Gene-Oh (Gene) KIM - Kim & Chang

Bio

Gene-Oh (Gene) Kim is an attorney at Kim & Chang’s Mergers & Acquisitions Practice and Antitrust & Competition Practice. Mr. Kim is recognized as one of the pre-eminent M&A lawyers in Korea and has advised on high-profile transactions. He has advised numerous companies around the world – including industrial, banking, insurance and private equity clients – in a wide variety of cross-border and domestic mergers and acquisitions transactions. Mr. Kim counts among his clients some of the market leaders in their respective industries.

Mr. Kim’s areas of focus extend to merger control and other competition law matters, which help provide comprehensive and effective advice to his clients for corporate transactions. He is a renowned antitrust expert and advises corporate clients on a wide range of antitrust law matters, with a particular focus on abuse of market dominance, cartels and merger controls. Mr. Kim represents many leading multinational and domestic companies in government investigations and litigations, and often brings about excellent results through highly innovative and effective approaches, employing both creative arguments and persuasive communication abilities. Mr. Kim also represents a broad range of foreign companies in criminal defense cases, corporate investigations, and compliance and regulatory audit matters.

Mr. Kim received his law degree from Seoul National University, College of Law in 1995 and graduated from the Judicial Research and Training Institute of the Supreme Court of Korea in 1997. He also received his LL.M from Harvard Law School in 2006. In addition to his experience in Korea, Mr. Kim was a visiting attorney at Davis Polk & Wardwell’s New York office in 2006 and 2007. He is a member of the Bar of the Republic of Korea and the Bar of the State of New York.

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Profile

Experience

Secretary General, Asia Competition Association (2022.12.-Present)

Executive Secretary, Academic Research Support Projects, Korea Fair Trade Mediation Agency (2021.6.-Present)

Lecturer (M&A Practice), Judicial Research and Training Institute of the Supreme Court of Korea (2011-2013)

Lecturer (Intellectual Property Right and Fair-Trade Law), MIP (Master of Intellectual Property), KAIST (2010-2014)

Davis Polk & Wardwell (2006-2007)

Kim & Chang (2000.5.-Present)

Judge Advocate, Republic of Korea Army (1997-2000)

Representative Activitiesshow

Awards

Recommended, Lexology Index: M&A (Lexology Index, 2026)
Leading Lawyer, Lexology Index: M&A (Lexology Index, 2025)
Leading Lawyer, Lexology Index: Competition (Lexology Index, 2024)
Thought Leader, Lexology Index: M&A and Governance (Lexology Index, 2023)
Thought Leader, Lexology Index: Competition (Lexology Index, 2022-2023, 2025-2026)
Leading Lawyer, Lexology Index: Korea, M&A and Governance (Lexology Index, 2022-2026)
Stand-out Lawyer - Independently Rated Lawyers (Thomson Reuters, 2021, 2024-2025)
Leading Lawyer, Lexology Index: Korea, Competition (Lexology Index, 2019-2026)
Acritas Star - Independently Rated Lawyers (Acritas, 2019)
Highly Regarded, IFLR1000 (Delinian, 2018-2025)
Leading Individual, Chambers Asia-Pacific, Competition/Antitrust (Chambers and Partners, 2016-2018, 2021-2023, 2025-2026)
Leading Lawyer, Asialaw Leading Lawyers: Competition & Antitrust (Delinian, 2016-2018, 2020-2024)

Publications/Activities

Getting the Deal Through – Private M&A: Korea chapter (Co-author, Law Business Research, 2018)
Getting the Deal Through – Shareholder Activism & Engagement (Co-author, Law Business Research, 2016-2017)
Chambers Global Practice Guide – Corporate M&A 2017: Korea chapter (Co-author, Chambers and Partners, 2016)
Sweet & Maxwell International Series – Leniency Regimes (5th edition): Korea chapter (Co-author, Thomson Reuters, 2015)
Chambers Legal Practice Guide – Corporate M&A 2015 (2nd Edition): Korea chapter (Co-author, Chambers and Partners, 2015)
GCR The Asia-Pacific Antitrust Review 2014: Korea chapter (Co-author, Law Business Research, 2014)
The European Lawyer Reference Series: Corporate Governance 2013 (Co-author, Thomson Reuters, 2013)
The Cartels and Leniency Review: Korea chapter (Co-author, Law Business Research, 2013)
Getting the Deal Through – Foreign Investment Review: Korea chapter (Co-author, Law Business Research, 2012-2014)
A Study on Corporate Law (M&A Practice) (Co-author, Judicial Research and Training Institute of the Supreme Court of Korea, 2012)
Reform and consolidation, The 2011 Guide to Mergers and Acquisitions: Korea chapter (Co-author, IFLR, 2011)
Getting the Deal Through – Mergers & Acquisitions: Korea chapter (Co-author, Law Business Research, 2010-2012, 2014-2016)
The Mergers & Acquisitions Review: Korea chapter (Co-author, Law Business Research, 2010-2012)