Baker McKenzie KLP JV, the South Korean joint venture law firm between Baker McKenzie and KL Partners, has hired senior international arbitration attorney Sung Woo (Sean) Lim as a partner in Seoul. Lim joins from Lee & Ko, where he co-led the same practice. 

Lim is the joint venture firm’s fifth partner hire in a year, since it commenced operations in the last quarter of 2023. The JV launched a tax practice with the addition of partners John Kwak and Doug Suh from Kim & Chang in September this year. Prior to that, it added leading arbitration practitioner David Kim and international arbitration practitioner Sunyoung Kim, both from Lee & Ko, as partners in December 2023 and May 2024, respectively.

Lim brings over 30 years of experience in arbitration, representing Korean companies and multinationals across disputes, including cross-border joint ventures and M&A, finance and capital markets, sale of goods, supply contracts and franchise agreements, product liability, construction and energy projects; maritime, shipping and aviation, intellectual property, sports, and international treaties.

He is currently president of the Korean Commercial Arbitration Board (KCAB) sports arbitration committee and a member of the management committee of the Seoul International Dispute Resolution Center (SIDRC).

Lim is also a member of the Law Reform Commission for Amendments to the Korean Arbitration Act, the Law Reform Commission for Amendments to the Korean Arbitration Rules and the Law Enactment Commission for Enactment of the Commercial Arbitration Promotion Act, making him the only Korean practitioner to participate in all three active projects related to arbitration practice.

“Sean's deep connections within the legal and business community, along with his expertise in disputes and arbitration, will be invaluable as we remain focused on delivering outstanding service to our clients," said Won Lee, Baker McKenzie's Korea practice head, in a statement. 

"Sean's appointment further demonstrates our commitment to expanding our dispute resolution and international arbitration capabilities, which is a strategic area of focus for the Firm globally. His arrival, which follows that of international arbitration practitioner Sunyoung Kim earlier this year, will enhance our ability to support our Korean and multinational clients in managing their complex disputes across the region," added Nandakumar Ponniya, Asia Pacific chair of Baker McKenzie's dispute resolution practice group. 

Baker McKenzie KLP JV is the largest international firm by partner strength in South Korea.