According to Chambers Asia-Pacific 2019, Kim & Chang ranked “Band 1” (top tier) in 18 practice areas, the most number of top-tier recognitions among Korean law firms.  In particular, we were the only Korean firm to receive “Band 1” in three categories: Intellectual Property: Patent Specialist; Shipping; and Technology, Media, Telecoms (TMT).  Also, we continue to be recognized in Arbitration – Asia-Pacific Region (“Band 4”) and General Business Law – North Korea. 

For individual categories, 60 of our professionals (i.e., attorneys, patent attorneys and accountants) were named as “Leading Individuals,” and 13 were named “Recognized Practitioners.”   Here, too, our firm received the most individual recognitions of all law firms in Korea.

Below are the details of our rankings:

Firm Rankings

South Korea (“Band 1” in 18 out of 19 practice areas surveyed for Korea)

• Banking & Finance: Band 1
• Capital Markets: Band 1
• Competition/Antitrust: Band 1
• Corporate/M&A: Band 1
• Dispute Resolution – Arbitration: Band 1
• Dispute Resolution – Litigation: Band 1
• Dispute Resolution – White-Collar Crime: Band 1
• Employment: Band 1
• Insurance: Band 1
• Intellectual Property: Band 1
• Intellectual Property – Patent Specialist: Band 1
• International Trade: Band 1
• Projects & Energy: Band 1
• Real Estate: Band 1
• Restructuring/Insolvency: Band 1
• Shipping: Band 1
• Shipping – Finance: Band 2
• Tax: Band 1
• Technology, Media, Telecoms (TMT): Band 1

North Korea

• General Business Law: Spotlight Table in South Korea

Asia-Pacific Region

• Arbitration (International): Band 4

Leading Individuals

South Korea

• Banking & Finance: Young Kyun Cho, Hi Sun Yoon, Young Min Kim
• Capital Markets: Young Man Huh, Chang Hyeon Ko, Myoung Jae Chung, Ie Hwan Yoo*
• Capital Markets – Securitisation: Hoin Lee
• Competition/Antitrust: Kyung Taek Jung, Sung Eyup Park, Youngjin Jung, Jay Ahn, Brian Tae-Hyun Chung
• Corporate/M&A: Kyung Taek Jung, Jong Koo Park, Young Man Huh, Young Jay Ro, Jong Hyun Park, Bo Yong Ahn, Shin Kwon Lim, Sang Goo Lee*, Yun Goo Kwon*, Sun Yul Lee*
• Dispute Resolution – Arbitration: Byung-Chol (B.C.) Yoon, Eun Young Park, Kay-Jannes Wegner, Richard Menard, Joel E. Richardson, Byung-Woo Im*
• Dispute Resolution – Litigation: Sang Ho Han, Jin Yeong Chung, Hye Kwang Lee, Jung Keol Suh, Sun Seong Park*
• Dispute Resolution – White-Collar Crime: Kook Hyun Yoo, Sung Gwan Chun, Dong Min Cha, Myungsuk Sean Choi, Seung Ho Lee, Byung Suk Lee, Hankyu Kim, Michael H. Yu*
• Employment: Chun Wook Hyun, Weon Jung Kim, Wan Joo, Jung Taek Park, Jong Chul Jung, Ki Young Kim*, Deok Il Seo*
• Insurance: Jay Ahn
• Intellectual Property: Jay (Young-June) Yang, Duck Soon Chang, Young Kim, Sang-Wook Han, Seong-Soo Park
• International Trade: Juhong Kim
• Projects & Energy: Young Kyun Cho, Chang-hee Shin*
• Real Estate:  Yon Kyun Oh, Kwan Sik Yu, Keun Ah Cho, Heung Suk Oh, Jin Ho Song*, David H. Pyun*
• Restructuring/Insolvency: Jin Yeong Chung, Chiyong Rim
• Shipping: Byung-Suk Chung, Jin Hong Lee, Chul-Won Lee
• Shipping: Finance: Hi Sun Yoon
• Tax: Je Heum Baik
• Tax – Consultants: Woo Hyun Baik, Tae-Yeon Nam, Dong Jun Yeo, Dong So Kim, Im Jung Choi
• Technology, Media, Telecoms (TMT): Dong Shik Choi, Min Chul Park

North Korea

• General Business Law: Eun Min Kwon (Expert based abroad)

About Chambers Asia-Pacific:  Chambers Asia-Pacific is an annual guide to the Asia-Pacific legal market, and is compiled by the leading global legal publisher, Chambers and Partners.  Covering 36 jurisdictions, and in Korea, surveying 19 practice areas, this year’s edition ranked law firms and legal practitioners based on in-depth interviews with key clients and lawyers in the market, assessments of recent works, independent research, and data analysis.