YOON&YANG

Soonghee Lee Managing Partner

TEL 82 2 6003 7507
FAX 82 2 6003 7033
E-MAIL shlee@hwawoo.com

Soonghee Lee is a managing partner at Yoon & Yang LLC. His main practice areas include corporate and finance, corporate governance, anti-money laundering and internal controls, and disputes and regulations related to finance, securities, and insurance.
Soonghee Lee was selected as a “leading Lawyer” in the financial regulation section of IFLR1000, Legal 500 Asia-Pacific, and asialaw Leading Lawyers. Mr. Lee was a lecturer in finance and international transactions at the Seoul Bar Association and the Judicial Training and Research Institute and served as a director at the Korea Securities Law Association and the Korean Financial Law Association. Mr. Lee was also a commissioner at the Financial Supervisory Service and a researcher at the Korea Corporate Governance Service.

Practice Areas

Experience

2003-present Yoon & Yang LLC
2024-present Member, Regulatory Review Committee, Korea Federation of Banks
2016-present Director, Korea Financial Law Association
2013-present Director, Researcher, Director International Affairs, Statutory Auditor, Vice-Chairman, Korea Securities Law Association
2016-17 Researcher, Korea Corporate Governance Service
2015-17 Commissioner, Consumer Protectoin Deliberation Committee, Financial Supervisory Service
2015 Lecturer (International Transaction Practice/Securities and Finance Training Institute), Seoul Bar Association
2007-12 Adjunct Professor, Youngsan University College of Law
2007 Lecturer (International Transaction Practice/Securities and Finance Training Institute), Seoul Bar Association
2006-09 Member, Foreign Investment Attraction Committee, Kyunggi Province
2003-06 Lecturer (International Transactions), Judicial Training and Research Institute
1996-03 Partner, Yoon & Partners
1993-96 Associate, Kim Shin & Yu
1990-93 Judge Advocate, Republic of Korea Army

Education

2011 Seoul National University School of Law (LL.D. course completion)
2000 Cornell University Law School (LL.M.)
1990 Judicial Research and Training Institute
1987 Seoul National University, College of Law (LL.B.)

Qualifications

Admitted to bar, Korea (1990); New York (2001)

Representative Matters

Advised on governance and internal control of financial holding companies and banks
Successfully represented client in litigation concerning KIKO and ELS

Awards

Highly regarded, Banking; M&A, IFLR1000 (2016-2025)
Highly regarded, Capital markets: Equity, IFLR1000 (2014-2016, 2018-2025)
Highly regarded, Capital markets: Derivatives, IFLR1000 (2021-2025)
Highly regarded, Financial services regulatory, IFLR1000 (2016, 2019-2023, 2025)
Stand-out Lawyer, Thomson Reuters (2024)
Distinguished Practitioner, Banking and finance; Capital markets, asialaw (2020-2023/24)
National Leader, Banking, Who’s Who Legal Korea (2022-2023)
Leading Lawyer, Capital markets; Financial services regulatory, asialaw (2014-2018)
Leading Individual, Banking & Finance; Capital Markets, Legal 500 Asia-Pacific (2016)

Publications

Lexology Panoramic - Anti-Money Laundering, 2025 Korea, Law Business Research (May 2025)
Lexology Panoramic - Anti-Money Laundering, 2024 Korea, Law Business Research (May 2024)
Getting the Deal Through – Anti-Money Laundering, 2023 Korea, Law Business Research (June 2023)
Stepping forward – Fintech Special Report, International Financial Law Review (June 2018, co-author)
Getting the Deal Through – Banking Regulation, 2017 Korea, Law Business Research (March 2017)
“Supreme Court Decisions on KIKO Cases,” The Asian Business Lawyer, Winter 2014
"Practical Law: Structured Finance and Securitization in South Korea," Thomson Reuters, December 2014 and 2015
“New Issues and Improvement Measures with respect to Business Transfer,” Joint Convention of Commercial Code Academies, July 2014
"Supreme Court decides on KIKO cases," International Briefings, International Finance Law Review, February 2014
“A Study on the Treatment of the Unclaimed Shares and the Prohibition of the Issuance of Bonds with Detachable Warrants,” 61 Business Finance & Law, Seoul National U. Finance Law Center (co-author), September 2013
“Securities Finance 2013 Korea," Getting the Deal Through – Securities Finance 2013, Law Business Research (co-author), May 2013
“Securities Finance 2012 Korea,” Getting the Deal Through – Securities Finance 2012, Law Business Research (co-author), May 2012
“Amended Commercial Code – Issues of Reinforcement to Prevent Conflicts of Interests between Directors and Corporations,” Corporate Governance Review, November/December 2011
“A Study on Balance between Enhancement of Corporate Value and Realization of Public Function of KRX,” Korea Corporate Governance Service (co-author), July 2011
“Current Status and Legal Issues of the Disputes Over Equity-Linked Securities (ELS),” Yonsei Global Business Law Review, December 2010
“ELS Disputes Pending Appeal,” IFLR, November 2010
“The Notorious Kiko Disputes,” IFLR, September 2010
“The Corporate Restructuring Promotion Act of Korea,” IFLR, June 2010
“Poison Pill Introduced to Korea,” IFLR, May 2010
“Special Purpose Acquisition Company,” IFLR, March 2010
“Public Offerings,” IFLR, February 2010
“Pre-examination of OTC Derivatives,” IFLR, December/January 2010
“Strengthening Investor Protection in Korea under the New Capital Market Consolidation Act,” FinanceAsia, October, 2008
“New Act Permits Securities-related Class Actions,” AsiaLaw, March 2004
“International Jurisdiction and Litigation Procedure Regarding Defamation by Foreign Internet Media,” Press Arbitration Commission, 2003
“Legal Issues of Protection for Intellectual Property on The Internet,” Cornell Law School LL.M. Paper, 1999
“Recent Development in Korea on Foreign Investment and M&A,” Korea Legal Report, Baker & McKenzie (co-author), 1998