Shin & Kim

The firm: Now in its 40th year, Shin & Kim is one of the largest and highly regarded law firms in Korea. The breadth and depth of experience offered by over 700 professionals (including Korean and foreign attorneys, patent attorneys, tax attorneys, certified public accountants, customs specialists and other advisors) has kept the firm at the forefront of changes in the global financial market and the international business environment.

The practice has expanded with the increase in intra-regional cooperation and investments, with Shin & Kim’s offices in Beijing, Shanghai, Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Jakarta and Singapore providing comprehensive legal advisory services in China and Southeast Asia.

Areas of practice: Among the practice areas in which Shin & Kim is pre-eminent are:

M&A, investment and restructuring: Shin & Kim has represented both foreign and domestic clients in many of the largest cross-border M&A transactions and hostile takeovers in Korea. The firm also specialises in providing legal services relating to foreign direct investments and has extensive experience of assisting US, European, Asian and other foreign clients in establishing subsidiaries, joint ventures, branches and liaison offices in Korea. The firm is widely recognised as having one of the leading bankruptcy practices in Korea and has handled an extensive list of corporate reorganisation, composition and bankruptcy cases.

Corporate: Shin & Kim provides the full range of corporate services, including legal advice relating to issues of fair trade, monopoly and labour, and has extensive experience in the areas of broadcasting; information and telecommunications; energy and environment; real estate and construction; IT; WTO and international trade; customs; government contracts; and general commercial trade. The firm is noted for its creativity in finding solutions to the issues facing its clients.

Securities, banking and finance: Shin & Kim advises many of the leading financial institutions and other corporate clients on all aspects of their involvement in the world’s capital markets. Since its inception, Shin & Kim has been a pioneer in securities, banking and finance law, having assisted in the establishment of the Korea Fund and the Korea-Europe Fund; foreign-owned investment funds; most of the existing domestic funds; virtually all Korean issues of convertible bonds and bonds with warrants; and the first global depository receipt issuance by a Korean company.

Litigation: Shin & Kim is recognised as one of the premier firms in Korea for litigation. The firm has been involved in many landmark cases, including its recent representation of the Samsung Group in the largest litigation ever filed in Korea.

International dispute resolution: Shin & Kim’s experienced arbitration practitioners represent the firm’s clients in large complex arbitrations all over the world and under the rules of all major arbitral institutions, including the ICC, SIAC, HKIAC, LCIA and KCAB.

Intellectual property: Shin & Kim offers its clients a full range of legal services relating to the acquisition, enforcement and protection of intellectual property rights, including litigation, counselling and other related services. Shin & Kim’s intellectual property practice consists of Korean attorneys, foreign attorneys, patent attorneys, technical consultants and a large staff with extensive experience in dealing with the particular issues posed in this area.

Tax and accounting: the firm has a highly regarded tax and accounting practice, staffed by tax attorneys and certified public accountants with in-depth experience and expertise. Shin & Kim’s tax and accounting practice has been designed to provide a ‘one-stop service’ to a broad range of domestic and international clients.