Korea

Overview

Recognized leader for Corporate/M&A

Chambers Global 2013-2018

The economic ties between Korea and the United States, Europe and the rest of the world run deep and strong. To help Korean, US and multinational businesses pursue their domestic and global objectives, McDermott became one of the first Western law firms to establish a presence in Korea. The lawyers in our Seoul office, in cooperation with experienced partners from across the Firm, provide comprehensive legal advice to corporations, investors and individuals in all key legal disciplines.

In 2016, Chambers Global recognized McDermott's Seoul office as a leading firm in Corporate/M&A and as a top firm in Intellectual Property: Patent & Trade Mark Agents. The Legal 500 Asia-Pacific 2015 also recognized McDermott as a leading firm advising multinational corporations on their outbound commercial activities.

We have deep roots working with Korean businesses and government agencies. Members of our team have studied in Korea, speak the language fluently and have extensive, first-hand experience with the country’s traditional and emerging business, cultural and legal systems. We also have strong relationships with a network of leading law firms and professional-services firms in situ.

Members of our Seoul office and Korea practice are also well versed in the legal and business practices and traditions that prevail in New York, London, Paris and other commercial centers around the world. Drawing on our global training, experience and background, our professionals span the divide that too often separates Korean and non-Korean companies, and better smooth the path of complex transactions.

We provide counsel on a broad range of legal issues, including antitrust and competition, corporate transactions such as mergers and acquisitions, intellectual property prosecution and litigation, commercial litigation and arbitration, international trade, white-collar criminal defense, and compliance with the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and other relevant regulations. We advise businesses in numerous industries and have developed significant experience representing clients in the energy and life sciences sectors, in particular.

Key Contacts

Paul J. Kim
Partner New York

Results

Corporate and Transactional

A Korean private equity fund in its KRW 700 billion (US$600 million) convertible preferred stock investment in the leading compact farm and construction equipment manufacturer in North America, with substantial operations in Europe and Asia
Hanon Systems with its US$3.6 billion acquisition by Hahn & Co., a Korean private equity firm, from Visteon Corporation, providing legal counsel on its global restructuring and separation matters, including those relating to corporate, pension, human resources, labor and employment, and information technology
LG Chem Ltd. as special counsel in its US$200 million acquisition of NanoH2O Inc., a California-based venture backed company that focuses on the water filter business and maker of reverse-osmosis membranes for seawater desalination applications
Mirae Asset Private Equity/Fila Korea consortium in the US$1.225 billion acquisition of the Acushnet golf business, the owner of the Titleist and Footjoy golf brands, from Fortune Brands, Inc.
A Korean mobile lifestyle-solutions provider on various financings, including two tranches of convertible bond financings involving US, European and Japanese investors in the aggregate principal amounts of US$43 million and US$30 million
A publicly listed Korean precision medicine and biotechnology company with the mergers of its three US affiliates and the subsequent issuance by the surviving corporation in such mergers of a US$10 million convertible note to an investment vehicle managed and controlled by a leading Korean private equity fund

Intellectual Property

Numerous businesses with co-managed global patent portfolios and prosecution of, for example, a worldwide portfolio having 7,400 cases for a global wireless telecommunications corporation, a patent portfolio of 3,000 cases for a multinational internet company, a patent portfolio of 3,000 cases for a global aerospace and defense company, and a patent portfolio of 1,300 cases for a semiconductor company
Numerous clients with rendering critical infringement and validity patent opinions and analyses (in more than 300 cases), for example, for one of the world’s largest flat-panel display manufacturers with US$25 billion in revenue, for a premium international gaming technology company, for a multinational audio/video system supplier, and for a leading precious metal producer with US$20 billion in revenue
Leading Korean companies with intellectual property due diligence in connection with mergers and acquisitions, including the acquisition of a US$1 billion patent portfolio for IC chip packages and fabrication, a US$1.2 billion acquisition of a global sports technology business, a US$500 million acquisition of a real-time video content provider, and in a US$380 million acquisition of a health care quality management SaaS company
A global consumer-electronics company with obtaining a favorable settlement by developing and asserting a patent portfolio against a competitor
A global automotive company with the negotiation and licensing agreement with a competitor
An emerging company with the development of a global patent strategy involving more than 200 patents, resulting in an advantageous licensing agreement with competitors

Team

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