新着情報

On April 28, 2025, the Maeil Business Newspaper spotlighted Lee & Ko’s Global Disputes Group. The article reported that “Lee & Ko has become the first Korean law firm to establish a comprehensive Global Disputes Group, designed to offer expert-driven and coordinated solutions to complex international disputes.”

The article noted that “the Global Disputes Group, led by Dr. Eun Young Park, is comprised of over ten specialized teams, including the International Arbitration Team, International Litigation Team, International IP Disputes Team, International Trade Team, and Economic Sanctions Team. The Group is structured to provide integrated and coordinated solutions as well as tailored solutions depending on the nature of the disputes and the issue at stake.”

The article further highlighted that “the launch of Lee & Ko’s Global Disputes Group marks an unprecedented initiative by Korean law firms. It is seen as an industry-leading and strategic step, positioning the firm to proactively respond to increasingly complex and sophisticated international disputes.”

On April 28, 2025, Yonhap News featured the “2025 Digital Asset Policy Report,” which included expert insights from Attorney Jongsoo (Jay) Yoon of Lee & Ko, who serves as an advisor to the Digital Asset Exchange Alliance (DAXA). In the report, Attorney Yoon asserted that KRW-based stablecoins should be subject to the same level of regulation as electronic currency under the Electronic Financial Transactions Act. He emphasized that the regulations of stablecoins should balance fostering innovation with risk mitigation and stated that a regulatory framework aligned with existing electronic payment methods is essential to prevent regulatory arbitrage.

On April 28, 2025, Forbes Korea published a column by Attorney Jaewoo Kwak of Lee & Ko titled “The Explosive Growth of OTT Services, Outdated Regulatory Framework.” In the piece, Attorney Kwak explained that OTT services are currently regulated under the Promotion of the Motion Pictures and Video Products Act (Motion Pictures and Video Act) and the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection (Network Act), both of which are designed around traditional film and video distribution models. He pointed out that because OTT services are governed by the Network Act rather than the Broadcasting Act, they can distribute content after review by the Korea Media Rating Board or through internal standards without undergoing the rigorous scrutiny of the Korea Communications Commission. He stressed that as Korea’s video content industry increasingly competes on a global stage, legal and regulatory systems must evolve proactively rather than simply trying to fit OTT services into outdated frameworks.

On April 28, 2025, Law Times Korea reported on an interview with Attorney Eunpyo Hong of Lee & Ko, who was recently appointed as the second president of the Korea Blockchain Law Society. In the interview, Attorney Hong noted that Bitcoin has maximized security to serve as digital gold, while Ethereum’s embedded computing functions offer limitless potential—highlighting that blockchain technology extends far beyond finance. He emphasized the need for society to explore how blockchain can be adopted and applied across diverse fields, including artificial intelligence and content creation, and called for a broader perspective on its utilization.

April 22, 2025, The Korea Economic Daily featured Lee & Ko’s Management Dispute Team in a special report on law firms. The report described Lee & Ko’s team as the "living history" of management disputes in Korea, noting that they have been actively involved since more than 20 years ago, when the concept of management disputes itself was not clearly defined. The team has continued to make a strong presence in high-profile corporate management disputes, including cases involving SM Entertainment, Hanmi Pharm, Hanjin Kal, and Osstem Implant. The Management Dispute Team is led by Managing Partner Ho Joon Moon and consists of key members including Sejoong Lee of the Corporate Advisory Group led by Ho Joon Moon, and Dajoo Jung, of the Litigation Group. Ho Joon Moon commented, "Management disputes is where Lee & Ko’s strengths in traditional M&A and litigation really come to the forefront, marking the firm’s resurgence in its prime."

On April 22, 2025, the Korea Economic Daily published an interview with Sang Gon Kim, Managing Partner of Lee & Ko, in its special feature on law firms. In the interview, Mr. Kim highlighted, “This year, Lee & Ko will continue to grow based on amicable relationships with corporate clients who lead the outbound deal market.” Moreover, confirming the plan to establish the Singapore office aimed at the international dispute market, he added, “Lee & Ko will not only increase its contact points with the international arbitration market through local offices, but also accelerate full-fledged exchanges with global financial institutions.”

