Dispute Resolution: International Firms

Herbert Smith Freehills has a highly regarded global disputes group that operates out of its offices in London and Hong Kong. It fields a team of bilingual lawyers with proficiency in Korean and English. The firm works primarily with major conglomerates in South Korea on contentious issues arising from projects in the energy, infrastructure and engineering sectors, and from equity and debt transactions in the finance industry. It acts for prominent conglomerates, state-owned entities and new technology companies, and also handles inbound work for international corporations operating in Korea. Clients benefit from the firm's extensive industry knowledge, global network and depth of resources. Its key clients include British American Tobacco, Korean Reinsurance and Star Hydro Power.

"The HSF team were very keen to understand the technical elements of the dispute and impressed us with their ability to understand the technical elements of the defect and apply the law to the technical facts. They provided very well-structured and logical advice which gave us certainty with the direction we needed to take."

"The arbitration involved fairly complex technical issues. HSF handled those aspects of the case superbly."

"Herbert Smith Freehills have powerful teamwork and managed my case well. Based on their diverse experience, they established good strategies and got excellent results."

Herbert Smith Freehills advised British American Tobacco on Korean court proceedings brought by the National Health Insurance Service of Korea on behalf of its policy holders, who allegedly suffered illnesses as a result of smoking cigarettes manufactured by British American Tobacco.

Mike McClure stands out for his significant experience advising on disputes arising in the energy, construction and infrastructure sectors. His expertise continues to attract many instructions from Korean and international corporations. He is global co-head of the Korea group and serves a host of clients from Herbert Smith Freehills' base in London. "Mike was very impressive and had a firm understanding of the commercial backdrop of the dispute." "He is a figure who can provide exact service. He is very responsive and has been very successful in coping with clients' needs." "He is the best one among the lawyers I've met." "Mike was the head of the arbitration case and his lead was absolutely excellent. He'd paid very close attention to our case."

Dana Kim is global co-head of the Korea group based in the firm's office in Hong Kong. She is particularly well known for her arbitration expertise. She also has experience advising clients from a broad range of sectors on litigation and mediation mandates. "Dana is pragmatic and has a good relationship with Korean corporations." "Dana is meticulous and responsive." "Always responsive and provides a good solution."