Sky Yang

  • Managing Partner
  • T. +82-2-3404-0143
  • F. +82-2-3404-7306
  • E. sky.yang@bkl.co.kr

Overview

Sky Yang is a partner in the Corporate and M&A Practice Group at Bae, Kim & Lee LLC. Since joining the firm in 1993, Mr. Yang has been actively advising in the corporate, M&A and financial regulatory sectors; and has worked extensively with major domestic and international private equity funds, multinational corporations, financial services firms, and institutional investors with a broad range of general corporate and transactional matters, including inbound and outbound cross-border mergers and acquisitions, foreign-direct investments, private equity transactions, corporate governance, leveraged buy-outs, and corporate restructurings, among other areas of practice.

Throughout his 30 years of legal practice, Mr. Yang has represented a lot of major domestic and multinational corporations, financial services firms, and institutional investors such as SeAH Group, STX Group, LG Caltex, Tesla Motors, Reckitt Benckiser, Monster Worldwide, Hana Financial Group, Samsung Securities, Shinhan Financial Group, DGB Financial Group, KB Financial Group, Woori Bank, Morgan Stanley, UBS, HSBC, PCA, MassMutual and Fubon Life Insurance; top domestic and foreign private equity funds such as Vogo Fund, KKR, Affinity Equity Partners and CDIB Capital; and influential governmental organizations such as the Financial Supervisory Service and the Korea Deposit Insurance Corporation.

Mr. Yang is perennially ranked as one of the top lawyers in Korea by major legal publications such as Chambers (both Asia-Pacific and Global), The Legal 500, IFLR1000, Asialaw, and Asia Business Law Journal, among others. Moreover, he has led successfully in some of the landmark transactions in and outside Korea considered “Deal of the Year” types such as the acquisition by Hana Financial Group of Korea Exchange Bank, the acquisition by Shinhan Financial Group of ING Life Korea, and the acquisition by STX Group of Aker Yards in Norway. Mr. Yang received his LL.B. from Seoul National University in 1988 and his LL.M. from New York University School of Law in 1999. He was admitted to the Korean and New York Bars, and also worked as an international lawyer at White & Case in New York in 1999-2000. He has actively participated for many years in several pro bono activities as a commissioner or member of the Financial Supervisory Service, the Ministry of Justice, the Korea Exchange, the Korean Bar Association and the International Bar Association.

Representative Experience

1999-2000 White & Case LLP, New York
1993-Present Bae, Kim & Lee LLC
1990-1993 Judge Advocate, Republic of Korea Army
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2021-Present Member, Legal Practice Division (LPD) Council, International Bar Association (IBA)
2019-Present Director, International Association of Korean Lawyers (IAKL)
2019-2020 Co-Chair, Asia Pacific Regional Forum, International Bar Association (IBA)
2015-2016 Commissioner, International Affairs Advisory Committee, Ministry of Justice
2015 Vice President, International Affairs, Korean Bar Association
2013-2019 Commissioner, International Affairs Committee, Korean Bar Association
2013-2016 Commissioner, Korea Securities Dealers Automated Quotation (KOSDAQ) Committee, Korea Exchange
2006 Commissioner, Listing Promotion Committee, Korea Exchange
2005-2012 Investment & Fund Deliberation Commissioner, Korea Airports Corporation
2005-2006 Member, Enterprise Environment Improvement Executive Committee, Ministry of Justice
2004 Advisor, Advisory Network Committee, Bank Supervision Department, Financial Supervisory Service

