Our Korea Practice Group, chaired by Partner Peter Rho, is a “one-stop shop” for Korean and Korea-related companies seeking to do business in the United  States.

Korean entrepreneurs and companies have transformed the global business landscape. This notably includes the United States, where South Korean businesses have made over $74 billion in direct foreign investment. Attorneys in Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP’s dedicated Korea Practice serve as a legal link connecting Korea and the U.S. across the worldwide marketplace.

Experienced in both inbound and outbound investment and business opportunities, SGR’s attorneys advise Korean companies doing business in the United States, as well as U.S.-based clients investing in Korea, giving them a competitive advantage in their deals and business ventures, and helping them to resolve any disputes.

Established in 1893, SGR is a full-service business law firm with 11 offices and nearly 350 attorneys globally. Today, building on the extensive knowledge and experience of individual attorneys and teamwork among the practice group professionals, our firm provides the best legal services to our clients. SGR’s attorneys serve not only as legal advisors to their clients, but also as trusted business counselors and strategists, and our firm understands the needs of Korean businesses from a legal and practical perspective.

 

Comprehensive Counsel for Korean and Korean-American Businesses

The Head of SGR’s Korea Practice, Peter Rho, is fluent in the Korean language. Beyond that, SGR’s team is deeply familiar with the nuances of Korean culture and business protocols, as well as their intersection with U.S. laws. The firm’s attorneys have done more than just study and experience Korean culture – it is an integral part of their background and practice.

In particular, Mr. Rho is a leader in several Korean-American communities and organizations, including the International Association of Korean Lawyers, the Korean American Bar Association, the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association, and the KHEIR Center. His leadership in that community helps SGR to position its Korean clients well, as they encounter and consider the various legal and business issues shaping cross-border business interests across Korea and the United States.

Additionally, SGR’s attorneys maintain strong relationships with the top law firms in Seoul, whom they turn to when issues involving Korean law arise, and when U.S. clients seek outbound opportunities.

Below is a list of practice areas with which SGR has extensive experience in the Korean-American market:

• Antitrust and Trade Regulation, Hart-Scott-Rodino Filings
• Aviation and Global Transport
• Commercial Contracting
• Commercial Finance & Capital Markets
• Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) issues
• Construction
• Corporate Establishment and Governance
• Environmental
• Immigration
• Intellectual Property
• International Arbitration
• Mergers and Acquisitions
• Labor and Employment
• Litigation
• Real Estate
• Taxation – International, Federal, State and Local
• Venture Capital & Private Equity

Select Representative Experience

We are proud to offer specialized legal services tailored to meet the unique needs of our Korean clients, leveraging our deep understanding of the Korean business and legal landscape. Select experience includes:

• Advising a development bank based in Korea in relation to the financing of numerous aircraft for a variety of operating lessors and airlines.
• Representing and have represented a Korean multinational automobile manufacturer on issues involving global transport, labor and employment, employee benefits, general corporate, commercial litigation, construction, and environmental sectors.
• Assisted one of the world’s largest Korean tire manufacturers with several OSHA inspections and environmental matters at its Georgia manufacturing facility.
• Represented an officer of a Korean-based airline regarding an alleged antitrust violation in combination with one of the major airlines within the United States.
• Negotiated a joint venture between an American multinational beauty company and a Korean multinational major appliance and consumer electronics corporation for the sale of “prestige” fragrance and cosmetic products.
• Negotiated several distribution agreements with Korean distributors for the sale of other brands in the Korean Market.
• Obtained an award of approximately $100 million in a SIAC arbitration, on behalf of a Korean electronics manufacturer involved in a dispute with another Asian electronics company arising out of a patent cross-license agreement.

To read about our Korea Practice in Korean, please click here.