Linklaters has been active in Korea for over 30 years, advising the leading Korean corporations, financial institutions and law firms.
Our years of experience have given us a powerful insight into the Korean business environment, which we are able to combine with our unique international capabilities to provide clients operating in Korea with unrivalled service.
We service our clients from our office in Hong Kong and other offices as dictated by client requirements. We have submitted a preliminary application in relation to the establishment of a foreign legal consultant office in Korea, which remains subject to approval and continuing regulatory and market developments. We also leverage our strong relationships with the leading Korean law firms to arrange Korean legal advice for our clients as necessary.
We offer full service capability, advising on U.S. and English law with a detailed understanding of the regulatory and business environment in Korea. Principal areas of practice include M&A, private equity, foreign direct investment, outbound investment, corporate finance, capital markets, projects, energy and infrastructure, banking and finance.
In Korea, Linklaters is the only firm to advise on the most innovative, complex and market-leading transactions across all practice areas.
This market-leading practice has been recognised both by market participants and by the following recent awards:
- Private Equity Deal of the Year - KKR and Affinity / Oriental Brewery, IFLR Asian Awards 2010
- Best M&A Deal in Asia - KNOC’s $2.8 billion acquisition of Dana Petroleum, Finance Asia Awards 2010
- Power Deal of the Year - a KEPCO-led consortium on the development and financing of the Norte II 433MW combined cycle gas turbine project in Mexico, EuroMoney 2011
Recent significant transactions include advising:
- Lone Star on its off market sale of its 51% stake in Korea Exchange Bank to Hana Financial Group;
- Affinity Equity Partners on the LBO of Oriental Brewery together with KKR;
- Korea National Oil Corporation as lead investor on the negotiation with the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company;
- Morgan Stanley as arranger and other dealers in upgrading Korea Exchange Bank’s MTN program to a US$4 billion Rule 144A GMTN program;
- BNP Paribas on the issue of CNY bonds of CJ Global Holdings Limited guaranteed by CJ CheilJedang Corporation – the first CNY denominated bond offering guaranteed or issued by a Korean company;
- Korea Gas Corporation (KOGAS) as its English and Russian legal counsel on the Russia natural gas pipeline project;
- A group of investors that comprised of Affinity Equity Partners, Baring Private Equity, the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation and IMM Private Equity on their acquisition of 24% of the issued and outstanding share capital in Kyobo Life Insurance; and
- K-EXIM, JBIC and NEXI as lenders to the Jorf Lasfar IPP Units 5 and 6 coal-fired power project expansion in Morocco, sponsored by Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (TAQA).
