South Korea

Firm overview

E. M. HWANG & PARTNERS is a premier intellectual property (IP) law firm in Korea with over 40 years of specialized experience in overseas IP applications and strategic IP consulting. Since its founding, the firm has built enduring relationships with leading clients, reflecting the trust and credibility earned through decades of dedicated service.

Annually, the firm manages approximately 2,000 IP cases encompassing patents, trademarks, designs, and copyrights. Over the years, E. M. HWANG & PARTNERS has handled more than 30,000 IP filings and portfolios. The firm also actively engages in resolving roughly 150 IP disputes each year, both domestically and internationally.

Our client base includes major Korean corporations such as Hyundai Motor Company, Nexen Tire Co., Ltd., POSCO International Corp., and SKC Corporation, alongside emerging innovators like Kleon Co., Ltd. and Retrobot Co., Ltd. This diverse clientele underscores our ability to serve various industries with tailored IP strategies.

We possess strong expertise in key sectors, including mechanics, electronics, artificial intelligence (AI), and chemistry. For instance, we are currently collaborating with Kleon Co., Ltd. on developing standard patents in advanced technological fields, highlighting our role in supporting innovation.

E. M. HWANG & PARTNERS has been recognized with the highest national rating (Grade A) for four consecutive years (2021-2024) in Trademark Dispute Response by the Korea Intellectual Property Protection Agency (KOIPA). Our leadership is internationally acknowledged as well; Vice President and Patent Attorney Sung-Pil Hwang was named among the world’s leading IP strategists by IAM in 2024.

The firm’s team comprises nearly 30 specialists across patent, trademark, and IP strategy departments. We maintain active memberships in global IP organizations such as AIPPI, APAA, INTA, PTMG, ECTA, and LES, ensuring we remain connected to international best practices and trends.

E. M. HWANG & PARTNERS continues to strengthen the global IP competitiveness of Korean companies through comprehensive, forward-looking intellectual property services.

Firm overview

WE ARE AN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LAW FIRM.
WE BELIEVE TECHNOLOGY & OUR IMAGINATION WILL MAKE A BETTER WORLD.
WE ARE HERE TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.

Our professionals also have industry experience with prestigious companies, universities, and research centers in Korea and overseas. Some have experience at KIPO as a former patent examiner. We seek to employ the most talented graduates who then undertake extensive in-house training and have a senior member act as a mentor.

Our goal is to continue to provide high quality solutions that are tailor-made for each client. Our litigation team also works closely with outside teams if we feel this is to our client’s advantage. By working with our clients we are able to help guide them along the path that they choose to achieve the results they are seeking

-Min Son, Ph.D. / Managing Partner

Firm overview

The firm was established in 2002 by two senior attorneys who decided to leave a large firm environment to create a more focused, efficient and responsive practice. Based on the reputation and capabilities of the founding members, as well as the established trust and loyalty with their clients, the firm was immediately active representing multi-national clients. The firm’s clients are among the most recognized names and leaders in various business sectors, such as software and technology, retailing, luxury goods and fashion, energy, etc.

Since its establishment, the firm has continued to grow, a result of the firm’s uncompromising emphasis on maintaining its reputation for the highest level of service, professionalism and integrity. This philosophy and commitment has been essential in developing and servicing the firm’s prestigious list of clients, whose needs are sophisticated and whose matters have global impact.

The firm is proud of its approach of nurturing very close and personal relationships with its clients, the foundation of the firm’s ability to know its clients and thereby serve their needs more effectively and efficiently.

Intellectual Property Practice

The firm has a strong and diverse practice in all aspects of intellectual property. It is very active with both domestic and international prosecution practice for trademarks, as well as related disputes and administrative proceedings. Aside from prosecution matters, the firm and its members have become particularly well-known for its capabilities in the areas of litigation, anti-counterfeiting and internet related matters.

In the area of anti-counterfeiting and enforcement, the firm has developed a very strong reputation for its effective and creative programs in combating many difficult problems in Korea. The firm represents many brand owners and manages among the most active anti-counterfeiting and trademark enforcement programs in the country.

The firm is also very active with domain name disputes, successfully reclaiming domain name registrations from cyber-squatters for trademark owners. Mr. Tae-Yeon Cho has served on the executive committee for the Internet Address Domain Name Dispute Resolution Committee, the government body that administers Korean domain name disputes. Another member of the firm, Mr. Ik Hyun Seo, serves as a panelist for WIPO with respect to gTLD disputes.

Firm overview

Yulchon is a full-service law firm headquartered in Seoul, Korea, advising on a full range of specialized practice areas, including corporate & finance, antitrust, tax, real estate & construction, dispute resolution, intellectual property & technology, and labor & employment. With more than 720 professionals, in addition to its main office in Seoul, Yulchon has six overseas offices in five jurisdictions and has 10 regional practice teams covering the world.

Yulchon was established in 1997 by a group of top legal professionals to create “a community of legal experts combining their talents,” the literal meaning of Yulchon. Since its founding, Yulchon has grown rapidly without any mergers or acquisitions, becoming an acknowledged market leader among Korea’s law firms. Today, Yulchon lawyers rank among the very top practitioners in the country and work together in multidisciplinary teams to provide the highest quality of legal services to its clients.

Furthermore, as Korea’s leading provider of pro bono legal services, Yulchon takes on matters in various areas of public interest law together with Onyul, a public interest affiliate Yulchon established in 2014. Our pro bono efforts include works related to non-profit organizations, community development, charitable fund-raising, tax litigation support, refugee assistance, and adult guardianship.

AREAS OF PRACTICE

Yulchon is structured around seven major practice groups: Antitrust/Competition, Corporate & Finance, Tax, Dispute Resolution, Real Estate & Construction, Labor & Employment, and IP & Technology. Each group is recognized as leaders in their respective fields and consistently ranks among the best practices in Korea for their work on high-profile and landmark transactions. These groups are supplemented by a number of smaller practice teams focusing on specific industry, region or subject matter which has enabled our clients to benefit from the comprehensive breadth of a full-service law firm and the expertise and experience of a specialist practice. We constantly develop new practice teams to meet the needs of our clients in the ever changing business and regulatory environments. Our healthcare practice team, cyber security and privacy practice team, and internal investigations team are excellent examples. With extensive experience and influential government and regulatory resources, our attorneys and professionals are equipped and committed to provide unparalleled legal, strategic and business advice. Our success is grounded in our devotion to provide technical expertise and service capabilities at the highest level, supplemented by the industry know-how essential to achieve our clients’ business objectives. Furthermore, in cooperation with a network of reputable international law firms, we provide our clients, both domestic and foreign, with integrated and comprehensive services found only in preeminent international firms.

IP PRACTICE GROUP

The following qualities indicate that Yulchon’s IP & Technology practice is exceptional.

• Members: Our team is 100% devoted to IP, and it is populated by former judges, former KIPO administrative patent judges and patent examiners, former in-house counsel, and attorneys with technical degrees in various fields. We also have senior advisors who served as a congressman of the National Assembly and former data privacy officials.
• Excellent Track Record: We are happy to report that we built on last year’s successes by receiving favourable decisions in the district court and higher courts.
• Specialists in high stakes, contentious IP matters: We consistently serve as counsel for bet-the-company contentious matters and often obtain favourable rulings.
• Industry Sector Strengths: Yulchon’s IP Practice is at the forefront of key IP litigation and transactions, and we represent leading companies in virtually all industries, including: Healthcare, Semiconductor, Entertainment and E-commerce.