Baker & McKenzie has become the latest international law firm to apply to Korean authorities to open an office in the Republic of Korea.
Lawyers in the firm's Seoul office will offer advice on outbound legal matters, such as development, acquisitions and financing of overseas projects and enterprises, anti-trust matters, intellectual property rights, disputes, and international capital requirements.
Once the office is approved, it will be Baker & McKenzie’s 15th in the Asia-Pacific region and 73rd globally. Nam Hung Paik, a veteran transactional lawyer with 25 years of experience, will serve as the representative of the new office.
"Korean companies have been extraordinarily successful in expanding into international markets, and we look forward to continuing to assist them with their outbound aspirations,” said Eduardo Leite, chairman of Baker & McKenzie's executive committee, in a statement. "After many years of working with Korean clients in many parts of the globe, we will now have the opportunity to service our clients more efficiently and effectively with a base in Seoul. We will continue to invest where our clients need us, and to provide them with the skills and experience they need in areas with the greatest potential for growth."
In the past 20 months, the firm has opened new offices in Lima, Casablanca, Johannesburg, Istanbul, and Doha.
The entry of international firms:
Law Firm | Country | Korea Office Head | Focus Areas |
Baker & McKenzie | U.S. | Nam Hung Paik | M&A, Finance, Antitrust, IP, Dispute Resolution |
Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton* | U.S. | Yong Guk Lee, Jay Hoon Choi | Corporate, Finance, Regulatory, Litigation, Arbitration |
Clifford Chance* | UK | Brian Cassidy, Hyun Kim | Capital Markets, M&A, Banking and Finance, Project Finance, Arbitration |
Cohen & Gresser* | U.S. | S.C. Sohn | M&A, PE, Capital Markets, IP, Dispute Resolution |
Covington & Burling | U.S. | William Park, Daniel Spiegel | Corporate, Banking and Finance, Antitrust, IP, Litigation |
DLA Piper | UK | N/A | N/A |
Han & Associates | U.S. | N/A | N/A |
H.C. Park & Associates | U.S. | N/A | N/A |
Herbert Smith Freehills | UK | Tony Dymond | N/A |
K&L Gates* | U.S. | Eric Yoon | M&A, PE, Corporate, Finance |
McDermott Will & Emery* | U.S. | In-Young Lee | M&A, Finance, Antitrust, Restructuring, International Trade, IP, Litigation |
McKenna Long & Aldridge | U.S. | Andrew Park | N/A |
O’Melveny & Myers* | U.S. | Sungyong Kang, Jinwon Park | Corporate M&A, Antitrust, IP, International Trade, Litigation |
Paul Hastings* | U.S. | Jong Han Kim, Daniel Kim | PE, M&A, Project Finance, Capital Markets, Litigation |
Ropes & Gray* | U.S. | William Yongkyun Kim | Corporate, IP, Business Litigation, Arbitration |
Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton* | U.S. | Seth (Byoung Soo) Kim | Corporate, Finance, Antitrust, IP, Entertainment |
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett* | U.S. | Youngjin Sohn | M&A, Capital Markets, PE, Antitrust, IP, Litigation |
Squire Sanders* | U.S. | Joon Yong Kim | N/A |
* Firm has received approval from the Korean Ministry of Justice
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