Europe

“They maintain an excellent international legal network to provide the best supporting team for their client.”

- The Legal 500 Asia Pacific

Overview

BKL’s Europe Practice Group provides one-stop legal services for European clients operating in Korea across the full spectrum of legal issues, including general corporate, cross-border transactions, tax, labor & employment, data protection, compliance, antitrust, competition, IP, dispute resolution and international trade. Our dedicated experts have practiced in various European jurisdictions and are proficient in Korean, English and many other languages.

BKL is widely recognized for our expertise and strong track record in advising multinational companies headquartered in Europe and Korean companies investing in Europe. With decades of experience in commercial transactions between Korean and European partners, we work closely with our clients to achieve their business objectives, and to resolve complex disputes faced by multinationals in Korea.

Experience, Language and Cultural Familiarity

BKL’s Europe Practice Group includes attorneys and other professionals who have educational backgrounds or work experience in Europe. The European experience, cultural familiarity and foreign language capability of our professionals enable us to communicate with our European clients and provide them with clear guidance on how to fulfil their commercial goals in Korea.

German Practice Unit

Our German Practice Unit is led by a German-qualified, native German-speaking attorney, which is leveraged by our clients’ headquarters in Germany and German-speaking countries, as well as giving our German Practice Unit exceptional insight into the German legal and business environment. 

Teamwork

Our European Practice Group works in seamless collaboration with other professionals at BKL, who offer experience-driven assistance and provide a complete range of support to our European clients.

Alternative Investments

We extensively advise Korean clients on alternative investments in European assets such as infrastructure and real estate. In particular, we have recently covered important real estate investments in European jurisdictions, such as: 

the joint acquisition by Hanwha Investment & Securities Co., Ltd. and NH Investment & Securities Co., Ltd. of a combined 2.85% stake in the Gatwick Airport in London for approximately USD 243 million, from a consortium led by US-based Global Infrastructure Partners, in 2019
the joint acquisition by Savills Investment Management and Pacific Asset Management Co., Ltd., with Mirae Asset Daewoo Co., Ltd. as initial equity investor, of shares in two Amazon logistics properties located in Dortmund, Germany for approximately EUR 140 million, in 2019 and
the joint acquisition by Mirae Asset Daewoo Co., Ltd. and Amundi Real Estate of the Majunga Tower located in Paris La Défense, in 2019.

Cross-Border M&As

We act for Korean and European clients in inbound and outbound M&A transactions. We regularly assist our clients as lead counsel in M&A deals across multiple jurisdictions, supported by our global network with local law firms. With our connections in Europe and rich history of advising on important M&A transactions, we deliver efficient and cost-effective service to meet our clients’ needs.

Key Services

General Corporate
Incorporation of branch or subsidiary in Korea
Corporate governance
Joint venture
Mergers / Acquisitions
Inbound/outbound acquisition of assets/shares in Korean or European target companies
Transaction structuring
Due diligence
Transaction documentation and closing assistance
Post-merger integration
Antitrust / Competition
Merger filing in cross-border transactions
Feasibility of contemplated transaction structures from competition law perspective
Compliance training
Cartel investigation
Unfair trade practice and abuse of market dominance
Labor / Employment
Korean labor law
Employment regulations and other rules of employment
Compliance training and internal investigation
Governmental audits
Labor disputes and administrative proceedings
Tax
International tax planning/div>
Transfer pricing
Tax audits, investigation and litigation/settlement
Intellectual Property
Patent (including utility models), trademark, design infringement and invalidation trial/litigation
Copyright infringement litigation
Trade secret misappropriation and unfair competition litigation
Mediation and arbitration related to IP disputes
Data Protection
Data protection laws and regulations
Privacy policies and data leakage protection systems
Civil, criminal and administrative litigation
Capital Markets
Public offerings and private placements (both issuers and underwriters)
IPOs on Korea Exchange and listings
Issuance of foreign and domestic bonds
Criminal Defense
Prosecutor/police investigations
Investigations by non-conventional investigative agencies
Preventive legal guidance
Compliance monitoring
Digital forensics

