South Korean law firm Bae, Kim and Lee has set up an office in Hong Kong as part of its ambitious expansion strategy which saw the firm launch a Dubai office in April and announce plans to open in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City later this year. The new office focuses on regulatory and financial work and advises financial institutions and corporates on their investments in Korea, as well as Korean clients on their transactions in Hong Kong. With 450 lawyers, it is the second major Korean law firm to have entered Hong Kong after rival Kim & Chang established an office in December 2012.

Relocated

Corporate partner Tongeun Kim has relocated from Seoul to lead the new office and is joined by finance and regulatory specialist Dongwook Kang. Senior partner Keun Byung Lee, who is overseeing the expansion and operations of the office, said in a statement ‘We have worked for a lot of Hong Kong-based clients for a long time; it is where they make a lot of the investment decisions for Korea and Asia in general.’

Dubai office

The firm launched an office in Dubai in April, becoming the first Korean law firm to establish a presence in the Middle East. It also has offices in Beijing and Shanghai that opened in 2002 and 2008, respectively and plans to open offices in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi later this year.  Sources: Asian Legal Business; The Oath