NEW YORK (April 2, 2013) -- The international law firm Greenberg Traurig LLP has expanded its Asia Practice with the opening of an office in Seoul, South Korea, making this the firm’s 36th office worldwide. The firm is among those approved by the Ministry of Justice of The Republic of Korea to operate under the Foreign Legal Consultant Act of Korea. The new location will be known as Greenberg Traurig LLP Foreign Legal Consultant Office.
"Unlike the many firms who quickly sent large numbers of foreign lawyers to work on the ground, Greenberg Traurig's focus is on adding extraordinary value through strategic and deep relationships with the people, companies and governing bodies of Korea with both legal and cultural understanding of how they operate,” said Richard A. Rosenbaum, Greenberg Traurig's Chief Executive Officer. “We are not entering the Korean legal market to compete with local law firms, but rather to work closely with them to serve the global needs of Korean corporations.”
In order to execute the firm's unique strategy, the effort is led by Greenberg Traurig Shareholder Chang Joo Kim, who was born and raised in Korea and holds law degrees from both Korea University College of Law and University of Iowa College of Law. Kim is well known in Korea and leads a team focused on the practice, including Shareholders Richard A. Edlin and Rosa S. Jeong, with support from Associate Sun-Young Park.
The Seoul office will provide legal advice with respect to U.S. law, international treaties involving the U.S., and universally recognized international law, and is permitted to represent clients in international arbitration cases when U.S. law is applicable. Foreign Legal Consultant Offices may not render legal advice on Korean law matters.
“Korea exerts a remarkable influence on the world’s economic and cultural markets. Its influence will only grow with time, so it’s an important market for our global Intellectual Property, Finance, Litigation and M&A practices," Richard Edlin, a chair of the firm's regional operations, said. “We have many clients in Korea whom we can now better serve and, along with our office in China, we can deliver integrated services at a higher level in IP and related litigation work, as well as M&A and foreign direct investment transactions.”
“The opening of the office in Seoul marks a critical step in expanding our presence in Asia and enhancing the strength of our Korea Practice,” said Patricia Menéndez-Cambó, chair of the firm’s Global Practice Group and a co-chair of its Global Energy & Infrastructure Practice. “The ability to provide legal services to clients who operate on a global scale is something we take very seriously.”
For U.S. and international clients, the Korea Practice Team serves as a point of access to opportunities in Korea and other parts of Asia. Korean-speaking attorneys offer experience and culturally consistent representation on the ground, with assistance from Korean law firms and other professional services firms. Greenberg Traurig’s Korea Practice Team draws from several of the firm’s practice areas including Intellectual Property Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Corporate & Securities, Investments, Tax, Real Estate, Mergers & Acquisitions, Capital Markets, Foreign Direct Investment, Antitrust and Regulatory Law. The Seoul office will be located in the city’s financial district at the Seoul Finance Center.