Kim & Chang shone at ALB’s inaugural annual Korea Law Awards 2013, picking up eight awards, including Korea Deal Firm of the Year and Korea Law Firm of the Year.

Held at the Grand Hyatt in Seoul on Nov. 14, the event recognised Korea’s best law firms, lawyers and in-house teams across a total of 17 categories. The evening brought together more than 150 lawyers, in-house counsel, bankers, CEOs, academics and members of the judiciary.

The evening also entertained lawyers from international firms, after the signing of the U.S. and EU free-trade agreements with Korea have led foreign firms to set up shop in Seoul. Linklaters stood out among the rest, snapping up the Foreign Law Firm of the Year award.

The M&A Deal of the Year award went to the sale of a controlling stake in Himart Co to Lotte Shopping Co for 1.25 trillion won ($1.1 billion), which involved law firms Yulchon and Lee & Ko.

It was a successful night for Citibank Korea, which was voted the Banking and Financial Services In-House Team of the Year, as well as the Shin & Kim Award In-House Team of the Year.

The event also celebrated individual excellence, with Jay Hwan Im from CJ E&M crowned the Bae, Kim & Lee Award In-House Lawyer of the Year. Bae, Kim & Lee’s Dong Woo Seo took home the award for Dealmaker of the Year, while Kim & Chang’s Kye Sung Chung won the coveted Managing Partner of the Year award.

The final list of winners is as follows:

Follow us on Twitter: @ALB_Magazine.