Kim & Chang

International Arbitration & Cross-Border Litigation; Energy; Project Finance; International Practice; Vietnam

Dong-Seok (Johan) Oh is an attorney at Kim & Chang. He practices primarily in the areas of international arbitration and cross-border litigation, energy and resources, project finance, outbound practice, and international litigation matters.

Mr. Oh represents a diverse range of clients from various jurisdictions in international arbitration proceedings, predominantly under the rules of the ICC (International Chamber of Commerce), KCAB (Korean Commercial Arbitration Board), AAA (American Arbitration Association), LCIA (London Court of International Arbitration) and SIAC (Singapore International Arbitration Centre), and is also serving as an arbitrator in the Asia International Arbitration Centre (AIAC) and the KCAB.

Mr. Oh has in-depth understanding and knowledge in international arbitration disputes related to various fields such as energy, construction, shipbuilding, offshore projects, M&As, international trade, and corporate governance. In particular, through his time serving as the general counsel of the International Legal Team of Hyundai Heavy Industries group, he handled various projects related to shipbuilding, industrial plants and power generation facilities, overseas construction, and offshore projects, among others. By utilizing such relevant legal knowledge and extensive practical experience, Mr. Oh contributed to the development of the arbitration field related to energy, shipbuilding, and construction.

In addition to providing legal advice on such disputes, Mr. Oh also advises clients on various types of domestic and overseas projects, including industrial plants and power generation facilities, oil and gas, infrastructure, and PPP projects, as well as recent projects related to renewable energy such as wind power, solar power, fuel cell, and hydrogen energy. His works span across the globe, covering regions such as South East Asia, India, Middle East, Africa and North/South America.

Prior to joining Kim & Chang, Mr. Oh served as a judge in the Suwon District Court (1999-2001). He also served as a general counsel of International Legal Team of Hyundai Heavy Industries group (2009-2011), handling various legal matters regarding energy, shipbuilding, construction, and offshore project. He is a member of the Korean Bar Association (1996) and the New York Bar Association (2007), and a member of the world-renowned associations of arbitrators, the IAI (International Arbitration Institute) in Paris and the IPBA (Inter-Pacific Bar Association).

In addition, Mr. Oh was selected as one of the Best Lawyers in the outbound practice field in a survey conducted upon in-house legal counsels by Chosun Ilbo in 2014, and was also named as a Leading Individual by renowned media outlets in and outside Korea, including Who's Who Legal, Legal 500, and Legal Times.

Mr. Oh received his LL.B. from Seoul National University, and his LL.M from Columbia Law School. He also attended the Judicial Research and Training Institute of the Supreme Court of Korea. He is admitted to the Korean bar and the New York bar.

Korean and English

Admitted to bar, Korea, 1996; New York, 2007

Columbia Law School (LL.M., 2006) Judicial Research and Training Institute of the Supreme Court of Korea (1996) Seoul National University (LL.B., 1993)