The first Korean law firm to establish a presence in China, Bae, Kim & Lee LLC has pioneered the cross-border delivery of legal services for investment and trade between the two countries. The Firm set up its Beijing office in 2004. Building on the rapid success of that practice, we set up a second PRC office in Shanghai, in 2008. Among Korean law firms, BKL has the largest contingent of attorneys in China and, currently, is unique in maintaining offices in both the capital city and the commercial center of the country. BKL is also one of the few law firms with a permanent team of PRC lawyers in Seoul.

Our group in China provides clients with expert advice on corporate, regulatory and fair trade matters, and also assists regularly in commercial litigation. We have been relied on by many Korean clients in their business ventures in China, including new investments, acquisitions, joint ventures and technology transfer agreements. Led by Jong Gil Kim (one of the rare Korean attorneys completely fluent in Mandarin), and complemented by a team of experienced PRC and Korean attorneys, the practice group offers seamless advice on legal aspects of business in both countries.

Our professionals in China, in tandem with our transactional practice groups and Chinese lawyers in our Seoul office, have also helped many PRC clients in a variety of investments and acquisitions in Korea. BKL handled the first major acquisition in Korea by a PRC company, advising the BOE Technology Group in its 2003 purchase of a division of Hynix Semiconductor. Major PRC clients we have advised in recent transactions include Sinochem, Haier, Huawei and Industrial & Commercial Bank of China.

Our team is also highly active in the area of trade law, having handled a number of matters involving anti-dumping measures and countervailing duties in China-Korea trade. With one of the foremost trade law groups in Korea, the Firm is able to draw on unsurpassed experience and technical expertise in this field, in helping PRC clients respond effectively to such issues in Korea, as well as coordinating work for Korean clients in the PRC.

BKL offers a continuously updated grasp of government policy, as well as law, aided by professional channels to regulatory bodies in each country. In Korea, we have long maintained strong professional relationships with regulators including the Ministry of Strategy and Finance and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade often. In China, likewise, the practice group enjoys professional ties with agencies such as the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation and the State Economic and Trade Commission.

We have been privileged to collaborate with a number of the leading law firms in China, including King & Wood (金杜), Jingtian Gongcheng (競天公誠), Junhe (君合), Beidou (北斗) and Tianyuan (天元).

Recent Work

BKL’s work in China, or work for PRC clients in Korea, has in recent years included the following:

• Lotte Group acquisition of major retail chain (Makro) in Beijing and Tianjin (2008).
• Changhong acquisition of PDP and OLED business in Korea (2008).
• Represented Korean polystyrene manufacturer in anti-dumping investigation in PRC.
• CJ Homeshopping business joint venture in Shanghai and Tianjin.
• LG Display joint venture in Suzhou for LCD TV production (2008).
• POSCO negotiations to acquire steelmaker in China (2006).
• Sinochem bid to take over Incheon Oil Refinery in Korea (2004).
• China National Blue Star Group bid for Ssangyong Motor in Korea (2004).
• BOE Technology Group acquisition of TFT-LCD division of Hynix Semiconductor (2003), the first major acquisition in Korea by a Chinese firm.