Recent Developments

On May 27, 2025, MoneyToday highlighted Lee & Ko’s strong standing in international legal rankings. According to the article, “Global law firm evaluation agencies have ranked Kim & Chang and Lee & Ko as the highest-rated among major law firms in Korea, with a significant gap from the next tier rankings.” The article further noted, “Chambers Global, widely recognized as the world’s premier legal ranking agency, recently assessed law firms worldwide based on their performance in handling high-profile matters. Lee & Ko secured top-tier rankings in seven practice areas, while Kim & Chang earned Band 1 rankings in nine areas.”

On May 22, 2025, E-Daily published a detailed report on Lee & Ko’s recognition as the “South Korea Firm of the Year” at the Benchmark Litigation Asia-Pacific Awards 2025. In the article, E-Daily noted, “The award, presented annually by Benchmark Litigation – a globally renowned publication specializing in litigation and dispute resolution – is presented to the most outstanding litigation practice within each jurisdiction, and Lee & Ko has once again secured this honor, following its consecutive wins from 2021 through 2023.” The article also highlighted the firm’s continued success, particularly emphasizing the recent final victory achieved by its IP Practice Group on behalf of Coway in a prolonged, nearly 11-year infringement dispute with ChungHo Nais over ice-making water purifier technology.

E-Daily further spotlighted individual honors awarded to two of the firm’s female attorneys: Miji Lee, a partner of the Antitrust & Competition Group was named to the “Top 100 Women in Litigation 2025,” while Joohye Hong, a partner of the Real Estate & Construction Group was selected for the “Top 40 Under 40 2025.”

 

On May 17, 2025, The Korea Economic Daily published an interview with Mr. Zachary Sharpe of Lee & Ko. In the interview, Mr. Sharpe emphasized that “even after arbitration proceedings begin, it is essential to consider not only the outcome of the award, but also the long-term impact it may have on the client.” He added, “While many law firms specialize in arbitration, few are equipped to handle post-award matters such as enforcement and asset recovery. Clients are often curious about available options following an unfavorable award. That is precisely why Jones Day has a dedicated global disputes team.”

Lee & Ko launched its Global Disputes Group last year upon recruiting Dr. Eun Young Park (20th class of the Judicial Research and Training Institute), who had served as Vice President of the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA). The Group is composed of more than ten teams, including the International Arbitration, International Trade, and Economic Sanctions teams, thereby strengthening the firm’s advisory capabilities in international disputes.

 

On May 15, 2025, Chosun Ilbo published an article highlighting the achievements of Lee & Ko’s Intellectual Property Practice Group in the long-running patent dispute between Coway and ChungHo. According to the article, the Supreme Court’s Third Division upheld the appellate court’s decision, thereby conclusively rejecting ChungHo’s claims of patent infringement and damages against Coway. This final ruling affirms Coway’s victory, with Lee & Ko representing Coway in the appellate court and the Supreme Court. The article explained that the court of first instance initially found Coway liable for patent infringement, ordering the company to pay KRW 10 billion to ChungHo and to destroy the infringing products. However, the appellate court subsequently overturned this decision, ruling in favor of Coway. The appellate court determined that the essence of ChungHo’s patent was the process of making ice directly from pre-cooled water, while Coway’s product made ice using water at various temperatures. The court also noted significant differences between key components of the two products. The article continued, “The Supreme Court also found that the appellate court’s decision was correct,” adding, “Coway represented by Lee & Ko ultimately prevailed in the 11-year patent infringement lawsuit against ChungHo over ice water purifiers.”

May 13, 2025
Attorney Sejoong Lee of Lee & Ko was featured in the SJBnews, with the article stating, “Attorney Sejoong Lee, who leads the Shareholder Dispute Practice Group within Lee & Ko’s M&A team, formulates strategies that prioritize clients’ interests with swift judgment and extensive experience, even in complex and sensitive cases.” It also highlighted, “His tailored advice that reflects each client’s unique circumstances has earned him deep trust from clients.”
 

On May 12, 2025, The Korea Economic Daily reported on Lee & Ko’s incorporation of former Minister of Employment and Labor Mr. Ahn, Kyung-Duk as a Senior Advisor. The article noted that Mr. Ahn entered public service through the 33rd Civil Service Examination in 1989 and held various key positions at the Ministry of Employment and Labor, including Director of Labor-Management Relations Coordination, Director of Foreign Workforce Policy, Director-General of International Cooperation, Director-General of Occupational Safety and Compensation Policy, Regional Commissioner of the Seoul Employment and Labor Office, Director-General of Labor Policy, and Director-General of Planning and Coordination. He was appointed Minister in 2019 while serving as Standing Commissioner of the Presidential Economic, Social & Labor Council.

The article further noted that Lee & Ko has actively recruited high-level officials with over 30 years of experience in central government roles, including Mr. Park Sun-Ho (former First Vice Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport) and Mr. Choi Moo-Jin (former Director-General of Corporate Policy at the Fair Trade Commission), who joined the firm on March 1, and Mr. Jang Seok-Young (former Second Vice Minister of Science and ICT), who joined on January 1 to bolster the firm’s regulatory response capabilities.

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.”