Jeong Hae Sung, a partner of Shin & Kim, topped the list of South Korea’s 10 most influential M&A lawyers after advising on a total of 6.91 trillion won ($4.8 billion) worth of M&A transactions in 2024, according to an analysis by Market Insight, the capital market news outlet of The Korea Economic Daily.
That marked the highest transaction value handled by a senior lawyer in South Korea’s M&A legal service market for a single year, based on announced buyout deals.
M&A dealmakers had a busy year. The country’s major law firms saw rapid growth in revenue as leading business groups ramped up restructuring efforts since the second half of this year, with billion-dollar worth of assets changing hands.
As his nickname “Bull” suggests, Jeong has a reputation as a diligent and meticulous lawyer good at grasping the essence of M&A deals from a broader perspective. Shin & Kim topped the power lawyers list for the second consecutive year, following its partner Chang Jae Young.
He represented Chinese online shopping titan Alibaba Group in negotiations with Shinsegae Inc. to set up an e-commerce joint venture between AliExpress and E-Mart Inc. and its online unit Gmarket Inc.
Jeong also advised Genesis Private Equity on the 1.2-trillion-won sale of KJ Environment to EQT, a Swedish investment firm.
He also worked on Securities Co.’s disposal of three district heating and colling services providers, including Pyeongtaek Energy Service Co. and Jeonbuk Energy Service Co., in a 800-billion-won package deal.
He is now among legal representatives of MBM Partners in the ongoing latter to take control of Korea Zinc Co. from the latter’s top management.
Park Jae Hyun, a partner of Yulchon, ranked second on the list of 10 most powerful M&A lawyers after dealing with a combined 6.19 trillion won worth of M&As for nine cases in 2024.
This year, Park became the youngest divisional head at Yulchon, leading its corporate legal affairs and finance division. Born in 1976, he is regarded as one of Yulchon’s next-generation leaders.
Last year, he represented drug wholesaler Geo-Young Co.’s founder and Chairman Cho Sun-hae who wanted to remain on the management board even after MBK took a majority of the company from Blackstone. She is now leading the wholesaler, jointly with the private equity firm.
Park advised on the consortium of IMM Private Equity and IMM Investment on its 2.7-trillion-won purchase of Ecorbit Co., South Korea’s No. 1 landfill company.
Among the M&A deals he provided legal services for in 2024 were the sale of TmaxSoft Co. and STIC Investments’ 468.2-billion-won purchase of Moleem Corp., a flooring material manufacturer.
Kim Wan Suk of South Korea’s largest law firm Kim & Chang represented 4.03 trillion won worth of M&As for four cases last year, including Hahn & Co.’s stake sale in Hanon Systems Co. in a 1.8-trillion-won transaction.
He advised EQT on the 1.2-trillion-won acquisition of KJ Environment and French private equity firm Archimed’s 990.3-billion-won tender offer for aesthetic lazer maker Jeisys Medical Co. to take it private.
Koo Daehoon, a partner of Lee & Ko, ranked fourth on the power lawyer list. He worked on a total of 3.38 trillion won worth of M&A transactions involving 12 cases. They include LG Display Co.’s sale of its liquid display plant in Guangzhou, China for about $1.5 billion and SkyLake’s tender offer for BusinessOn Communication Co.
Kim & Chang’s Kim Tae Ho came next, advising on a combined 3.09 trillion won worth of deals for 13 cases, including Samsung SDI Co.’s sale of its polarizer film business.
RISING STARS
Among junior attorneys, or those with less than 10 years of experience, Kim & Chang’s Paek Seung Dong was named the most notable rising star. He worked on a total of 4.70 trillion won worth of deals, including Blackstone’s sale of Geo-Young, Samsung SDI’s sale of its polarizer film business and the sale of Tong Yang Life Co.
Shin & Kim’s Kim Byungjun ranked second in the rising star category, advising on 4.42 trillion won worth of M&A deals. The other rising stars are Lee & Ko’s Shin Kang Hui (4.38 trillion won) and Kim & Lee’s Lim Dongjin (3.87 trillion won) and Yulchon’s Lee Choong Hwan (3.46 trillion won).
By Jun-Ho Cha
chacha@hankyung.com
Yeonhee Kim edited this article.
