Ropes & Gray plans to open an office in Seoul, following a relaxation of Korean regulations which will allow international firms to create branches in the country.
The firm will file its application for a preliminary review to practice in Korea on March 6, the first day that international firms and lawyers can apply to the Korean Ministry of Justice.
Ropes & Gray’s Seoul office will be led partners William Yongkyun Kim, who chairs the firm’s Korea practice, and David Chun, an IP litigator. The new office will focus on intellectual property, antitrust, corporate transactions, life sciences and government investigations and anti-corruption regulations.
The firm already has a Korea team, with over 30 lawyers who have worked with Korean clients on transactions and in litigation.
