South Korea

Firm overview

LEADING IP LAW FIRM IN KOREA

Y.P. Lee, Mock & Partners is an IP law firm providing a full range of services in all fields related to intellectual property. The firm consists of around 340 employees, including more than 170 IP attorneys and attorneys-at-law, working together to provide the firm’s full range of services to the full satisfaction of both domestic and overseas clients.

Y.P. Lee, Mock & Partners has been often referred to as the largest IP law firm in Korea, but this is only one of the many ways to describe our firm. We have always strived to provide quality services to our clients. Since our inception in 1985, we have evolved and grown in size, but our motto of “Best Service to the Full Satisfaction of the Clients” has remained the same.

Comments from our foreign clients such as “The applications prepared by your firm are better than any other ones from Korea” and “We have no reservation in recommending your services to our clients” are among the most honorable accolades we have received.

UNDERSTANDING CLIENTS

Y.P. Lee, Mock & Partners is dedicated to fully understanding the needs and concerns of our foreign clients, many being Fortune 500 companies. Providing a high quality prosecution service in order to obtain strong and effective IP protection for our foreign clients requires much more than simply overcoming language barriers. Our IP attorneys possess a wide range of legal expertise in various IP legal systems as well as in-depth knowledge of various technical fields, and they offer a dedicated service to meet the demanding challenges faced by each of our foreign clients.

INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE AND NETWORK

Y.P. Lee, Mock & Partners annually handles around 7,100 overseas patent and trademark applications around the world through hundreds of our foreign associates. Our abundant experience of foreign prosecution and in-depth understanding of various foreign IP systems enable us to provide effective and reliable services to our numerous domestic and foreign clients.

FULL COVERAGE OF IP MATTERS

The spectrum of our service covers all aspects of intellectual property and technology. Our professionals’ knowledge and experience cover a wide range of technologies, such as biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, materials, chemistry, electrical engineering, mobile communications, nanotechnology, computer hardware and software, semiconductors, mechanical engineering, mechatronics, healthcare related technology, and so on. Highly experienced trademark attorneys also provide quality services for trademark cases.

In addition to our strong prosecution practice, for which we have been ranked as a top tier firm in Korea by several IP survey institutions, we are also active in technology and IP rights analysis, performing due diligence, IP consulting, licensing, IP portfolio management and more.

STRENTH IN IP DISPUTES

Y.P. Lee, Mock & Partners provides well reputed service in IP dispute matters. In collaboration with Yulchon, a top tier litigation firm that we formed a strategic alliance with in 2008, our litigation team has handled a number of high profile IP dispute cases, including Apple Inc. v. Samsung Electronics, in Korea.

OUR VISION

Members of Y.P. Lee, Mock & Partners share a unified vision and the same values. One of our principal objectives is to serve our clients by establishing stable, reliable, and long-term relationships. Another is to understand and anticipate our clients’ needs and interests and to continuously enhance our services to fully satisfy every need of our clients.

Firm overview

WE ARE AN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LAW FIRM.
WE BELIEVE TECHNOLOGY & OUR IMAGINATION WILL MAKE A BETTER WORLD.
WE ARE HERE TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.

Our professionals also have industry experience with prestigious companies, universities, and research centers in Korea and overseas. Some have experience at KIPO as a former patent examiner. We seek to employ the most talented graduates who then undertake extensive in-house training and have a senior member act as a mentor.

Our goal is to continue to provide high quality solutions that are tailor-made for each client. Our litigation team also works closely with outside teams if we feel this is to our client’s advantage. By working with our clients we are able to help guide them along the path that they choose to achieve the results they are seeking

-Min Son, Ph.D. / Managing Partner

Firm overview

BKL is one of the very few Korean law firms providing fully-integrated IP legal services and has steadfastly maintained such tradition since the inception of our practice in the 1990s. Our IP practice consists of prosecution, litigation and transactions involving all areas of IP.

IP Litigation and Dispute Resolution:

With four prominent former judges specializing in IP on our team (Messrs. Taeck Soo Kwon, Myung Kyu Lee, Kijoong Kang and Junghi Park), BKL has one of the nation’s most renowned IP litigation/dispute resolution practices. Particularly strong in representing clients in the pharmaceutical and high-tech industries, the depth and prestige of our practitioners in this area has set us apart from other IP practices in Korea. Also included in this area is our trade secret practice which encompasses all aspects of litigation, investigation and legal compliance involving trade secrets, in both civil and criminal contexts. The key members of our trade secret practice team are Ms. Jihyun Kim and Mr. Tae Uk Kang, both of whom are also former judges.

IP Transactions:

BKL's IP transactions lawyers provide clients with deep and broad experience in negotiation of IP licence, due diligence, IP audits, and the development of IP portfolio strategies. Our transactional practice advises many of the market-leading companies in the entertainment & sports sectors in connection with IP licensing and technology transfers. Messrs. Mun Ki Nam, Tae Uk Kang and Ingi Min are partners specializing in IP transactions.

IP Prosecution:

As an integral part of our IP practice, our IP prosecution team has represented a number of multinational corporations from a wide range of technical fields, including engineering, electronics, manufacturing, and chemical/pharmaceutical/biomed. Collaboration between our patent prosecution attorneys and other BKL practice groups ensures provision of balanced and comprehensive legal services to our clients.

Firm overview

The firm was established in 2002 by two senior attorneys who decided to leave a large firm environment to create a more focused, efficient and responsive practice. Based on the reputation and capabilities of the founding members, as well as the established trust and loyalty with their clients, the firm was immediately active representing multi-national clients. The firm’s clients are among the most recognized names and leaders in various business sectors, such as software and technology, retailing, luxury goods and fashion, energy, etc.

Since its establishment, the firm has continued to grow, a result of the firm’s uncompromising emphasis on maintaining its reputation for the highest level of service, professionalism and integrity. This philosophy and commitment has been essential in developing and servicing the firm’s prestigious list of clients, whose needs are sophisticated and whose matters have global impact.

The firm is proud of its approach of nurturing very close and personal relationships with its clients, the foundation of the firm’s ability to know its clients and thereby serve their needs more effectively and efficiently.

Intellectual Property Practice

The firm has a strong and diverse practice in all aspects of intellectual property. It is very active with both domestic and international prosecution practice for trademarks, as well as related disputes and administrative proceedings. Aside from prosecution matters, the firm and its members have become particularly well-known for its capabilities in the areas of litigation, anti-counterfeiting and internet related matters.

In the area of anti-counterfeiting and enforcement, the firm has developed a very strong reputation for its effective and creative programs in combating many difficult problems in Korea. The firm represents many brand owners and manages among the most active anti-counterfeiting and trademark enforcement programs in the country.

The firm is also very active with domain name disputes, successfully reclaiming domain name registrations from cyber-squatters for trademark owners. Mr. Tae-Yeon Cho has served on the executive committee for the Internet Address Domain Name Dispute Resolution Committee, the government body that administers Korean domain name disputes. Another member of the firm, Mr. Ik Hyun Seo, serves as a panelist for WIPO with respect to gTLD disputes.