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JINHEE LEE

 

lee@k-lawconsulting.com

Lawyer (Korea)
Foreign Legal Consultant (California)

Jin Hee Lee (Color)_edited.jpg

Jinhee Lee is a lawyer licensed in South Korea (Active). He is also registered with the State Bar of California as a Korean Foreign Legal Consultant* in the state. As a Foreign Legal Consultant, he has received special certification from the State Bar to provide legal consulting on matters related to Korean law.

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He worked as a Corporate and Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) attorney for nearly a decade at Lee & Ko, one of the top law firms in Korea. In 2017, Jinhee was selected as the Top M&A Lawyer of the Year (M&A deals number) among attorneys with 10 years experience or less by the Korea Economic Daily.

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Jinhee worked closely with major Korean corporations including Samsung, LG, CJ, SK, Hanwha, and advised on matters involving collaboration and compliance with governmental agencies and regulations.

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He brings considerable corporate experience to his clients. He has extensive experience with all forms of M&A deals, including cross-border deals, share transfers, mergers, spin-offs, and joint ventures. He has represented clients in a wide variety of industries including energy, transportation, internet technology, healthcare, entertainment, and retail services. 

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Furthermore, Jinhee has advised clients on a variety of legal issues ranging from corporate governance, management, and business performance issues such as business permits, labor, contracts, and assets. He has also advised multinational clients on legal issues involving the investments that they made in Korean companies. 

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He is particularly adept with crafting solutions that are specifically tailored to the individual needs of each client. He is often requested by clients to serve as their on-site deal coordinator, working directly at the clients' work sites. Having worked so closely with clients, he understands the importance of learning a company's culture and needs, and will bring a practical business-oriented perspective to any issue. 

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​Jinhee spent two years as a KATUSA soldier dispatched to the U.S. Army. 

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* For a foreign(Korean) attorney to officially advise on foreign law (Korean law) in California, one must register with the State Bar of California as a Foreign Legal Consultant. The State Bar of California requires a minimum of six years of experience as a foreign attorney, a certificate of good standing, and a letter of recommendation from one of the judges of the highest court of law or court of original jurisdiction of each foreign country or one of the members of the executive body of the authority having final jurisdiction over professional discipline, and all other conditions required by the State Bar of California.

Experience

  • 2020 -  Present K-Law Consulting, Founder/Principal

  • 2012 - 2020 Lee & Ko, Partner  

  • 2019 - 2020 Blank Rome, Visiting Foreign Counsel (Secondment)

  • 2014 - 2015 Macquarie Korea Asset Management, In-House Attorney (Secondment)

Education

  • 2019 USC Gould School of Law, LL.M. 

  • 2012 Judicial Research and Training Institute, Supreme Court of Korea

  • 2009 Seoul National University, B.A.  

  • 2008 Passed Korean National Judicial Bar Exam

Admissions

  • 2020 The State Bar of California (Foreign Legal Consultant)

  • 2012 Korean Bar Association, Seoul Bar Association (Lawyer)

Affiliations

  • 2022 Director, Overseas Korean Traders Association L.A. Chapter (OKTA LA)

  • 2021 Economic Advisory Member (Specialty: Korea and the U.S. Business Legal Consulting), Korean Consulate General in Los Angeles

  • 2021 Member, International Affairs Committee of Seoul Bar Association

  • 2021 Member, Korean American Bar of Southern California

Representative M&A Cases

​   Cross-Border Cases

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  • LG Electronics (Public company) and LG Group (Public company)’s acquisition of ZKW Group (Austrian company/Automotive lights and electronics industry)

  • Carlyle Group’s acquisition of ADT Caps (Home security industry)

  • Carlyle Group’s acquisition (attempt) of Homeplus (Retail industry)

  • CJ Cheiljedang (Public company)’s acquisition (attempt) of Chinese Public company (Agricultural and chemical industry)

  • CJ KOREX (Public company)'s acquisition of DARCL (Indian company/Logistics industry)

  • Goldman Sachs Consortium’s sale of Daesung Industrial Gases (Industrial gas industry)

  • GS Retail (Public company)’s acquisition of Watsons Korea (Retail industry)

  • Key Safety System (U.S. company)’s acquisition of Image Next (Automotive electronics industry)

  • Merger of GS Retail (Public company) and Watsons Korea

  • Establishment of Chemical related Joint Venture company between Lotte Chemical (Public company) and Versalis S.p.A. (Italian company)

  • Establishment of Chemical related Joint Venture company between SK Global Chemical and JX Energy (Japanese company), etc.

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   Korean Domestic Cases

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  • CJ ENM (Public company)’s acquisitions of entertainment companies (K-POP industry)

  • Korean Air Lines (Public company)’ acquisition (attempt) of Korea Aerospace Industries (Public company/Aerospace industry)

  • LG (Public company)’s sale of LG Siltron (Semiconductor industry)

  • LG Chemical (Public company)’s acquisition of Dongbu Farm Hannong (Public company/Agricultural and chemical industry)

  • LG Chemical (Public company)’s acquisition (attempt) of Woongjin Chemical (Public company/Chemical industry)

  • LG Household & Health Care (Public company)’s acquisition of Zenice (Beauty industry)

  • Macquarie’s acquisition of energy industry company

  • Ssangyong Cement Industry (Public company)’s sale of Ssangyong Materials (Public company/Material manufacturing industry)

  • SK Corp (Public company)’s acquisition of OCI Materials (Public company/Material manufacturing industry)

  • SK Telecom (Public company)’s acquisition of Iriver (Public company/Consumer electronics industry)

  • Merger of Cheil Industries (Public company) and Samsung SDI (Public company)

  • Merger of Hanbul and Itsskin (Public company)

  • Merger of LG Household & Health Care (Public company) and Future

  • Merger of Naver (Public company) and Naver Business Platform’s Platform business

  • Division of CJ Cheil Jedang (Public company)

  • Division of Hyosung Corp. (Public company)

  • Division of Lotte-Nestle Korea

  • Division of Naver Business Platform

  • Division of Orion Corp. (Public company)

  • Division of POSCO P&S

  • Division and tender offer of Tbroad (Public company)

  • Division of Tongyang Inc. (Public company)

  • Business Transfer by Cheil Industries (Public company)

  • Business Transfer by LG Electronics (Public company)

  • Business Transfer by LS Industrial Systems (Public company)

  • Business Transfer by Tongyang Inc. (Public company)

  • Establishment of a Fintech related Joint Venture company between SK Telecom (Public company) and Hana Financial Group (Public company), etc.

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