Recently, there has been increasing attention to the concept of compliance for companies, and they have become more keen to reduce legal risks by managing and supervising businesses in advance to ensure compliance with laws, regulations, and social norms for business management. This also applies to the area of intellectual property, and the demand for legal services such as risk management of patent/trade secret infringement, examination and improvement of document management systems, implementation and inspection of data protection systems, and preparation and revision of internal policies continues to surge.

Lee & Ko’s IP Practice Group comprises of attorneys who successfully represented major Korean companies on compliance matters such as trade secrets and documents management as well as foreign attorneys who managed the discovery procedure and trial works in US-based patent litigations. The Group also includes former in-house counsels who implemented and maintained document management policies for the interest of their former employers, along with attorneys who have unrivaled experience in preparing investigations by authorities (e.g., National Police Agency, Prosecutor’s Office, and Fair Trade Commission). Based on this breadth and depth of expertise, Lee & Ko’s IP Practice Group has provided high-quality services on compliance matters for clients.

主な業務分野

Risk Management of Patent/Trade Secret Infringement

Lee & Ko’s IP Practice Group provides counseling services to clients by examining whether there is a possibility of infringement of third party’s or competitor’s IP, whether there is a likelihood of future disputes and what kinds of legal risks could arise from such disputes, and then proposes measures to manage and reduce such legal risks in advance.  Also, the Group has several attorneys who have represented Korean major companies and conglomerates for compliance works regarding trade secrets and patents.  With our technical expertise, we can accurately and prudently analyze risks regarding trade secrets and provide effective solutions to address such risks.

Examination and Improvement of Document Management Systems

Lee & Ko’s IP Practice Group has unrivaled experience in conducting due diligence on documents to prepare for investigations by authorities, such as National Police Agency, Prosecutor’s Office, and Fair Trade Commission, preparing for the discovery procedure in US-based litigation, and conducting due diligence for implementation of document management systems on documents that are subject to trade secrets.  We understand difficult circumstances for Korean companies in conducting due diligence in Korea, and we have successfully represented clients on IP compliance matters by addressing different legal issues and providing practical and effective solutions.

Implementation and Inspection of Data Protection Systems

In addition to risk management of infringement of third party’s IP, companies must implement measures to protect their IP rights and prevent disclosure of important information to the public.  Lee & Ko’s IP Practice Group provides counseling services to clients for implementation of employee management systems in terms of hiring employees to retirement of employees, examination and improvement of IT security systems, assistance in internal investigations of employees, subsidiaries and contractors, and preparation of guidelines for prevention of disclosure or use of trade secrets by departing employees.

Preparation and Revision of Internal Policies/Awareness of Employees with Legal Compliance

Lee & Ko’s IP Practice Group provides counseling services to clients by preparing and revising internal policies, regulations, codes of ethics, covenants and consent forms, which is customized to satisfy their specific needs.  The Group not only assists clients in implementing policies but also ensures that such policies are effectively applied by providing necessary education sessions to employees and preparing campaigns to increase awareness of legal compliance.

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