Latham & Watkins LLP > Seoul, South Korea > Firm Profile

Latham & Watkins LLP > Firm Profile

The firm: Latham & Watkins is a leading international law firm serving multinational companies, start-ups, investment banks, private equity funds, venture capital firms, sovereign wealth funds, governments and other organisations. The firm’s globally integrated platform spans Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the US, and consists of internationally recognised practices across a wide spectrum of transactional, litigation, corporate and regulatory areas. Latham attorneys offer unrivalled legal resources and strategic commercial thinking to provide clients with innovative solutions to complex commercial matters.

Asia practice: Businesses and investors seeking innovative solutions to their most complex corporate, financial, regulatory and litigation challenges turn to Latham in Asia for strategic thinking and experienced counsel. Latham has extensive experience advising on the international aspects of a broad range of corporate and finance transactions for clients across the region, notably Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam. With more than 150 lawyers operating from six offices in Asia, Latham provides clients in the region and clients looking to do business in Asia with expert advice under US, English, Hong Kong, Japanese and Singapore law. Latham’s deep roots in the financial and economic markets in the region are further strengthened by the firm’s local language capabilities.

Latham continues to receive awards and acclaim from a number of leading financial and legal publications for landmark and precedent-setting deals.

Areas of practice: The firm’s Asia practice has received considerable market recognition for its involvement in many of the most important single-country and in-region, inbound and outbound cross-border transactions. The team has extensive experience across numerous practices, including: project development and finance (particularly in the areas of infrastructure, energy and natural resources); banking and acquisition finance; M&A; private equity; restructurings; privatisations; debt and equity capital markets; general company representation; foreign direct investment; commercial litigation and arbitration (with a particular focus on contentious insolvencies, securities and shareholder disputes); white-collar and government investigations; antitrust and competition; and technology, media and commercial transactions.

Latham & Watkins has advised companies active in Korea for nearly two decades. Lawyers in Latham & Watkins’ Seoul office provide high-quality, strategic legal advice and representation to Korean and international companies, government agencies and financial institutions in the country and across the world. The firm serves key players in the Korean market in diverse industries, including the automotive, banking, communications, electronics, energy, information technology, life sciences and semiconductor sectors. The bilingual lawyers in Latham’s Seoul office work in concert with international colleagues, including more than 40 lawyers active in the firm’s Korea practice globally. Through the firm’s seamless collaboration across offices, Latham & Watkins provides clients in Korea easy access to the experience and innovative advice of more than 2,400 Latham lawyers around the world.

