Moon & Song

The firm: Established in 2006, Moon & Song (formerly Kwon & Moon) has grown to become one of Korea’s leading maritime specialist law firms by providing the highest quality legal advice to international shipping businesses. Managing partner Mr Kwang-Myeong Moon had long pioneered the field at a shipping law firm in Korea before founding Moon & Song. Mr Hun Song has been promoted to name partner after building his career as a maritime lawyer in the shipping area and Mr Sang-Hwa Lee is a  partner who has worked for another maritime law firm, Choi & Kim. Moon & Song has concentrated the development of its capabilities and the growth of its expertise on the specialised areas of shipping, marine insurance and international litigation and arbitration. Moon & Song has received many accolades from clients for its prompt, detailed, enthusiastic and knowledgeable services. With a sound understanding of the shipping market, both from the perspective of underwriters and clubs and that of their assureds and shipowning members, Moon & Song is widely recognised as a specialist adviser to the shipping and insurance sector.

Areas of practice
Shipping: Moon & Song advises on all aspects of admiralty, from collisions and explosions to salvage and wreck removal. With considerable expertise, the firm has handled emergency incidents and disasters, including maritime collision, oil pollution, personal injury, fishing net damage, salvage and wreck removal, and limitation of shipowners’ liability for those incidents as well. In the Hebei Spirit oil pollution case, the largest oil spill incident in the history of Korea, Moon & Song acted as the legal adviser to the Korean government, the local county and the major group of claimants living in the most affected areas.

Advising on all forms of shipping contracts, charterparties, pool agreements and bills of lading, Moon & Song has managed the issues arising out of such contracts. The firm is also experienced in advising on disputes arising from shipbuilding and the sale and purchase of commercial ships.

Marine insurance: Moon & Song provides a full service for all marine insurance claims by acting on behalf of many of the offshore casualties and advising many domestic and international clubs and underwriters. Its insurance practice covers all forms of marine insurance including H&M, P&I, marine cargo policy and international shipping business liability insurance.

International trade and commodities: Moon & Song offers a full service for global commodities’ business enterprises and focuses on assisting international clients with financing, developing and growing their business. In Korea, the firm has strategised with global businesses wanting to enter the Korean market by dealing with Korean regulations and utilising cultural differences to achieve maximum results.

International litigation and arbitration: by providing specialised services for the resolution of cross-border disputes faced by business enterprises in the international trade and commodity sectors, as well as in the shipping and insurance sectors, Moon & Song has developed the expertise to tackle the most complex of disputes and the capability to handle large, multi-jurisdictional cases. Moon & Song also has a great deal of experience in the enforcement of foreign judgments and arbitral awards. The firm is particularly well-recognised for its abundant experience and ability to assist in cross-border insolvency cases under the Debtor Rehabilitation and Bankruptcy Act of Korea, where it has acted on behalf of international creditors and for domestic clients undergoing rehabilitation or bankruptcy.