Dongwoo Seo

  • Managing Partner
  • T. +82-2-3404-0129
  • F. +82-2-3404-0803
  • E. dongwoo.seo@bkl.co.kr

Overview

Since joining Bae, Kim & Lee LLC in 1990, Dongwoo Seo's main practice has been focused on mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, investment by foreign investors, overseas investment, management right dispute, capital market and corporate finance and financial regulation.

Mr. Seo earned his LL.B. from Seoul National University and completed the 16th course of the Judicial Research and Training Institute. He earned his LL.M. from Harvard Law School and was admitted to the bar of New York.

Mr. Seo is an arbitrator of Korea Commercial Arbitration Board, member of Legal Consultative Committee of KOSDAQ Listed Companies Association and researcher of research group on law of international transactions of the Ministry of Justice.

Representative Experience

1993 Visiting Attorney, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP, New York
1992 Visiting Attorney, Rogers & Wells, Washington D.C.
1990-Present Bae, Kim & Lee LLC
See More
2011-2013 Member, Financial Development Review Committee under the Financial Services Commission
2010-2016 Non-Standing Director, Korean Insurance Development Institute
2010-Present Non-Standing Director, Sungdam Co., Ltd.
2008-2012 Auditor, Paradise Welfare Foundation
2005-2011 Member, Market Efficiency Committee, Financial Services Commission
2002-Present Member, International Trade Law Research Group, Ministry of Justice
2000-2017 Member, Legal Advisory Committee, KOSDAQ Listed Companies Association
1999-Present Arbitrator, Korea Commercial Arbitration Board

Representative Matters

Advised KEB and 8 other financial institution in the sale of Hyundai E&C to Hyundai Motors Group
Advised KEB and 8 other financial institution in the sale of Hynix Semiconductor to SK Telecom
Advised Hana Financial Group in the acquisition of Korea Exchange Bank (KEB) from U.S. private equity firm Lone Star
Advised SK C&C in its merger of SK holdings
Advised Lotte Chemical in its acquisition of Samsung SDI Chemical subsidiaries
Advised Dongbu Group in the sale of 49% shares in Siltron Inc. to the consortium composed by Vogo Fund and KTB Networks
Advised STX Group in the acquisition by of Aker Yards ASA, a shipbuilding company in Norway
Advised Hyundai Communications & Network (HCN) and its Hyundai Group affiliates in the sale of a certain minority interest in HCN to Carlye
Advised Korea Deposit Insurance Corporation in the sale of shares in (i) the Daehan Investment Trust Company to Hana Bank and (ii) the Korea Investment Trust Company to Dongwon Financial Group
Advised Korea Deposit Insurance Corporation in the recapitalization and sale of Hyundai Investment & Securities to Prudential
Advised Korea Deposit Insurance Corporation, the sole shareholder of Korea Life Insurance, in the sale of Korea Life Insurance to Hanhwa Consortium
Advised 5 commercial banks in the government-led P&A of 5 insolvent banks
Advised the FSC in the recapitalization and sale of 7 insolvent life insurance companies
Advised Hynix Semiconductor and its Creditors Committee in the sale of non-memory business of Hynix Semiconductor to Citigroup
Advised Prudential UK in its acquisition of Youngpoong Life (currently known as PCA Life)
Advised Olympus Capital in the investment in Korea Exchange Bank Credit Service
Advised the joint merger committee in the merger of Hana Bank and Boram Bank
Advised the joint merger committee in the merger of Hana Bank and Seoul Bank
Advised the target companies in the transactions involving Hyundai Merchant Marine, Estec, SK Corporation, Daegu Merchant Bank, Byuksan, etc.
Advised the acquirors in the transactions involving Kyungnam Energy, Hanhwa Merchant Bank, Sampyo Food
Advised KEB and 8 other financial institution in the sale of Hyundai E&C to Hyundai Motors Group
Advised KEB and 8 other financial institution in the sale of Hynix Semiconductor to SK Telecom
Advised Hana Financial Group in the acquisition of Korea Exchange Bank (KEB) from U.S. private equity firm Lone Star
Advised SK C&C in its merger of SK holdings
Advised Lotte Chemical in its acquisition of Samsung SDI Chemical subsidiaries
Advised CPA Global Korea on its acquisition of MARKPRO
Advised IMM Investment in its acquisition of Eco Management Korea
Advice Daewoong in the acquisition of shares in Hanall biopharma
Advised Headland Capital in the sale of Youngtoys
Advice on IBK Securities-Keistone Partners in the sale of Kumho Buslines
Advised on LIG's majority shareholders in the sale of LIG Insurance
Advised Yuanta Securities in its acquisition of Tongyang Securities
Advised Dongbu Farm Hannong on the sale of Dongbu Farm Gaya
Advised IMM in its investment in Hyundai Busan New Port
Advised IMM Investment Corp. in the sale of Midas Co., Ltd. to Pacific Dunlop Holdings (Europe) Limited
Advised Hanjin Shipping on the atttraction of investment in Busan Port
Advised Woonjin Group on the sale of its shares in Coway
Advised Dongbu Farm Hannong in the asset transfer of Monsanto Company Seed business
Advised Banyan Tree on its sale of Banyan Tree Hotel
Advised Headland Capital Partners in the acquisition of Unison Hi-Tech Co., Ltd.
Advised HSBC Private Equity in the subx-scription for Shares of SK Shipping
Advised Hanjin Shipping in the spin-off/joint venture of US, Japan and Taiwan port terminals business
Advised MBK Partners-KT in the acquisition of Kumho Rent-A-Car Co., Ltd.
Advised Dongbu Hitech on spin-off of agricultural business unit and sale of the shares in newly spun off company
Advised the shareholders C&M Communications in their sale of C&M Communication to MBK Partners and Macquarie Korea Opportuinities Fund for KRW 1,450 billion

Education

1992 Harvard Law School (LL.M.)
1987 Judicial Research and Training Institute, Supreme Court of Korea
1985 Seoul National University (LL.B.)

Selected Activities

Publications
Transparent Management (Co-author, Association of Certified Fraud Examiners Korea Chapter, 2007)
Current Status and Measures against Unfair and Fraudulent Conduct (Co-author, Association of Certified Fraud Examiners Korea Chapter, 2003)
Korea: General Overview of Major M&A Deals and Prospects (Euromoney, 2003)
Korea Chapter (The Asia-Pacific Restructuring Guide, 2001, 2003)
Subsidy and Countervailing Duty System in UR Final Agreement, Vol.4 (Study on International Trade, 1995)
WTO Government Procurement Agreement and Korean Government Procurement System, No.6 (Trade Law, 1995)
Material Retardation Standard in U.S. Anti-dumping Law, Vol. 24 (Law and Policy in International Business, 1993)
Standing of Parties in Litigation over Realty Owned in Common (16th Class of the Judicial Research & Training Institute, 1986)
Awards
Chambers Asia-Pacific - Leading Lawyer (2016-2024)
Chambers Global - Leading Lawyer (2017-2022)
The Legal 500 - Leading Individual (2017-2019)
IFLR 1000 - Leading Lawyer (2017-2023)
Asialaw - Leading Lawyer (2014-2022)
Asia Business Law Journal - Korea's Top 100 Lawyers (2021-2023)
The Asia Legal Awards - M&A Lawyer of the Year (2017)

Qualifications

1993 New York
1987 Korea

Awards and Recognition

Awards and Recognition