DLA Piper gains approval for South Korea launch

The firm will open its new office, which is in the same building as US firm Paul Hastings and private equity investor KKR, in Seoul tomorrow. The office will be led by Daniel Lee as country managing partner. Lee joined DLA Piper in Tokyo in 2008 from Seoul firm Kim & Chang.

The Lawyer reported in September 2012 that DLA Piper was gearing up to launch in Seoul after applying to South Korea’s Ministry of Justice for permission to open as a foreign legal consultant in the country (18 September 2012). At the time, DLA Piper was one of around 20 firms applying for licences to open offices in the country (10 September 2012).

In a statement about the new office, DLA Piper joint CEO Sir Nigel Knowles: “DLA Piper wants to act as a conduit for both our multinational clients who want to do business in Korea and our Korean clients wanting to do business with the rest of the world. Collectively we’ll aim to maximise the opportunities for businesses in this diverse, dynamic and growing economic environment.”