Representative Matters

Advised Shinhan Financial Group on its acquistion of shares in ING Life Insurance
Advised VIG Partners on its sale of Burger King
Advised Hana Financial Group in its acquisition of Korea Exchange Bank from Lone Star
Advised Korea Deposit Insurance Corporation in the sale of Daehan Investment Securities Co. to Hana Bank and Korea Investment Securities Co. to Dongwon Financial Group
Advised KKR, a U.S. private equity fund, on its acquisition of Oriental Brewery through LBO
Advised Shinhan Financial Group on its acquistion of shares in ING Life Insurance
Advised VIG Partners on its sale of Burger King
Advised Hana Financial Group in its acquisition of Korea Exchange Bank from Lone Star
Advised Korea Deposit Insurance Corporation in the sale of Daehan Investment Securities Co. to Hana Bank and Korea Investment Securities Co. to Dongwon Financial Group
Advised KKR, a U.S. private equity fund, on its acquisition of Oriental Brewery through LBO
Advised Hana Financial Group on its acquisition of shares in The-K Non-Life Insurance
Advised Tesla Motors on its entry into Korean automobile market
Advised VIG Partners on its sale of Samyang Optics
Advised VIG Partners on its acquisition of PNC Industry and Highest Industries
Advised Hana Financial Group on its merger with its local bank in Indonesia
Advised Rich Investment Korea on its acquisition of the shares in Taihan Reach
Advised DGB Financial Holdings on its acquisition of LS Asset Management
Advised DGB Financial Holdings on its acquistion of Hi Investment & Securities
Advised Fubon Life Insurance on its acquisition of Hyundai Life Insurance
Advised on the merger between Hana Bank and Korea Exchange Bank
Advised Korea Exchange Bank on its spin-off of credit card business unit and meger with Hana SK Card
Advised DGB Financial Holdings on its acquistion of shares in Woori Aviva Life Insurance
Advised Vogo Capital on its sale of Dongyang Life Insurance
Advised MassMutual/Baring Group on its acquisition of shares in SEI Asset Management
Advised Korea Exchange Bank and other financial institutions on their sale of a majority stake in Hyundai Engineering & Construction to Hyundai Motor
Advised Prudential Corporation Asia on its acquisition of Goodmorning Shinhan Investment Trust Management Company (currently PCA Asset Management)
Advised Morgan Stanley on its acquisition of Kookmin Investment Trust Management Company
Advised UBS AG on the acquisition of Daehan Investment Trust Management Company and conclusion of joint venture agreement with Hana Financial Group
Advised Shinhan Financial Group on the recapitalization of Shinhan BNP Asset Management Co. and SH&C Life Insurance and the amendment of their joint venture agreement
Advised Hana Bank on the spin-off of Hana Bank's credit card business and new joint venture with SK Telecom
Advised Hana Financial Group on its acquisition of shares in HSBC Life Insurance and termination of their joint venture agreement
Advised on the all-inclusive exchange of shares between Hana Financial Group and Korea Exchange Bank
Advised Solomon Mutual Savings Bank on its acquisition of KGI Securities (currently Solomon Investment Securities Co.)
Advised Hana Financial Group on its acquisition of Hana Savings Bank (P&A)
Advised Shinhan Financial Holdings on its acquisition of Yehanbyoul Savings Bank and meger with Shinhan Savings Bank
Advised Korea deposit Insurance Corporation on the block sale of Woori Financial Holdings
Advised Vogo Fund on its acquisition of Reigncom (currently iRiver)
Advised Vogo Fund on its sale of Novita to Kohler
Advised Monster Worldwide on its acquisition of Job Korea
Advised LG Caltex on its acquisition of Kangnam City Gas and Haeyang City Gas
Advised Reckitt Benckiser on its acquisition of Oxy
Advised KAMCO on the spin-off and sale of Hanshin Engineering & Construction
Advised Emblaze Mobile (Israeli company) on its acquisition of Innostream
Advised STX Group in its acquisition of Aker Yards ASA, a cruise-ship building company in Norway
Advised HSBC Private Equity on the subx-scription for new shares of SK Shipping and conclusion of a joint venture agreement

Education

1999 New York University School of Law (LL.M.)
1990 Judicial Research and Training Institute, Supreme Court of Korea
1988 Seoul National University (LL.B.)

Selected Activities

Publications
Memorandum of Understanding in M&A Context, BFL No. 47, pp. 30-46 (Co-author, Seoul National University Center for Financial Law, 2011)
Better Late than Never - Privacy Protection Regulations (IFLR, 2010)
Types of Disputes Related to Hostile M&A (1997)
Awards
Chambers Asia-Pacific - Leading Lawyer (2016-2022)
Chambers Global - Leading Lawyer (2017-2022)
The Legal 500 - Leading Lawyer (2019-2024)
IFLR 1000 - Leading Lawyer (2018-2023)
Asialaw - Leading Lawyer (2013-2022)
Thomson Reuters - Stand-out Lawyers (2023)
Asia Business Law Journal - Korea's Top 100 Lawyers (2021)
Asian Legal Business - Korean Super 30 Lawyers (2021-2023)

Qualifications

2002 New York
1990 Korea

Awards and Recognition

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Awards and Recognition