On April 17, 2025, the JoongAng Ilbo featured the Corporate Control Disputes Team of Lee & Ko. The article reported, “Lee & Ko has established a permanent task force dedicated to corporate control disputes, providing comprehensive responses ranging from shareholder and Proxy advisory firm engagement to media strategies.”
It went on to explain, “Responding to corporate control disputes requires expertise in both traditional M&A and litigation. This makes it an area where Lee & Ko, a longstanding powerhouse in M&A and a rapidly rising player in litigation, can showcase its strengths most effectively.”
The article continued, “Responding to disputes over corporate control—a field regarded as the epitome of M&A—requires a multifaceted approach that takes into account hostile opponents and various stakeholders, as well as the ability to adapt to constantly evolving circumstances. In this regard, extensive M&A experience is absolutely essential.”
Finally, the article emphasized, “Lee & Ko has consistently received top-tier (Band 1) rankings from major domestic and international evaluation agencies such as Chambers and The Legal 500 for decades. This solid foundation enables the firm to deliver optimal strategies for any type of corporate control dispute.”

On April 16, 2025, E-Daily reported on Attorney Hwan Kyoung Ko of Lee & Ko, who participated in the Spring Academic Seminar of the Association of Platform Law and Policy under the theme “The Current Status and Prospects of Korea’s AI Law.” Attorney Ko, a member of both the National AI Committee and the National Data Policy Committee, emphasized the urgent need to expedite the enactment of subordinate regulations and guidelines to address legal uncertainties faced by AI service providers. He also noted that technical matters should be governed flexibly through notifications and recommended that certain provisions allow deferred application periods to ensure sufficient compliance preparation.

On April 10, 2025, Law Times Korea reported that Attorney Eunpyo Hong of Lee & Ko has been appointed as the second president of the Korea Blockchain Law Society. Attorney Hong previously served for 20 years as a judge, holding positions such as Senior Research Judge at the Supreme Court, Secretary-General of the Korean Association for Informedia Law, and member of the AI Law Reform Task Force. More recently, he has been serving as Vice President of the Korea Blockchain Law Society and as a steering committee member of the Legal System Forum of the National Information Society Agency.

On March 30, 2025, Seoul Economic Daily reported on the victory of Lee & Ko’s Intellectual Property Practice Group. The article stated, “Lee & Ko’s Intellectual Property Practice Group successfully represented Wonik PNE, a manufacturer of secondary battery activation devices, in a lawsuit over patent ownership against a competing company.” It further highlighted that “after a prolonged dispute lasting three years and four months, Lee & Ko’s Intellectual Property Practice Group secured decisive victories for Wonik PNE before both the court of first instance and the court of second instance.” During the litigation process, Lee & Ko attorneys proved that the patent was the result of an employee invention developed by Wonik PNE employees during their work duties, thereby preventing the leakage of core technologies.

On March 27, 2025, the Maeil Business Newspaper reported that Lee & Ko has recruited Mr. Zachary Sharpe to join its international arbitration team. Mr. Sharpe, former head of the Global Disputes practice at the global law firm Jones Day’s Singapore office, is an expert in international dispute resolution with expertise and experience in matters involving Korean companies. He is known as an expert on the Korean market for his deep understanding of its corporate culture and practical business operations, which is extraordinary for a foreign attorney. After graduating from George Washington University Law School, Mr. Sharpe worked at a Korean law firm for approximately six years, gaining extensive experience in matters including shipping and shipbuilding. He also spent approximately five years at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, handling various disputes involving shipbuilding, infrastructure, and offshore engineering projects. Mr. Sharpe will serve as the co-head of the international arbitration team alongside Dr. Eun Young Park, who joined Lee & Ko last October.

On March 23, 2025, the Employment & Labor Practice Group of Lee & Ko was featured in detail by Aju Business Daily. The article stated, “Lee & Ko recognized from the outset that, in order for individual companies to respond swiftly and effectively to complex and diverse labor issues, assistance from a group of experts with extensive experience is essential and accordingly launched its Employment & Labor Practice Group at the firm’s founding stage and has continued its activities ever since.”

As a representative achievement, the article highlighted a case involving a lawsuit to confirm the invalidity of disciplinary action, in which the legality of on-site monitoring measures to verify misconduct was at issue.

Aju Business Daily explained, “The case involved an employer filming a sales employee who was working outside the office, and subsequently terminating the employee based on the video footage. The court held that the act of filming to collect evidence of misconduct could not be deemed surveillance or a violation of human rights.” The article further stated, “Lee & Ko's involvement in this case provided both theoretical and practical significance by establishing a guideline regarding the measures an employer may take to maintain workplace discipline.”