Lawyer Profiles

Photo	Name	Position	Profile
	Sidharth Bhasin	Sidharth Bhasin advises on private equity investments and exits, public and private…	View Profile
	Andrew Bishop	Andrew Bishop, as Local Chair of the firm’s Finance Department in Asia,…	View Profile
	Richard Chul Kim	Richard Chul Kim is counsel in the Finance Department of Latham &…	View Profile
	James Clayton-Payne	James Clayton-Payne, a mergers and acquisitions lawyer, advises on complex cross-border M&A…	View Profile
	Simon Cooke	Simon Cooke, a leading private equity lawyer in Asia, specializes in public…	View Profile
	Owain Davies	Owain Davies advises on the development and financing of energy and infrastructure…	View Profile
	Louise Deng	Louise Deng advises private equity and corporate clients in Asia and globally…	View Profile
	Ruonan Duan	Ruonan Duan advises clients doing business in Asia on corporate and finance…	View Profile
	Lynsey Edgar	Lynsey Edgar advises top-tier sponsors on complex, cross-border financing transactions, particularly investments…	View Profile
	Tingfei Fan	Tingfei Fan is a counsel in the Hong Kong office of Latham &…	View Profile
	Richard Fleming	Richard Fleming is counsel in the Finance Department of Latham & Watkins…	View Profile
	Esther Franks	Esther Franks leads the Data and Technology Transactions Practice in the firm’s…	View Profile
	Rajiv Gupta	Rajiv Gupta heads Latham’s India Practice and advises Indian companies and global…	View Profile
	Benjamin Han	Benjamin Han is an associate in the Hong Kong office of Latham…	View Profile
	Michael Hardy	Michael Hardy is a partner in the Hong Kong office of Latham &…	View Profile
	Simon Hawkins	Simon Hawkins, an experienced and trusted advisor to financial institutions and fintech…	View Profile
	Timothy Hia	Timothy Hia advises clients on their most complex financing transactions across Asia,…	View Profile
	Wonsuk (Steve) Kang	Wonsuk Kang, Chair of Latham’s Korea Practice, helps Korean clients successfully navigate…	View Profile
	Regina Kim	Regina Jinseo Kim advises Korean and global clients on outbound and inbound…	View Profile
	Hiroki Kobayashi	Hiroki Kobayashi advises high-profile international and Japanese companies on all aspects of…	View Profile
	Posit Laohaphan	Posit Laohaphan is the Managing Partner of Latham’s Asia offices and the…	View Profile
	Sharon Lau	Sharon Lau is a partner in the Singapore office and a member…	View Profile
	Marcus Lee	Marcus Lee represents clients doing business in Asia in public and private…	View Profile
	Ning Li	Ms. Li focuses on capital markets transactions such as initial public offerings and…	View Profile
	Ji Liu	Ji Liu, Regional Chair of Latham & Watkins’ Corporate Department in Asia,…	View Profile
	Stephen McWilliams	Stephen McWilliams advises sponsors and lenders on the most complex and innovative…	View Profile
	Yohei Nakagawa	Yohei Nakagawa advises Japanese and international clients on a wide range of…	View Profile
	Michael Ning	Michael Ning counsels private equity sponsors, investors, and corporations on a variety…	View Profile
	Diona Narae Park		View Profile
	Diona Park	Diona Park is a counsel in the Seoul office of Latham &…	View Profile
	Michael Rackham	Michael Rackham is a partner in the Singapore office of Latham &…	View Profile
	Dominik Sklenar	Dominik Sklenar advises on capital markets transactions, including initial public offerings and…	View Profile
	Ivan Smallwood	Ivan Smallwood regularly advises leading Japanese and multinational companies on high-stakes cross-border…	View Profile
	Frank Sun	Frank Sun, Co-Deputy Managing Partner of Latham & Watkins’ Asia offices, advises…	View Profile
	Hiroaki Takagi	Hiroaki Takagi advises Japanese and international companies and private equity firms on…	View Profile
	Edward Tang	Edward Tang is a member of the Corporate Department and the Private…	View Profile
	Jeremy Wang	Jeremy Wang advises issuers and underwriters on securities, debt, and equity offerings,…	View Profile
	Allen Wang	Allen Wang is a partner in the Hong Kong office of Latham &…	View Profile
	Richard Watkins	Richard Watkins advises private equity and corporate clients on M&A, joint venture,…	View Profile
	Howe Min Wee	Howe Min Wee advises export credit agencies, multilaterals, commercial lenders, and sponsors…	View Profile
	Wei Wei	Wei Wei is a counsel in the Beijing office of Latham &…	View Profile
	Stacey Wong	Stacey Wong advises clients on a broad spectrum of complex equity and…	View Profile
	Mandy Wong	Mandy Wong advises clients on equity and debt capital markets, with a…	View Profile
	Carolyn Wong	Carolyn Wong advises Asian and international clients on corporate transactions, with a…	View Profile
	Hui Xu	Hui Xu, Chair of Latham & Watkins’ Litigation & Trial Department in…	View Profile
	Eric Yiu	Eric Yiu advises investment banks as well as public and private companies…	View Profile

Legal Briefings

• Transacting with troubled companies: navigating stressed, distressed, and insolvent acquisitions

  The Covid-19 pandemic has brought about significant challenges for many businesses, and a heightened risk of financial difficulty and insolvency. While the number of formal insolvencies has been relatively low thus far, troubled businesses may be forced to pursue accelerated asset disposals, or may themselves present an attractive investment opportunity for new equity stakeholders capable …

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Comparative Guides

• United Kingdom: Mergers & Acquisitions

  Published: April 2025

  Authors: Richard Butterwick Sam NewhouseDouglas Abernethy Rebecca van Yperen

  This country-specific Q&A provides an overview of Mergers & Acquisitions laws and regulations applicable in United Kingdom.

• United States: Acquisition Finance

  Published: January 2025

  Authors: Brandon AndersonPaul BonewitzDaniel SealeAlfred Xue

  This country-specific Q&A provides an overview of Acquisition Finance laws and regulations applicable in United States.

• United States: Lending & Secured Finance

  Published: April 2025

  Authors: Lisa Collier Nicole FanjulDaniel SealeAlfred XuePreeta Paragash

  This country-specific Q&A provides an overview of Lending & Secured Finance laws and regulations applicable in United States.