Asialaw Profiles
The Guide to the legal markets of the Asia-Pacific

The IP group at Kim & Chang, headed by Jay (Young-June) Yang, is the firm’s largest practice area and contains more than 220 patent and trade mark attorneys and over 530 individuals who serve as supporting staff. Peers have unanimously declared the IP ... [more]

The IP group at Kim & Chang, headed by Jay (Young-June) Yang, is the firm’s largest practice area and contains more than 220 patent and trade mark attorneys and over 530 individuals who serve as supporting staff. Peers have unanimously declared the IP practice the “best in Korea”.

In a landmark decision, attorneys Sung-Nam Kim and Hoe-Kee Lee defended General Mills Marketing regarding its ‘Häagen-Dazs’ trade mark. The opposing party had filed trade marks for ‘Häagendess 1881’ and ‘Häagendess’, which are Korean translations of the original name. Although the opposing party was manufacturing clothing and bags, its use of the distinctive ‘Häagen-Dazs’ style showed that its trade marks had been registered in bad faith.

In another prominent case, attorneys Soo-Hyung Kim, Hoe-Kee Lee, Yong-Gab Kim and Sung-Hoon Lee acted for Daewoo Electronics against LG Electronics. LG Electronics had filed a patent infringement claim regarding drum washers. In defence, Daewoo Electronics filed a patent invalidation claim arguing that the patent lacked novelty. After going through the IP Tribunal and the Patent Court, which upheld the patent, the Supreme Court declared it invalid. In Korea, the Supreme Court usually agrees with the decisions of lower courts. Commentators have therefore described this as an unusual and important decision for the country.

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Lee & Ko has one of the largest IP practices in Korea, comprising 30 IP litigators and 60 patent attorneys. Headed by partner Jae Hoon Kim, the firm’s practice is especially renowned for its technical acumen, with many of its lawyers with expertise in ... [more]

Lee & Ko has one of the largest IP practices in Korea, comprising 30 IP litigators and 60 patent attorneys. Headed by partner Jae Hoon Kim, the firm’s practice is especially renowned for its technical acumen, with many of its lawyers with expertise in biology, engineering and other related fields.

Peers respect and even fear the presence of partner Young Mo Kwon in disputes. “He is one of the toughest litigators. I never want to meet him in a court room again,” says one practitioner.

In one highlight case, Kwon and partner Young Sun Jung advised Recordati Ireland, an Italian pharmaceutical company, and LG Life Sciences regarding the generic status of high blood pressure drug Zanidip. LG Life Sciences is the sole licensed distributor of Zanidip in Korea and, together with Recordati Ireland, it filed suits against pharmaceutical companies who were making and selling generic versions of the drug. In their defence, the defendants filed a suit alleging that the patent was invalid. This case will force the Supreme Court to set a standard regarding patentability of new crystal forms of publicised compounds.

In a highlight technology-related case, partners Jae Hoon Kim and Sung Chang defended Baiksan OPC, a manufacturer of after-market recycled drums for laser printer cartridges, against a patent infringement claim filed by Canon. Baiksan then filed a patent invalidation claim, alleging that Canon’s patent should be invalid for lack of novelty.

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Bae Kim & Lee’s well regarded IP practice, led by partner Hoo Dong Lee, holds steady in the rankings due to its solid work for high profile clients. Although foreign legal counsel Junghoon Kenneth Oh left the firm for a position as in-house counsel, ... [more]

Bae Kim & Lee’s well regarded IP practice, led by partner Hoo Dong Lee, holds steady in the rankings due to its solid work for high profile clients. Although foreign legal counsel Junghoon Kenneth Oh left the firm for a position as in-house counsel, the practice added a number of associates, one of whom was from You Me Patent & Law Firm.

In a case that showcased the firm’s expertise in IP valuation, partners Won Hee Cho and Jong Wook Lee advised US company Symphony 3D Technology on the value of its 3-D technology patents following its acquisition of Korean company Master Image.

The firm has also been involved in a large amount of patent and trade mark litigation of late. For example, partners Ki Dong Joo and Yoo Geun Lim are representing Gyeong Gi Cultural Foundation in an invalidation, cancellation and infringement suit relating to use of the name ‘Nam June Paik’, an internationally renowned Korean video artist. That suit is now pending in the Supreme Court.

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Several IP practitioners have said that Lee International’s focus is “prosecution, not litigation”. The firm has one of the largest IP practices in Korea, employing over 60 patent and trade mark attorneys. Its clients include prestigious multinational ... [more]

Several IP practitioners have said that Lee International’s focus is “prosecution, not litigation”. The firm has one of the largest IP practices in Korea, employing over 60 patent and trade mark attorneys. Its clients include prestigious multinational corporations such as Research in Motion, Fujitsu and Eli Lilly.

Attorney-at-Law Dong-Hwan Kim and patent attorney Kee-Hyo Kim defended Lotte Engineering & Construction in a suit filed by patent owner Dong-Deok Han. Han claimed that Lotte had infringed his patent for construction equipment and methods, but the firm proved that the technology in question was not present at any construction site and the case was dismissed.

In January 2010, Dong Hwan Kim and patent attorneys Seong-Ki Kim, Jin Hoe Kim and Young-Han Kim acted for Airproducts Korea in acquiring a preliminary injunction against DNF. This dispute regarded DNF’s preparation for the sale of film that forms material essential for manufacturing semiconductors. This violated a patent of Airproducts Korea.