Representative Cases

Acquisition of Total Terminals International Algeciras in Spain by HMM Co., Ltd.
Acquisition of a combined 2.85% of the shares in London’s Gatwick Airport for KRW 280 billion (approximately USD 243 million) by Hanwha Investment & Securities Co., Ltd. and NH Investment & Securities Co., Ltd. from a consortium led by the US-based Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP)
Acquisition of the Majunga Tower located in Paris La Défense by Mirae Asset Daewoo Co., Ltd. and Amundi Real Estate
Outbound Cases
Acquisition of 44.3% of the shares in Dutch company ThinkFree NV by Hancom Inc.
Sale of 51% of the shares in Rumanian subsidiary Daewoo-Mangalia Heavy Industries S.A. by DSME Co., Ltd. to the Damen Shipyards Group
Acquisition of Total Terminals International Algeciras in Spain by HMM Co., Ltd.
Sale of assets in France by Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO)
Sale of assets in Finland and France by STX Offshore & Shipbuilding Co., Ltd.
Establishment of joint ventures by Hyundai Logistics Co., Ltd. in the UK and Germany
Establishment of joint venture by Hyundai Elevator Co., Ltd. in Italy
Acquisition of Q Cells SE (German photovoltaic company) by Hanwha Chemical
Acquisition of approximately 80% of the shares in OHL Medio Ambiente Inima, S.A. (Spanish water treatment company) for approximately EUR 231 million from the OHL Group by GS E&C Corp.
Acquisition of Aker Yards ASA (Norwegian shipbuilding company) for USD 500 million by the STX Group
Inbound Cases
Acquisition of the valve repair service business by Neuman & Esser GmbH & Co. KG
Acquisition of Kimsoptec Co., Ltd., a Korean manufacturer of display measurement systems by Instrument Systems GmbH, a German manufacturer of high-precision light measurement systems and an affiliate of the Konica-Minolta Group
Intragroup transfer of the pump business in Korea among affiliates of Erich Netzsch GmbH & Co. KG, a German manufacturing and testing company of pumps for complex fluid management
Incorporation of TFL Ledertechnik Korea LLC upon acquisition of the leather chemical business by TFL Ledertechnik GmbH (located in Rheinfelden, Germany) from Lanxess AG
Acquisition of electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) and radiofrequency (RF) testing laboratories by DEKRA SE (based in Stuttgart, Germany), a German company in the testing, inspection and certification sector, from Movon Corporation Korea
Acquisition of remaining shares in joint venture company Webasto Donghee Holdings Co., Ltd. by Webasto SE (German automotive supplier) comprising the subsidiary in Korea and manufacturing plants in China and Slovakia
Establishment of joint venture by Zschimmer & Schwarz Chemie GmbH (German specialty chemicals manufacturer) and KhaiEL Korea Co., Ltd. in Korea to form Interpolymer Korea Co., Ltd.
Establishment of joint venture by BASF SE (German chemical company) and Kolon Plastics Inc. in Korea to form KOLON BASF innoPOM Inc. in 2018 for the production of polyoxymethylene (POM), an engineering plastic used in industrial, transportation, construction and consumer markets
Establishment of joint venture with Technoprobe Spa (Italian microelectronics company)
Establishment of Porsche Korea Ltd.
Establishment of joint venture by Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) and Alstom Grid (France-based electric power company) in Korea to form KEPCO Alstom Power Electronics Systems (KAPES)
Establishment of joint venture by Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) and ThyssenKrupp Uhde GmbH (member of the ThyssenKrupp Group) in Korea to form KEPCO-Uhde Inc.
Alternative Investment Cases
Investment in Harbor Exchange office building in London by KB Asset Management Co., Ltd. and Samsung Securities Co., Ltd.
Partial financing of ThyssenKrupp’s elevator unit buyout by NH Investment & Securities Co., Ltd.
Acquisition of a combined 2.85% of the shares in London’s Gatwick Airport for KRW 280 billion (approximately USD 243 million) by Hanwha Investment & Securities Co., Ltd. and NH Investment & Securities Co., Ltd. from a consortium led by the US-based Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP)
Acquisition of Amazon logistics center in Mönchengladbach-Rheindahlen near Düsseldorf in Germany by Samsung Securities Co., Ltd. and Shinhan Alternative Investment Management, Inc. for KRW 260 billion (approximately USD 214 million)
Acquisition of two Amazon logistics properties in Dortmund in Germany by Savills Investment Management and Pacific Asset Management Co., Ltd., with Mirae Asset Daewoo Co., Ltd. as initial equity investor for approximately USD 140 million
Acquisition of the Majunga Tower located in Paris La Défense by Mirae Asset Daewoo Co., Ltd. and Amundi Real Estate
Acquisition of Crystal Park office building in Neuilly-sur-Seine west of Paris for approximately USD 691 million by Samsung Securities Co., Ltd. from listed commercial property investor ICADE
Acquisition of 15% of the shares in Indigo Group, a French car park operator, by KB Asset Management Co., Ltd. and Hana Financial Investment Co., Ltd. from Ardian
Investment in MGT Teesside Ltd. (UK) by NH-Amundi Asset Management Co., Ltd. and Hana Financial Investment Co., Ltd.
Acquisition of the landmark Silberturm (“Silver Tower”) building in Frankfurt am Main, Germany by Samsung SRA Asset Management (a division of Samsung Life Insurance) for EUR 450 million