Attorneys

Kyung Jik Kwak Lead Partner

Kyung Jik Kwak

Tel + 82 10 3830 7160
Email kjk@knclaw.co.kr
Short
biographical
of KJ
  • KJ started his career as a judge in his twenties. He heard civil, criminal and admistrative cases at Seoul Civil Court (now Seoul Central District Court), Seoul High Court, and others. He also dealt with consititutional issues at the Constitutional Court. From fourteen years of expereince at the bench, KJ has gained insight on how cases are investigated, presented, heard, and decided. Ever eager to learn something new, KJ chose to join the corporate restructruing and M&A team at Bae, Kim & Lee, one major law firm, when he began to practice law in early 2001. No one can be a genuine specialist without being a genuine generalist when it comes to law.
  • In early 2009, KJ founded Kwak & Co., a boutique firm of a few good lawyers. The firm’s value is to serve our client, and through which, we believe, to contribute to the society. When someone comes to us for our help to solve his problem, his becomes ours. We offer our utmost loyalty and hard work. We asks for the same commitment and coopeation from our client. It is because communicatioan and cooperation based on mutual trust and common goal is essential to solve the problem successfully.
  • In 2019, KJ flew to Geneva to hike and study. Some of his colleagues moved to the firm’s client company on a loan or permanent basis. While KJ was hiking and reading, the firm continued to operate but in a limited way.
  • With the start of the year of 2023, the firm has launched the process of re-establishing itself in the form of a limited liability company with flesh blood under the new name of KNC LLC. Mr. Wan Joo Choe, former chief judge of Adminstrative Court and Seoul High Court and Mr. Hae Hyun Cho, former chief judge of Daegu District Court and Daejeon High Court have joined the firm. Two energetic and experienced lawyers Mr. Jong-Min Jeon and Mr. Chang-Hwan Lee have also joined.
Presently
  • Lead Partner of KNC LLC (formerly known as Kwak & Co.)
  • Chairman of Korea Fulbright Foundation
  • Board Member (independent director) of TKG Huchems
  • National Arbitration Forum Arbitrator
  • Adjunct Professor at Graduate School of Global Legal Studies (International Arbitration)
Experience
  • Judge Advocate, Air Force of Republic of Korea (1983)
  • Judge, Eastern Branch of Seoul District Court (1986)
  • Judge, Seoul District Court (1988)
  • Judge, Busan District Court (1992)
  • Judge, Busan High Court (1993)
  • Judge, Seoul High Court (1995-1998)
  • Constitutional Research Officer, Constitutional Court (1995-1997)
  • Presiding Judge, Changwon District Court (1998)
  • Presiding Judge, Incheon District Court (2000)
  • Senior Partner of Corporate Restructuring and M&A Team at Bae, Kim & Lee (2001-2008)
  • Founder of Kwak & Co. (2009)
Education
  • Seoul National University (1981, LLB)
  • Judicial Research & Training Institute of the Supreme Court of Justice (1981-1983)
  • Seoul National University (1989, LLM)
  • Columbia University School of Law (1991, LLM)
  • Yale University Law School (1999/2000 J. William Fulbright Scholar)
  • Geneva MIDS, Joint Program by Geneva University and Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies (2020, Master’s Degree in International Dispute Settlement)
Qualification
  • Member of Seoul and Korean Bars
  • Member of New York Bar
Award
  • Judicial Paper Award of Korean Society of Law (1999)
Language
  • Korean, English
Dispute Settlement Domestic litigaton
  • Lead counsel representing multiple major financial institutions against Samsung Group companies in what is called “Samsung Motor case,” the biggest ever civil case in Korea
  • Represented Samsung Heavy Industry in civil, administrative, crimininal and marine litigations in the biggest oil spill case in Korea
International litigation
  • Represented Amlin Europe N.V. against Hanhwa Damage Insurance in a dispute about reinsurance
  • Represented Hankook Captial agaisnt Winplus Corp. et. al in a dispute about seized vessel
Domestic Arbitration
  • Mercuary Corp. v. Daewoo Telecom, Korea Commercial Arbitraton Board arbitration
International Arbitration
  • KPMG Korea v. KPMG International (ad hoc arbitration under the UNCITRAL Rules in Zurich)
  • Pohang Steelers v. FIFA (CAS arbitration in Lausanne)
  • Samyoung Corp. v. Gea Batignolles Technologies Thermiques (ICC arbitration in Paris)
  • Korea Deposit Insurance Corp. v. Prudential Financial, Inc. (ad hoc Post-M&A arbitration in London)
Settlement through Negotiation
  • Negotiated and settled dispute between Medison and GE Jenbacher GmbH on behalf of Medison
  • Negotiated and settled dispute between Medison and Volumetrics Medical Imaging LLC on behalf of Medison
  • Negotiated and settled dispute among then Swiss owner of MCM brand , Daesong Industrial Corp, and Sungjoo International on behalf of Sungjoo International
White-collar
Criminal and
Regulatory
Enforcement Matters
  • Represented Hermes Pension Fund in the investiations by the Financial Supervisory Services and the Prosecution Office
  • Represented a former minsiter of Presidential Secutiry Service in a highly publicised criminal case charged by Speicial Prosecutor
  • Represented a former seceratary general of Korea Communications Commission in a certin criminal case
  • Represented a chaiman of a certain business group in a business related criminal case
Transaction
advisory M&A
  • M&A of Huchems by Taekwang (buyer’s side)
  • M&A of LS Networks (then known as Kookje Sangsa) by E1 (buyer’s side)
  • M&A of Medison by Samsung Electoronics (seller’s side)
  • M&A of SAMT by Samji Electronics (buyer’s side)
  • Sale of shipping yard in Dalian, China by Oriental Precision & Engineering Co. (seller’s side)