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Peers say that Yoon & Yang has not yet fully recovered from losing former IP head Duck Soon Chang to Kim & Chang. However, the firm’s practice holds steady in the rankings this year, recruiting a handful of new associates. The firm also has a lengthy ... [more]

Peers say that Yoon & Yang has not yet fully recovered from losing former IP head Duck Soon Chang to Kim & Chang. However, the firm’s practice holds steady in the rankings this year, recruiting a handful of new associates. The firm also has a lengthy and notable client list, including Salvatore Ferragamo Italia, Ewha Women’s University, Yahoo! Korea, Otis Elevator Company and Wallbee Commerce.

Partner Wonil Kim has acted for Korean broadcasting channels KBS, MBC and SBS regarding the retransmission of their signals by cable system operators CJ Hellovision and My TV in two separate cases. The case against CJ Hellovision could reshape nationwide broadcasting rights of linear broadcasting systems and could require cable system operators to pay compensation for re-broadcasting signals.

In another pending case with a high profile client, head partner Dong Ho Ong advised Salvatore Ferragamo Italia regarding copyright infringement by Keumkang, the largest shoe manufacturer in Korea.

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Unlike many other Korean firms, Cho & Partners prefers to stay small. The six partners at this boutique firm have, however, previously been employed by prominent Korean firms and are well regarded throughout the legal community. Partner Tae-Yeon Cho ... [more]

Unlike many other Korean firms, Cho & Partners prefers to stay small. The six partners at this boutique firm have, however, previously been employed by prominent Korean firms and are well regarded throughout the legal community. Partner Tae-Yeon Cho is a force in the Korean IP space, and even serves on the Domain Name Dispute Resolution Committee as a mediator for internet matters.

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“A capable boutique IP firm,” says one practitioner of Darae Law & Patent Firm. “The capabilities of key partners on average rival the top firms.” Darae is highly respected and handles a high volume of IP cases for both local and multinational corporations. ... [more]

“A capable boutique IP firm,” says one practitioner of Darae Law & Patent Firm. “The capabilities of key partners on average rival the top firms.” Darae is highly respected and handles a high volume of IP cases for both local and multinational corporations. Its client list includes prominent Korean companies like Woori Finance, Korean Electronics Technology Institute, Kumho Petrochemical Company and LG Life Science.

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Central International Law Firm has hired five associates this year, deepening the capabilities in its IP practice. Partner Inhan Kim has been particularly busy this past year, leading the firm’s practice on its three largest disputes.The firm has successfully ... [more]

Central International Law Firm has hired five associates this year, deepening the capabilities in its IP practice. Partner Inhan Kim has been particularly busy this past year, leading the firm’s practice on its three largest disputes.

The firm has successfully defended Korean company Gentro against Wellture Tech in two separate disputes. The first involved the grant of exclusive licences for two patents relating to ceramic panels, while the second involved the grant of an exclusive licence regarding a patent for inorganic coating.

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Hwang Mok Park’s sizeable IP practice, which comprises several partners and nine specialised patent attorneys, handles filing, selling, licensing and valuing trade marks and patents. As a full service firm, Hwang Mok Park acts for local and international ... [more]

Hwang Mok Park’s sizeable IP practice, which comprises several partners and nine specialised patent attorneys, handles filing, selling, licensing and valuing trade marks and patents. As a full service firm, Hwang Mok Park acts for local and international clients on intellectual property matters occasionally in conjunction with other corporate work.

Partner Woo Young Choi, head of the firm’s litigation practice, is especially notable for his success on contentious IP disputes.

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Shin & Kim has bolstered its IP practice this past year. For example, it hired partner Seung-Ho Lee from the Seoul Central District Court, where he was formerly a presiding judge.The firm’s IP practice is increasingly visible on deals, acting for high ... [more]

Shin & Kim has bolstered its IP practice this past year. For example, it hired partner Seung-Ho Lee from the Seoul Central District Court, where he was formerly a presiding judge.

The firm’s IP practice is increasingly visible on deals, acting for high profile clients such as Hynix Semiconductor, MBC Plus Media, Korea Development Bank and Komipharm this year.

Partners Ghyo-Sun Park and Bo Kyung Lim are representing a domestic pharmaceutical company on a patent infringement suit raised by a foreign pharmaceutical company regarding an antitumor drug.

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Peers respect this IP boutique, which is particularly known for its strength in patent prosecutions. You Me Patent & Law have a large team of both Korean and overseas patent and trademark attorneys. Its patent practice is supported by a group of ... [more]

Peers respect this IP boutique, which is particularly known for its strength in patent prosecutions. You Me Patent & Law have a large team of both Korean and overseas patent and trademark attorneys. Its patent practice is supported by a group of technical advisors through its electronic, mechanical and bio-chem departments. The firm’s clients include large domestic corporations such as Hyundai and Samsung.

In a highlight transaction, You Me represented SK Group in a dispute over the domain ‘sktrans.kr’. As another company had registered the name and was using it for business, SK Group turned to the Korean Internet Address Dispute Resolution Committee, which subsequently cancelled the domain name.
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Yulchon’s IP practice boasts a large number of prestigious clients, which is impressive given that the practice itself only comprises only two patent attorneys led by partner Young-Hill Liew.In the firm’s most prominent IP transaction, Liew advised the ... [more]

Yulchon’s IP practice boasts a large number of prestigious clients, which is impressive given that the practice itself only comprises only two patent attorneys led by partner Young-Hill Liew.

In the firm’s most prominent IP transaction, Liew advised the Korea Electric Power Corporation on a dispute with Delta over fuse box seals. Delta alleged that the seals manufactured by KEPCO infringed on its design. It was discovered that the registered design was similar to one in the public domain, and the patent was declared invalid.

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