In the nearly ten years since establishing a “foreign legal consultant office” in Seoul*, following the opening of the Korean legal market, O’Melveny has emerged as one of the most active international law firms in the country.
Unlike most of our competitors in the market, O’Melveny has dedicated deep resources to handle a broad range of both Corporate and Litigation matters. Within our Seoul office, we have native Korean partners and counsel spanning both Corporate and Litigation disciplines, including a “Band 1” M&A deal maker and a former Head of the Global Legal Affairs team at a global company. Our Seoul office also provides us the space and technology to connect with O’Melveny attorney talent around the world. This enables O’Melveny to both advise and assist clients directly and immediately during Asia business hours, as well as further deliver the many specialties and strengths the firm is so well known for internationally.
Our Seoul office and Korea practice is especially known for advising clients in mergers and acquisitions, private equity transactions, antitrust investigations, and patent litigation. From defending Korean clients in high-stakes intellectual property litigations, consumer or antitrust class action litigations, government investigations, and international arbitrations, to sophisticated cross-border M&A, joint ventures, financings, and other corporate transactions pertaining to Korea, O’Melveny brings the resources, experience, commitment, and breadth of service to achieve important goals for our clients.
Our core Korea Practice team consists of Korea practitioners with unique experience and skills our sophisticated clients need in the rapidly-evolving business environment. Los Angeles-based partner Joseph Kim, Firmwide Chair of O’Melveny’s Korea Practice, oversees the Korea Practice and works closely with Seoul office attorneys as well as attorneys across the firm who work on Korea-related matters.
Daniel Kim and Young Shin are Co-Representatives of the Seoul office. Daniel is one of the country’s most recognized and experienced M&A lawyers, perennially recognized by Chambers Asia and The Legal 500 as a “Band 1” and “Leading Individual”, respectively. He has personally led some of the most important cross-border M&A deals involving Korea over the past decade. Young is one of few Korea and US dual-licensed lawyers working at an international law firm and uses his unique insight and experience to bridge the legal and cultural gaps between Korea and the US.
Also resident in Seoul is Jae Wan Chi, who brings unique experience and wisdom from decades of experience as in-house counsel at one of the world’s largest companies. Woojae Kim is actively providing advice on international M&A, joint ventures, private equity, financial and securities transactions.
Practice Highlights
- Nearly two dozen lawyers with many years of experience advising on some of the Korea market’s most complex and high-profile legal and business matters.
- Proven track record of helping clients succeed: we have worked with many of Korea’s largest and best-known companies to achieve landmark victories in multibillion-dollar international disputes and close strategically important cross-border acquisitions and financing transactions.
- Strong relationships and deep knowledge built over more than two decades of activity in the Korea market: we are part of the Korean business and legal community
- Deep experience working with clients in a wide variety of industries, including airlines and transportation, automotive (including automated and connected vehicles), chemicals, electronics, energy and energy equipment, entertainment and sports, food and beverage, life sciences, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, and technology.
* The Seoul office of O'Melveny & Myers LLP is a foreign legal consultant office approved by the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Korea. Under the Foreign Legal Consultant Act of Korea, our Seoul office is only allowed to provide legal advice with respect to US law, with respect to treaties of which the United States is a party, and with respect to universally recognized customary international law. Our Seoul office is allowed to represent clients in international arbitration cases unless US law is not applicable. We work in cooperation with a number of Korean law firms. Should you require a legal opinion with respect to any Korean law matter, we would be happy to assist you in obtaining one from a Korean firm.
