medical institutions, and healthcare service providers.  Members of our Medical Service Practice Group include attorneys with educational backgrounds in not just law but also pharmacy and medicine, and former government officials who worked either directly or indirectly in establishing policies related to the regulation of Korea’s medical service industry.

Some of our more notable recent work highlights include the representation of Seoul National University Hospital in its securing of the management contract for UAE’s Sheikh Khalifa Specialty Hospital located in Ras Al Khaimah and advising Seoul National University Hospital on various legal issues arising in connection with its subsequent operation of the hospital.  We always seek to provide insightful guidance to our clients so that any legal risks they face are minimized, while their potential interests are maximized.

Dedicated to providing unparalleled high-quality legal services to clients in the medical field, our Medical Service Practice Group will continue to provide clients with practical solutions tailored to the client’s needs.

Expertise

Advising Korean medical institutions on the expansion of their services into overseas healthcare markets
Advising foreign medical institutions on the launch of their services in Korea’s healthcare market
Advising Korean medical institutions on attracting foreign patients
Advising clients on issues associated with the establishment and operation of medical institutions (personnel/staffing, medical administration, disputes regarding medical services (e.g., malpractice claims))
Advising Korean medical institutions on the execution of various agreements with foreign medical institutions, investors and strategic partners
Advising medical institutions on responding to an investigative agency’s investigation into suspected statutory/regulatory violations and sanctions imposed as a result thereof
Advising medical institutions on ways to improve their corporate governance structure
Advising medical institutions on the handling of medical records and other documents containing personal data

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Major Cases

Advising several leading Korean hospitals (e.g., Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Asan Medical Center, Seoul National University Dental Hospital, and Sun Hospital) on their operation of hospitals located outside Korea (i.e., Middle East, China, Southeast Asia, Russia)
Advising Seoul National University Hospital and Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital on the establishment and operation of check-up centers in the Middle East and China
Advising Yonsei University Health System on the negotiation and execution of a contract with Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions Corporation (“Toshiba”) for the adoption of Toshiba’s heavy ion therapy system at YUHS
Advising Samsung Medical Center on the negotiation and execution of a joint research agreement with 4 Singaporean educational and medical institutions regarding the development of a robust patient-specific diagnostic and predictive platform for liver cancer treatment
Advising ezCaretech on the exportation of its hospital information system
Advising Korean hospitals on the establishment and operation of foreign branches/offices to assist with their expansion of services into foreign markets
Advising Korean medical institutions on the establishment of joint ventures with foreign partners
Advising Yonsei University Health System and Seoul National University Hospital on attracting foreign patients to their institutions
Advising Korean hospitals on the facility standards for medical institutions under applicable foreign law
Advised Korean hospitals on legal issues involved with engaging in for-profit business opportunities
Reviewing and negotiating contracts for the introduction of diagnostic medical equipment (e.g., MRI machines, PET and CT scanners)
Advising on (i) various project and contracts relating to the development, installation, operation and maintenance of hospital information systems, including EMR/EHR systems, and PACS, (ii) various issues relating to protection of patient information/medical records involving patients, hospitals and CROs, and (iii) various issues relating to network separation with respect to various hospital information systems
Advising on the production of medical radioisotopes
Advising on measures to take in response to the regulatory agency’s suspension of an individual’s medical license or imposition of another form of sanction on the medical institution or its medical staff
Advising Korean pharmaceutical companies and hospitals on their strategic partnerships and collaborations with foreign universities, research institutions, and medical institutions
Advising on the construction of new hospital facilities and the extension of existing hospital facilities (e.g., disputes regarding IP rights)
Advising on various issues relating to medical insurance payment and reimbursement claims involving patients, hospitals and medical insurance providers.
Advising clients on whether a certain medical institution may be established
Representing clients in connection with various legal disputes challenging the validity of the pertinent regulatory agencies’ action with respect to hospital operation licenses
Advising Korean medical institutions on measures to take in response to a regulatory agency’s special inspection