Ara Cho

Practice Areas

Ara Cho is a partner at Peter & Kim based in Seoul.

As a Korean qualified lawyer since 2011, Ara has represented clients in numerous international arbitrations under the rules of the ICC, LCIA, SIAC, and KCAB, seated in various jurisdictions and governed by various legal systems including English, Canadian, Japanese and Korean law. Ara was involved in cases arising from a range of international projects including design and construction of power plants and refinery plant, and real estate development. Ara has also acted as counsel in an investment treaty arbitration focusing on tax issues.

Ara has experiences in representing domestic clients in litigation involving regulatory matters, as well as advising government ministries and private enterprises on the constitutionality and plausibility of existing or contemplated legislation.

Ara actively participates in pro bono programs and routinely helps refugees and immigrants with legal issues.

Ara participated in the Committee for Amendment of the Korean Arbitration Act as an assistant researcher and is a contributing author of “Arbitration Law & Practice”, a Korean language textbook on international arbitration.

Ara graduated from Seoul National University (School of Law, LL.B) in 2007, and received a Master of Law degree from Stanford Law School in 2017. She is native in Korean and fluent in English.

Career

Partner, Peter & Kim (2019 – present)

Associate and Senior Associate, Bae, Kim & Lee LLC (2011 – 2019)

Professional Memberships

Korea and Seoul Bar Associations

Panel of International Arbitrators, KCAB International

List of Arbitrators, HKIAC

Publications

NATIONAL REPORT KOREA, ICCA INTERNATIONAL HANDBOOK ON COMMERCIAL ARBITRATION SUPPLEMENT 117, Co-author, September 2021

RECENT TRENDS IN ISDS AWARDS: WITH A FOCUS ON DUE PROCESS, Co-author, International Trade Law (2020-02), Ministry of Justice, 2020

TAXES, Author, Jus Mundi Wiki Notes for Investment Law and Arbitration, 2020. (https://jusmundi.com/en/document/wiki/en-taxes)

ARBITRATION LAW & PRACTICE, Contributing author, Pakyoungsa, 2012

Experience

Provided advice on various forms of overseas construction contracts including EPC contracts, supply sub-contracts, and construction management contracts

Represented a Korean construction company in a SIAC arbitration arising from a consortium agreement with respect to a power plant project in the Middle East

Represented a global real estate developer in an ICC arbitration seated in Korea, arising from a large real estate development project in Korea, and involving issues related to the financing of the project

Represented a Korean company in an LCIA arbitration regarding a nuclear power plant project in the Middle East

Represented Korean construction companies in ICC arbitrations regarding an overseas power plant and refinery plant construction project in the Middle East and Africa

Represented a Korean gas company in an LCIA arbitration regarding a gas development project in the Middle East

Represented a Korean construction company in a KCAB arbitration regarding a construction project in Australia

Represented the Government of Korea in an ICSID arbitration based on the Korea-Belgium/Luxembourg BIT

Represented a U.S. company before the Korean court for issues relating to a letter of credit

Acted as counsel for several hospitals in litigation claiming the invalidity of an insurance fee system against the Ministry of Health and Welfare

Provided advice regarding the revision of domestic laws and regulations in accordance with the Korea-US FTA Technical Barriers to Trade

Represented and advised many other companies on various international arbitration and administrative litigation proceedings

Industry Sector Expertise

International Arbitration

Investment Arbitration

Construction

Korean Litigation

Investments & BITs

Project Finance

Joint Ventures / Consortia

Administrative / Constitutional law

International Tax

Education

Languages Spoken

Korean, English