Yong Woo Lee

Yong Woo Lee is a senior partner at Shin & Kim, where he has practiced since 1999. He built his practice advising domestic and international clients on corporate and regulatory matters. In recent years he has focused on complex corporate crises in which criminal, civil, and regulatory proceedings run in parallel, representing both companies and their executives. He also advises on management control disputes involving listed companies.

Mr. Lee is widely recognized for his expertise in the mobility sector, including automotive, aviation, and logistics. He has advised leading global automakers, importers, and parts manufacturers through crises arising from safety and environmental regulation. He also advises on the legal and regulatory issues surrounding electric vehicles, connected cars, and autonomous driving.

Mr. Lee also brings government relations experience, having served as Advisory Counsel on Competition Policy to the Korea Fair Trade Commission and as a member of the National Assembly’s Political Reform Advisory Committee. He has advised government ministries and state-owned enterprises on policy matters.

Corporate Crisis Response

• Represented indicted executives and employees of the Korean subsidiary of a global automaker in criminal proceedings arising from a large-scale vehicle recall, coordinating defense strategy with the overseas headquarters.
• Represented shareholders in a management control dispute at a major Korean listed company, providing strategic advice and handling parallel civil, criminal, and other proceedings.
• Represented a party involved in a major aviation accident in connection with the ensuing law enforcement investigation.

Mobility and Advanced Industry Regulation

• Advised global automaker A on recall and certification matters.
• Advised global automotive parts manufacturer C on certification matters.
• Advised airline D on its Air Operator Certificate (AOC), and foreign airline E on Korean aviation law.
• Advised delivery company F, and logistics center operator G on equipment supply agreements.
• Advised global automaker B, secondary battery manufacturer H, rental car company I, mobility service provider J, and global defense company K.

Trade-Related Advisory

• Advised the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on trade policy issues, including unfair trade practices, CFIUS, and the US outbound investment review mechanism.
• Advised Korean construction companies on sanctions risks relating to outbound investment.

Offshore Alternative Investment

• Advised the National Pension Service (NPS) and Korea Investment Corporation (KIC) on offshore real estate alternative investments.