Labour and employment: local firms

Lee & Ko

Lee & Ko’s labour and employment team is highly regarded for its proficiency in handling contentious HR issues and handles a comprehensive range of employment litigation. The team, led by Chang-Soo Jin, offers long-term advisory services on labour matters including collective bargaining, internal investigations, and sexual harassment cases. Sang Hoon Lee advises on both individual employment and collective labour relationships, and Jae Hoon Choi is noted for his involvement in labour matters linked to corporate establishment and restructuring. William Kim assists foreign clients with a full spectrum of employment matters, and Shawn (Seong Ho) Han brings extensive experience in internal investigations and advising international clients on various employment issues.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

‘Lee & Ko has a wealth of trial experience and high expertise in labour and employment compared to other law firms' labour teams, and above all, its strength is its accurate and quick response to requests for advice.’
‘Individual lawyers on Lee & Ko's labour team consider their clients' labour-management relations history very important and have a great passion for continuously updating it. Therefore, it is very convenient and trustworthy for clients.’
‘This team is made up of great legal professionals. Experience and skill are properly balanced, and their roles are specialised in client relationships and lawsuits, making customers feel secure.’
‘Changsoo Jin is a judge-turned-lawyer who is fluent in the practice of the court and is well versed in legal principles. Hyunseok Song is highly loyal to his customers and is good at establishing relationships with them.’
‘In the case of other law firms, a partner-level attorney manages only when taking on a case or at the beginning of a contract. However, in the case of Lee & Ko, a partner-level attorney is involved in all cases from the beginning of the lawsuit to the end, so trust is high.’
‘Lee & Ko mobilises all capabilities within the law firm to resolve issues and actively works to meet the needs of its clients.’
‘Regarding the labour issues, they provided sufficient support to achieve the best results through the best efforts from the client's point of view.’
‘Their expertise is exceptional. They always give me practical advice because they consider a lot of factors such as ER, government policy, and social trends.’

Key clients

Hyundai Motor Company
Daebo Information & Communications
Joeun Systems Co. Ltd.
POSCO Co., Ltd.
LG Chemicals
YTN
Homeplus
DB C&S Automobile Damage Assessment Co., Ltd.
Samsung Electronics Service Co., Ltd.
HL Mando

Work highlights

Represented Hyundai Motor Company, and secured a landmark Supreme Court ruling that overturned lower court decisions, establishing clear criteria for justifying termination due to prolonged poor work performance.
Represented Samsung Electronics Service Co., Ltd. in a case involving an employee's death by electrocution, where directors faced charges under the Serious Accident Punishment Act.
Represented and supported Malaysia Air, which has been operating in Korea with a 98% unionised workforce, the directors faced labour union challenges over its collective bargaining agreement (CBA), claiming provisions were invalid or below market standards.