Yoon & Yang LLC

Keun Woo Lee Partner

TEL 82 2 6003 7558
FAX 82 2 6003 7031
E-MAIL klee@hwawoo.com

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Keun Woo Lee is a partner and also the Head of the New Business Group, the Information Security Center, and the Artificial Intelligence Center, and a member of the ESG Expert Committee at Yoon & Yang LLC, and his main practice area is handling digital and green ICT and ESG matters.

[Green-related Tasks]
As a member of the ESG Special Committee of the Korean Bar Association, Mr. Lee handles a wide range of ESG compliance issues for companies – namely, development of ESG evaluation implementation framework and strategies, handling tasks related to advancement of ESG supply chain and human rights management, providing ESG compliance support, handling matters related to green washing, and advising on supply chain due diligence laws and overseas regulations during the course of fostering ESG professionals.

[Digitial-related Tasks]
Mr. Lee also handles civil and criminal disputes involving misappropriation of a company’s trade secret (theft of proprietary technology), development of relevant pre & post countermeasures and inspection of information security compliance, formulation of pre & post countermeasures on intellectual property right infringement, delivering preventive education and conducting due diligence with respect to leakage of material information (including infringement of personal information), and handling ex post investigations. Based thereon, Mr. Lee assists in establishing a comprehensive compliance system related to protection of intellectual property and personal information and compliance, such as handling matters pertaining to trade secrets, employee’s inventions, safeguarding intellectual property and personal information, and compliance for corporate clients. In receiving recognition for having significantly contributed to the protection of industrial technology, such as trade secrets and national core technologies, he was honored twice with the Minister of Trade, Indudstry and Energy Award (October 2017 and November 2022).

Furthermore, with respect to convergence of digitial and green tasks in the AI era, Mr. Lee is active in advising on ESG and AI governance and building systems using AI technology and data, as well as handling matters on resonding to AI-related legislations and regulatory compliance.

Practice Areas

Experience

2006-present Yoon & Yang LLC
2023-present Legal Advisor, Personal Information Protection Committee
2023-present Member, ESG Special Committee, Korean Bar Association
2022-present Member, Korean Association for Industrial Security
2022-present Member, Technology Security Forum for Institutional Improvements Concerning National Core Technologies under the Industrial Technology Protection Act
2020-present Arbitrator, Korea Commercial Arbitration Board
2020-present Member, Legislative Research Group (related to digital integration platform)
2020-present Member of the AI Legislation Group, Ministry of Science and ICT
2019-present Member, Joint Government Legal Assistance Group (related to Access to genetic resources and Benefit-Sharing)
2019-present Member, Industrial Technology Dispute Mediation Committee, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy
2017-present Appraiser, Korean Patent Attorneys Association
2017-present Member, Korea Information Law Society
2017-present Expert Member (Instructor), Trade Secret Protection, Industrial Technology Protection Association
2016-present Online Instructor, Trade Secret Protection, The Lawtimes
2016-present Instructor, Trade Secrets, Korea Patent Information Service
2016-present Advisor, Overseas Small and Medium Enterprises Legal Advisory Group, Ministry of Justice
2014-present Member, Patent System Committee, Korea Patent Attorneys Association
2024 Member, Legal & Regulatory Subcommittee, High-Level Council on AI Strategy
2021-23 Member, Committee for Protecting Researcher Rights and Interests, Ministry of Science and ICT
2021 Member, EU AI Legislation Research Group
2021 Member, Smart City Personal Information Protection Guideline Research Group, Personal Information Protection Committee
2020-24 Member, Private Sector Committee, Autonomous Driving Integration & Convergence Future Forum, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport
2018-20 Legislative Director, Korean Association for Industrial Security
2018-20 Member of Committee on Case Law Commentary, The Lawtimes
2018 Member, Special Committee on Intellectual Property Right, Korea Patent Attorneys Association
2018 Advisor, Intellectual Property Committee, Women Enterprise Supporting Center
2012-13 Lee, Hong, Degerman, Kang & Waimey, Los Angeles
2011 Member, Intellectual Property Rights Committee, Seoul Bar Association
2007-09 Member, Intellectual Property Rights Committee, Korea Bar Association

Education

2012 University of Southern California Gould School of Law (LL.M)
2006 Seoul National University School of Law (LL.M. course completion)
2006 Judicial Research and Training Institute
2002 Seoul National University, College of Law (LL.B.)

