O'Melveny To Open Office in South Korea

Two Leading Practitioners Join Team

SEOUL, South Korea, June 19, 2012 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- O'Melveny & Myers LLP announced plans today to open an office in Seoul, South Korea, and filed an application with the Korean Ministry of Justice.  O'Melveny has a highly successful history working with major Korean corporations.  Most recently, the Firm secured several high-profile victories for Asiana Airlines, Samsung, and SK hynix. 

Leading Korea practitioners Sungyong Kang and Jinwon Park recently joined O'Melveny and will be resident in the new office upon receipt of Ministry of Justice approval.  Joseph Kim, a partner and Head of O'Melveny's Korea Practice; George Riley, a partner in the San Francisco office; Kenneth R. O'Rourke, a partner in the Los Angeles office;  Kenneth Nissly, a partner in the Silicon Valley office; Ian Simmons, a partner in the Washington, DC office; Riccardo Celli, a partner in the Brussels office; Ryan Yagura, a partner in the Los Angeles office; Youngwook Shin, a counsel in the Los Angeles office; and other O'Melveny lawyers will continue to spend significant time in Korea and will work closely with Kang and Park to integrate the new office with O'Melveny's global platform.  

"Few firms can match O'Melveny's dedication and success in serving Korean companies," Kim said. "The Seoul office will allow us to continue our work as trusted advisors and provide them seamless access to our global network of litigators and transactional lawyers.  We are very glad to have Sungyong and Jinwon join our team and bring their first-hand knowledge of the Korean business landscape and the US legal scene to our Seoul office."

Kang and Park have had extensive legal careers at a prestigious Korean law firm and a pair of top-tier US firms.  Each of them has more than 20 years of experience representing Korean and multinational clients on cross-border investments, corporate transactions, mergers and acquisitions, international trade, and international litigation and arbitration.

"Jinwon and I are excited to join O'Melveny and its global team," Kang said. "We are glad to join a firm with deep strength in areas that are important to Korean companies, such as IP litigation, antitrust, and M&A.  High-quality legal support in those areas, in addition to O'Melveny's extensive Asia practice, is invaluable for Korean companies looking to compete on a global scale."

"After decades of partnering with Korean companies and achieving important victories for them, we look forward to deepening our service to Korea-based clients from our Seoul office," said Bradley J. Butwin, Chair of O'Melveny.

A global law firm with a distinguished history of more than 125 years, O'Melveny ranks among the most active international law firms in Korea.  The Firm has more than two decades of experience advising Korean clients on their international transactions and disputes.  Seoul will be O'Melveny's seventh Asia office, along with locations in Shanghai, Hong Kong, Beijing, Singapore, Tokyo, and Jakarta (in an association with Indonesian law firm Tumbuan & Partners).  Today, the Firm has about 130 legal professionals resident in its Asia offices.

O'Melveny is a fixture on The American Lawyer's prestigious "A-List," which ranks the top 20 US law firms. The Firm has been recognized by The American Lawyer as a "Litigation Department of the Year" and is one of just two firms to have won the title or been named a finalist or honorable mention award winner each time the biennial competition has been held.  O'Melveny also is highly ranked in both Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business and The Legal 500: United States, recognizing dozens of practice areas and individual lawyers.  Recently, the Firm was named an "IP Group of the Year," "Competition Group of the Year," and "White Collar Group of the Year" by Law360.  O'Melveny's Asia practice also has garnered numerous awards, including Law Firm of the Year (Fund Formation) by PE Asia.

Recent High-Profile Victories Include:

• Asiana Airlines: O'Melveny helped Asiana Airlines secure the dismissal of significant exposure state law treble damage claims in In re Korean Air Lines Co., Ltd., Antitrust Litigation, a putative class action accusing Asiana and Korean Air Lines of price-fixing.  O'Melveny briefed and argued the appeal, which the Ninth Circuit affirmed in a case of first impression.
• Samsung: In just nine months O'Melveny litigated, took to trial, and defeated multiple patent infringement claims brought by Japanese competitor, Murata Manufacturing Co., in the US International Trade Commission ("ITC") against Firm client Samsung Electro-Mechanics, Co., Ltd.  In April 2011, the ITC issued a final determination in O'Melveny's client's favor on all three patents-in-suit. 
• SK hynix: The Firm won a case widely hailed as one of the top US defense verdicts of 2011.  Representing SK hynix, O'Melveny tried and defeated antitrust claims brought by Rambus seeking US$3.95 billion in damages from SK hynix, damages which Rambus sought to be trebled to US$11.9 billion.  The San Francisco jury verdict completely vindicated SK hynix.

About O'Melveny & Myers LLP 

With approximately 800 lawyers in 15 offices worldwide, O'Melveny & Myers LLP helps industry leaders across a broad array of sectors manage the complex challenges of succeeding in the global economy.  We are a values-driven law firm, guided by the principles of excellence, leadership, and citizenship. Our commitment to these values is reflected in our dedication to improving access to justice through pro bono work and championing initiatives that increase the diversity of the legal profession. For more information, please visit www.omm.com.