U.S. firm Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton has grown its Korean practice with the hire of corporate partner Johneth Chongseo Park in its Seoul office. 

Park specialises in M&A, private equity and capital markets work. He has represented a number of major Korean companies on their investments abroad, as well as a range of international firms on their Korean acquisitions and securities offerings.  

Before joining Sheppard Mullin, Park was a counsel at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett’s Seoul office. 

Sheppard Mullin further strengthened its Korea practice with the hire of corporate partner Hwan Kim from Squire Patton Boggs. Kim, who is based in the firm’s Washington, D.C. office, will also spend time in Seoul. 

The Los Angeles-headquartered firm launched its Seoul office in August 2012, becoming one of the first international firms to enter the Korean market after the signing of Free Trade Agreements between Korea and the U.S. and EU in 2011 opened the country’s legal sector up to American and European law firms.