Peter & Kim

Peter & Kim is a specialist arbitration and disputes firm, based in Switzerland, South Korea, Singapore, and Australia. The firm was established in 2019 under the joint leadership of Wolfgang Peter and Kap-You (Kevin) Kim. The firm is staffed by some of the world’s leading arbitration advocates and arbitrators, working together with a diverse set of skilful lawyers qualified in 8 jurisdictions, and fluent in 18 languages. Since its inception, the firm has leveraged its unique expertise and networks in Europe and Asia to develop a truly global practice.

Peter & Kim boasts a proven track record of successfully representing corporate, sovereign and private clients across the globe in complex cross-border cases before arbitral tribunals and state courts. The firm adopts a commercially minded, fact-driven approach and handles the full spectrum of international disputes, including both commercial and investor state matters, like M&A contracts, international construction and engineering projects, energy disputes, resources sector (mining and off-shore extraction), distribution and agency agreements, franchising and licensing contracts, joint venture agreements, commodities transactions, long-term supply contracts and foreign investment to name a few.

Relying on the depth and diversity of its lawyers, Peter & Kim can assemble bespoke teams combining different legal, language and industry knowledge to meet the specific needs of its clients while being always accessible due to the close cooperation between offices. The presence of renowned arbitrators in the firm allows Peter & Kim to rely on their experience and expertise for strategy and advocacy.

All lawyers of the firm have practical experience working with the procedural and substantive laws of most popular arbitration seats, as well as the rules of all major arbitral institutions, such as the ICC, SIAC, HKIAC, ICSID, LCIA, AAA/ ICDR, UNCITRAL, VIAC, SCC, ACICA, CIETAC, KCAB, CAS, CIAC and JCAA.

The firm supports and represents clients throughout all stages of a dispute, from initial advice on navigating the dispute resolution process, through to pre-arbitration negotiations, dealing with interim measures of protection, drafting written submissions, advocacy at hearings, post-award challenges and asset recovery.

Managing partners: Wolfgang Peter and Kevin Kim
Number of partners: 15
Number of lawyers: 29
Languages: English, French, German, Greek, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, Mandarin, Italian, Romanian, Russian, Malay, Hungarian, Swedish, Ukrainian, Vietnamese, Croatian and Dutch

Main areas of practice

• Banking and Financial Services
• Maritime and Shipping
• Construction and Infrastructure
• Telecommunications
• Real Estate
• Pharmaceuticals and Life Sciences
• Energy and Resources
• Investment Treaty Arbitration
• Sporting Disputes
• Arbitration-Related Court Proceedings

Representative cases:

■ Joint counsel for Korea-based Mirae Asset in relation to the cancelation of a $5.8 billion acquisition of 15 US luxury hotels from a Chinese insurance company. Defended Mirae Asset, Buyer, in a Delaware Chancery court litigation and secured a 100% win for Mirae Asset within 7 months from the commencement of the proceedings.

■ Counsel in a long-running ad hoc arbitration between a state-owned enterprise and a sovereign state in the oil sector, involving aspects of public international law; the amount in dispute runs to several billion US dollars.

■ Counsel in an ICSID arbitration against an Asian state on behalf of an investor from Singapore.

■ Joint lead counsel representing a seller in a in an ongoing ad hoc gas purchase dispute in the Middle East; the amount in dispute is over USD 30 billion.

■ Counsel in an ICC arbitration seated in Singapore for one of Korea’s largest construction companies concerning the development and financing of a USD 35 billion business district project in Korea. The value of the dispute exceeds USD 2 billion.

■ Counsel in an ICSID arbitration under the Korea – Belgium/ Luxembourg BIT, involving a claim against the Government of Korea in the aggregate amount of over USD 5 billion.

■ Counsel in the second known ICSID arbitration brought against the People’s Republic of China. The dispute related to a Korean company’s investment in the construction of a golf country club and condominiums in Sheyang-Xiam, Jiangsu province.

■ Co-counsel in setting aside proceedings in Australia and enforcement proceedings in Singapore in relation to a SIAC award concerning a high-profile infrastructure project in Australia.

■ Counsel in an ICC arbitration between a Central Asian mining conglomerate and a contractor, with more than USD 500 million in dispute.

■ Counsel in an LCIA arbitration seated in London, arising from a dispute regarding the procurement, construction and commissioning of the first nuclear power station in the United Arab Emirates. The value of this dispute exceeds USD 500 million.

■ Counsel in an ICC arbitration subject to Swiss law, concerning a failed joint venture in a Middle Eastern country, which involved military and public procurement contracts. The amount in dispute USD 60 million.

■ Counsel in a SIAC arbitration seated in Singapore, involving a dispute relating to manufacture and sale of structural steel for use in the construction of a large-scale civil engineering project in Sydney, Australia, with an amount in dispute over USD 50 million.

■ Counsel in an ICC arbitration involving a construction of a bridge in a CIS country, with an amount in dispute over USD 80 million, including successful defense of the award before the Swiss Supreme Court.

■ Counsel in a Swiss Rules arbitration stemming from the agricultural sector, with USD 70 million in dispute.

Key clients: Past and former clients include Hyundai Group entities, Engie, Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO), Eurasian Resources Group, POSCO Group entities, Republic of Korea, Doğuş Construction and Trade Inc., SAP Korea, Mirae Asset Financial Group.