Dentons Lee, Dentons’ South Korea member firm, has boosted its labour and employment offerings by hiring former Bae, Kim & Lee partner Eunjee Kim as a senior attorney.

As the Asia legal market continues to evolve on the back of shifting political and market forces, law firms are being challenged on multiple fronts, including technological capabilities and business models. A well-structured succession plan is necessary to facilitate a smooth transition and introduce new perspectives. Law firms across the region discuss how they are preparing the next generation of leaders to guide their firms into the future.

Korean law firm Bae Kim & Lee has hired senior U.S. attorney David Pyun from local rival Kim & Chang, strengthening its real estate practice, particularly in cross-border investment and development deals.

South Korean Big Six firm Shin & Kim has bolstered its international arbitration bench with the addition of Brandon (Hyung-Sik) Bang, who previously co-headed the practice at Bae, Kim & Lee.

Korean law firm Yoon & Yang has hired three senior foreign attorneys: U.S.-qualified M&A expert Jason W. Lee joins from Kim & Chang, corporate specialist Sung Jin Ro joins from an in-house role at Versum Materials, and China-qualified technology practitioner Song Feng Hong  joins from Bae Kim & Lee.

Cyber-attacks have been vexing law firms over the past few years: According to the 2019 ABA Cybersecurity Tech Report, 26 percent of law firms experienced a form of data breach, while the UK’s SRA believes about 75 percent of firms have been hit. But the threat to law firms extends beyond that, with incidents like power outages, equipment failures, terrorist attacks and natural disasters threatening infrastructure and sensitive data. Leaders say a comprehensive disaster recovery plan requires both hardware competency and a sharp level of alertness.

Litigators are valued for their ability to solve complex problems and adapt quickly to changing circumstances. As the second edition of the ALB Asia's Top 15 Litigators shows, these attributes have never been more valuable, particularly in the shadow of the COVID pandemic.

Korean Big Six Firm Bae, Kim & Lee (BKL) has hired Young Joo Song as an of counsel in Seoul from healthcare company Johnson & Johnson Korea, where she was the head of policy and government affairs.

Singapore’s already competitive legal market has seen multiple new entrants this year, including India’s Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas and Khaitan & Co, China’s Allbright, Korea’s Bae Kim & Lee, and the U.S. firms Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe and McDermott Will & Emery. While the city-state’s pandemic resilience has certainly been a draw, the firm’s see it as a hub for the fast-emerging Southeast Asian region.

Bae, Kim & Lee (BKL), Korea’s third-largest law firm, is all set to establish an office in Singapore. The office will be led by Eric Yang, partner and head of the firm’s Southeast Asia practice.