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Quick facts
Firm - Year of Establishment

1973

Number of Partners

Approximately 200

Total Number of IP Practitioners

Approximately 450

Languages Spoken at the Firm

Korean, English, Chinese, Japanese, French, German

Network Memberships

INTA, AIPPI, APPA, LES, IPO, Marques, VPP, FICPI

Key practice areas
Intellectual property
Trade mark
Patent
IP transactions
Labor and employment
Dispute resolution
International arbitration
White collar crime
Product liability and recall
Insolvency
Tax
Firm overview

Kim & Chang's Intellectual Property (IP) Practice is the top rated IP specialized practice in Korea, and uniquely combines our recognized expertise in IP with the resources of Korea's leading general practice law firm. Our IP Practice boasts the deepest and most experienced roster of IP attorneys, patent attorneys, former Patent Court Judges, foreign attorneys, and technical specialists in Korea.
As one of the largest general practice law firms in Asia and with a wealth of knowledge gleaned from handling many of the most important IP cases in Korea over the past 50 years, Kim & Chang is able to offer comprehensive legal solutions for all your IP and IP related needs.

With over 450 professionals including IP litigators, patent attorneys and foreign IP attorneys, and over 600 patent engineers, trademark paralegals, and support staff, we cover the full scope of IP rights. Our patent professionals have specialized technical backgrounds in numerous fields, including biotech, pharmaceuticals, chemistry, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and computer science. Many of our professionals also have extensive experience as judges, prosecutors, or Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) examiners, and their experience and know-how is invaluable in obtaining positive results for our clients. We work closely with other practice groups within the firm, including general corporate law, mergers & acquisitions, competition law and customs, in order to advise our clients on any IP-related legal issue they may encounter in Korea.

The following is an exemplary list of services provided by the patent group:

  • Patent infringement litigation and pre-assertion due diligence;
  • IP Trial and Appeal Board litigation (invalidity and scope confirmation actions);
  • IP arbitration (domestic and international);
  • Antitrust and fair trade violations arising out of IP-related matters;
  • Domestic patent prosecution (preparing, filing and prosecuting patent applications before KIPO);
  • Foreign patent prosecution (preparing patent applications and preparing responses to office actions in foreign jurisdictions);
  • Prior art searching (for litigation and licensing);
  • Patent infringement and validity opinions;
  • Freedom-to-operate opinions (for product clearance);
  • Patentability opinions;
  • Disputes arising out of patent agreements;
  • Assignment of patent rights;
  • Joint development, ownership and exploitation agreements;
  • Patent and technology licensing;
  • Patent portfolio development via indigenous innovation, patent acquisition or divestment projects;
  • Employment contract disputes concerning patents;
  • US litigation support, including pretrial discovery document review and deposition support (e.g., by attorneys admitted to US bars); and Patent Due diligence.
Practice Areas & Sector Specialisations

Key IP Areas
Copyright & related rights, Designs, Intellectual property (contentious), Intellectual property (prosecution), IP transactions, ITC litigation, Life sciences IP, Patent, Patent contentious, Patent prosecution, PTAB litigation, Trade mark, Trade mark contentious, Trade mark prosecution

Key Sector Expertise
Aerospace, Advertising, Agriculture, Artificial intelligence, Arts, Automotive, Biotechnology, Chemical, Computer technology & services, Construction & materials, Defence, Aerospace, E-commerce, Electrical, Electronics, Fashion & luxury goods, Film, Financial services, FMCG, Food & beverage, Furniture, Hospitality & leisure, ICT & software, Gaming, Industrials, Instruments, Life sciences, Internet, Logistics, Manufacturing, Mechanical, Media, Medical device, Mining, Music, Nanotechnology, Not-for-profit, Oil & gas, Optics & photonics, Pharmaceutical, Professional services, Publishing, Real estate, Renewable energy, Retail, Robotics, Semiconductors, Sports, Telecommunication, Tobacco, Technology hardware, Transport, Universities & research, Utilities

