The firm is strengthening its inbound and outbound corporate transactions offering with the appointment of M&A experts Lawrence Jhe, as partner, and counsel Jeongtaek Kim in its Seoul corporate practice. Further bolstering its energy and infrastructure offering, Anna Chung will be joining as a partner (senior foreign legal consultant) in its projects & energy transition team. Anna will be joined by counsel (foreign legal consultant) Stella Bae, both pending regulatory approval.
Ashurst's global head of Korea practice John K.J. Kim commented: "We are seeing a trend towards investments in the green-energy sector, as firms commit to reducing their carbon footprint. This poses great opportunities, both for Korean clients as well as international clients looking to make inbound and outbound investments in the energy and infrastructure sector. I am thrilled to welcome these four talented lawyers to join our team. They bring a wealth of experience and expertise that will help us capitalise the growing opportunities in the market."
Asia regional head Jini Lee added that the appointments demonstrate Ashurst's commitment to grow the team and offering in Korea. Ashurst became the first global firm permitted to practice Korean law since the legal market opened in 2011 earlier this year when the firm established Ashurst Korea JV, a joint venture in Korea with local firm HwaHyun.
"Establishing the JV and having a physical presence in South Korea is a direct result of listening to our clients' needs and ensuring that we are well placed to continue to support clients. Lawrence, Anna, Jeongtaek and Stella are distinguished practitioners in Korea-related matters and therefore excellent additions to our Seoul offering. With their combined significant experience and knowledge of the Korean market, the appointments will allow us to offer a greater depth of expertise to clients and enable us to further expand our current capabilities."
The appointments also reflect Ashurst's ongoing investment in the growth of its global energy and infrastructure offering, and builds on the recent hire of London-based project finance expert Sanja (Sonny) Udovicic and Singapore-based Jean-Louis Neves Mandelli and Scott Baggett who all joined the firm from Shearman & Sterling.
