Lord Mayor calls for freedom of practice for international law firms in South Korea

The Lord Mayor of London this week praised South Korea’s efforts to allow international law firms to have a presence in the country.

Robert Finch, the current Lord Mayor and a partner at Linklaters, was speaking at a seminar in the South Korean capital Seoul organised by the Law Society and the Korean Bar Association.

The mayor also said that South Korea will not become an Asian financial hub unless international lawyers can freely work there. South Korea recently offered international firms the chance to establish a presence under the World Trade Organisation.

Finch said that international firms would want to go into partnership with Korean lawyers, in order to transfer skills and knowledge. An initiative is also due to be announced which would give young Koreans the opportunity to work in the UK.

The seminar, the first of its kind, was part of the Lord Mayor’s 10-day visit to South Korea, Taiwan and Japan to promote business links between Asia and the City.