Ropes & Gray applies for entry into South Korea

US firm Ropes & Gray is the latest international firms to announce plans to open an office in Seoul, after a free trade deal between the US and South Korea opened the way for foreign law firms to enter the Korean market. Since 6 March US firms have been allowed to file applications with the Korean Ministry of Justice for a preliminary review of their foreign legal consultant offices, and the approval process is expected to take a few months. Pending approval, Ropes & Gray will launch in Seoul with a team led by partners William Yongkyun Kim, the chair of its Korea practice, and David Chun, an intellectual property litigator. The new office will specialise in IP litigation, antitrust and competition law, mergers and acquisitions, life sciences and regulatory matters. Kim commented on the prospect of the Korean office: “Ropes & Gray has a fully functioning Korea team, with more than 30 lawyers who have worked with Korean clients on their transactions and in litigation. We have been eagerly anticipating the day when we could combine on-the-ground service with the extensive resources of the firm around the world.”

Ropes & Gray applies for entry into South Korea asia.legalbusinessonline.com Thu, Mar 8, 2012