Address:
Seyang Building 39, Sajik-ro 8-gil
Jongno-gu
Seoul, 03170
Tel:+82-2-2122-3900 Fax:+82-2-2122-3800 Email:Contact Us Web Address:https://www.kimchang.com
2026 Edition
Copyright & related rights
Highly Recommended
6 firms ranked
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Tier 1

Bae Kim & Lee
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Tier 2

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Tier 3

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FirstLaw PC
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Lee International
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NAM IP Group
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Koreana Patent Firm
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Lee & Ko
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Muhann Patent & Law Firm
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You Me Patent & Law Firm
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Bae Kim & Lee
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FirstLaw PC
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Overview

Kim & Chang has a highly respected IP practice in South Korea. The firm has a sizeable professional team consisting of IP litigators, patent attorneys, foreign IP attorneys, patent engineers, and trade mark paralegals to meet the needs of clients. The IP group closely cooperates with other practice groups within the firm, including M&A and customs, to provide comprehensive advice for clients regarding all IP-related matters.

Notable IP practitioners: Jay (Young-June) Yang, Ann Nam-Yeon Kwon, Jay J Kim

Testimonials

2026

"As the most renowned IP law firm in South Korea, it boasts the IP litigation team and the patent drafting/analysis teams with a very international perspective and excellent professional qualities."

"Experienced, responsible, and with flexible strategies."

"The service is extremely enthusiastic and meticulous. Besides serving our company, this team also frequently participates in IP forum activities and professional training in many cities across China."

James Suh

"Very excellent, professional, with top-notch negotiation skills"

 

2025

"Detailed and quick responses. Effective management of Korean counterparts."

"Kim & Chang has a sterling reputation."

"Kim & Chang provided swift and dedicated service with very practical tips."

"The entire team works tirelessly and has strong, effective communication."

"The firm's attorneys are diligent, responsive, and hard working."

“The team's approach is client-focused, offering tailored strategies that meet our specific needs. Their seamless teamwork is evident in their ability to tackle complex matters, a result of years of experience and dedication.”

"Their professional opinions and reports are reflected during negotiations and contract issues. Their IP related professional services make sure our performances are levelled up to a higher quality."

"Their service is client-oriented, and they are very responsive. They can also communicate with us in Japanese which enable us to communicate without language barrier."

"They are professional and always provide detailed legal solutions. They even also think about business solutions, which is not expected to law firms."

"They are very knowledgeable, highly professional and smooth partners."

“They demonstrate a capacity for thorough analysis and specialised tactics, ensuring comprehensive solutions for intricate challenges."

"This personalised service really helps me to do my job."

"Very organised and diligent, and they communicate with clarity. They do not shy away from challenges."

"With a large team of patent attorneys and experts from various fields, they are well-equipped to handle a wide range of IP issues. This breadth of expertise enables them to provide informed advice across different areas.”

Chun Yang

"His advice is very elaborated and clearly communicated.”

“I always trust his advice a lot."

In Hwan Kim

“He is extremely available for consultation, given the time differences. He is an outstanding adviser, and provides top notch legal and business advice as the matter warrants."

“He personally ensures I am informed of progress and that the patent prosecution results will be exceptional.”

“He is proactive at providing advice, as well as at anticipating additional issues that need to be addressed.  He is very knowledgeable about our business, and is able to draw on the very deep bench at Kim & Chang.”

“Stellar, ‘go-to’ attorney.” 

Linked Reviews
Patent

In a significant case of patent litigation, the team successfully represented Novartis in a patent infringement action against SK Chemicals.

Trade mark

A notable case study shows the team successfully representing LEGO Juris A/S in an invalidation action against LegoChem Bio regarding the mark "LEGOCHEMPHARMA".

IP transactions

Case studies show transaction work for Arkema and IP due diligence work for Macquarie Asset Management.

Tilleke & Gibbins topped the leaderboard with four awards across the region, while Anand & Anand and Kim & Chang emerged as outstanding domestic firms
Six firms lead with more than four nominations for this year’s Managing IP Asia-Pacific Awards
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