Qualifications

Admitted to bar, Korea (2006)
Admitted to patent bar, Korea (2006)

Representative Matters

Handled the matter on designation/export of national core technology for major domestic companies
Handled ESG and compliance issues for Hyundai Motor, Kia, SBS, SKC, Hite Jinro, SK Shielders, LG L&H, and SK Hynix
Conducted corporate human rights assessments related to the “Business and Human Rights Report” of the Korean Bar Association
Represented SK Innovation in the dispute with LG Chem over renewable battery
Handled the matter on green washing for major domestic companies
Conducted compliance management assessments for major companies
Advised on personal information protection and leakage issues, collective lawsuits, etc. for major companies
Conducted data (personal information) security inspections and provided advisory service relating thereto for numerous financial companies and savings banks
Developed the AI governance and handled regulatory compliance issues for numerous companies
Handled the review of issues related to generative AI for a number of client companies
Handled and advised on NFT and block chain projects for numerous companies
Represented SK Hynix in a trade secret infringement case against Toshiba and SanDisk
Represented Kumho Petrochemical in a trademark dispute with Kumho Industrial
Represented terrestrial broadcasters including KBS in copyright infringement and retransmission claims against cable SO
Represented terrestrial broadcasters including KBS in a copyright infringement claim against My TV
Represented 47 major film companies and producers, including CJ, in copyright infringement claims against major web storage service providers
Represented CJ and Mnet in a music copyright infringement claim against Soribada
Represented Qualcomm against KFTC’s claim of abuse of market power
Represented SKT in connection with issues concerning network connection fees between KT and a key operator
Represented SK Innovation in a secondary battery separator patent case against Tonen Corporation
Represented Siemens in a patent infringement case in connection with an automatic garbage collection facility in a large apartment complex
Represented Hanmi Pharmaceutical in a patent case related to Plavix medicine
Advised Yuhan Corporation, Siemens, and Intel on revising employee invention compensation rules related to
Advised foreign pharmaceutical companies on submitting information to the KFTC
Represented Jinro in connection with Chamisul-related compensation for employee inventions
Represented various publishers including Goldstar Textbook, Hyeongseol Publishing Co., and Gyohaksa in copyright infringement cases
Represented the Express Bus Association in a patent dispute regarding the Express Bus Automatic Reservation System
Represented BackJoy in a patent invalidation case
Advised MS and YAHOO in matters related to the Information and Communications Network Act
GM and KISA on personal information protection related matters concerning domestic and foreign companies and organizations, including issues relating to the cloud, personal information due diligence, and follow-up measures to
Provided technology protection training for companies in Vietnam
Provided training on CSO technology protection and technology protection education for CEOs of small and medium-sized companies
Provided CISO personal information and trade secrets protection organized by KSIA
Provided training for cyber security top expert certification course established by the Ministry of National Defense
Advised on the establishing a job hub site for women
small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) network on technology commercialization
Prepared amendments to the Communications Secrets Security Act

Awards

Commended External Counsel, Asian-Mena Counsel (2019)

Publications

[Books]

Online Commentary on Trademark Law, LawnB (Thomson Reuters Korea) (2024)
Digital Economy and Platforms: Dominance, Data, Fair Trade and Consumer Protection, Korea Fair Competition Federation (Co-author, 2023)
Practical ESG Management, Maeil Business News Korea (Co-author, 2023)
Virtual Assets A to Z, Korea Economic Daily (Co-author, 2022)
Introduction to Climate Finance (Taxonomy part), Heute Books (Co-author, 2022)

[Journals]

Regular contribution to the “Law and Smart” columns, The Lawtimes (2017-2023)
Regular contribution to information security-related columns, Igloo PLUS Monthly (July 2023 - December 2023)
Korea Chapter, Measuring the ESG impact and valuation in South Korea, Asia ESG Report, International Financial Law Review (Co-author, 2022)
Artificial Intelligence & Personal Information Protection in Korea, In-House Community Magazine, InHouse Community (Co-author, 2021)
Korea Chapter, Achieving green goals and legal compliance in South Korea, Asia ESG Report, International Financial Law Review (Co-author, 2021)
Amendments to three data privacy laws in Korea and the implications, Data + Cyber Security Special Report, Asian-Mena Counsel, Pacific Business Press (Co-author, 2020)
Copying the names and menus of famous restaurants - Seoul Central District Court, 2019 Gahap 526830, decided on November 21, 2019, Law Newspaper Case Law Commentary (January 2020)
Warning letter for illegal infringement of intellectual property rights - Patent Court 2017Na2424 ruling, Legal Newspaper case law commentary (April 2019)
Can a person who has received an implementation license also request an invalidation trial? - 2017 Hu 2819 en banc ruling, Legal Newspaper precedent commentary (March 2019)
Korea Chapter, e-Commerce, Getting the Deal Through, Law Business Research (Co-author, 2016-2018)
Comparison of EU GDPR with domestic laws on financial information regulation, BFL, Seoul National University Financial Law Center (December 2018)
Contributed to the main contents of the GDPR, the revision of the GDPR and the Information and Communications Network Act, etc., Korea Herald (2018. 9. 13, 2018. 10. 6)
Preparation for domestic companies for GDPR, Secu N, Tech World (June 2018)
Use of medical Big data in healthcare industry of South Korea, Digital Health Legal (2018. 4)
Is blockchain a safe technology, Secu N, Tech World (2018. 4)
Is Jeju Olle a remarkable geographical name? Legal Newspaper Case Law Commentary (December 2017)
SUM Mark use relations - 2016 Gahap 574227 lawsuit ruling on trademark infringement ban claim, Law Newspaper precedent commentary (2017. 9)
When do counterfeit sales cause confusion?, International Briefings, Managing Intellectual Property (Co-author, 2013)