Mr. Chang Young Choi is a senior partner at Shin & Kim, mainly practicing in the areas of Corporate Investigation & White Collar Crime, General Criminal Defense, Criminal Litigation, Unfair Competition & Trade Secrets, Family, Trusts & Estates Disputes, Finance Disputes, Financial Market Investigation and Enforcement.

Mr. Choi served as a judge for 21 years from 1998 to 2019, during which he handled a wide range of civil, criminal, and administrative cases. During his judicial career, he served as Presiding Judge at the Daejeon High Court, presiding over appellate cases in civil and administrative matters. He also held various key judicial positions, including Chief Presiding Judge at the Daejeon District Court, Presiding Judge of the Criminal Division at the Seoul Central District Court, and Judge in charge of warrant proceedings at the Ulsan District Court and the Pohang Branch of Daegu District Court. In addition, Mr. Choi was seconded to the Legislation and Judiciary Committee of the National Assembly, where he served as a legal advisor. He also served as Chief of Judicial IT Bureau at the National Court Administration, leading the development of the electronic litigation system. Furthermore, as Director of Criminal Affairs at the Judicial Policy Office of the National Court Administration, he oversaw the practical implementation of the 2008 amendments to the Criminal Procedure Act.

After his retirement from the judiciary, Mr. Choi handled numerous cases involving violations of the Capital Markets Act, as well as corporate criminal cases such as embezzlement and breach of trust at Haekwang LLC. Notably, he contributed to securing an acquittal in a high-profile case involving the head of a major Korean conglomerate charged with alleged breaches of the Capital Markets Act. He has also achieved favorable outcomes in a dispute between construction company, which he represented, and cooperative association.

• Represented a Korean company in civil and administrative litigation arising from a personal data breach
• Represented the contractor in a damages action arising from the unjust termination of contracts by a redevelopment association or project developer
• Represented a Korean company in a main action seeking injunctive relief under the Monopoly Regulation and Fair Trade Act due to the unlawful termination of a business partnership
• Represented a shipbuilding company in a dispute over liquidated damages arising from delayed delivery by a Korean shipbuilding manufacturer
• Represented a client in a share return action and preliminary injunction proceedings relating to the enforcement of a pledge over unlisted shares, following the provision of collateral and the alleged improper valuation of the enforcement
• Represented a Korean company in an administrative suspension order case arising from the failure to implement soil contamination prevention measures
• Represented a private equity fund manager in a damages action based on an alleged breach of fiduciary duty by a director of an acquired company during his tenure
• Represented a client in a third-party objection action against the enforcement of confiscation and preservation measures over corporate assets
• Advised a client on defense strategies against product liability damages claims arising from defects in delivered steel products
• Advised a client on the potential regulatory consequences and disciplinary measures relating to misconduct by an outside director
• Represented a client in a Financial Investment Services and Capital Markets Act violation case concerning issues with the merger ratio in a listed company’s merger process
• Represented a client in a Financial Investment Services and Capital Markets Act violation case involving allegations of fraudulent and unfair trading against a financial investor in connection with the acquisition of an automotive company
• Represented a securities firm in a Financial Investment Services and Capital Markets Act violation case relating to disclosure of holding purpose in connection with the acquisition of shares
• Represented a platform company in a Retirement Benefits Act violation case concerning daily workers
• Represented a Korean power company in a Monopoly Regulation and Fair Trade Act violation case involving bid rigging in equipment procurement
• Represented a client in a criminal case involving alleged embezzlement and breach of trust by a corporate CEO regarding salary and other compensation
• Represented a client in a criminal case involving alleged illegal transfer of assets abroad in connection with overseas investment activities
• Represented a client in a Financial Investment Services and Capital Markets Act violation case arising from the omission of disclosure of collateral in the issuance of convertible bonds and related investment process
• Represented a client in a Foreign Trade Act violation case concerning misrepresentation of country of origin of products
• Represented a client in an alleged bribery and breach of trust case involving solicitation of cryptocurrency exchange listing