Mr. Sangdon Lee is a partner at Shin & Kim. Mr. Lee has significant experience in various antitrust fields, including cartel and merger control.

Mr. Lee has represented Linde, Trafigura, Macquarie, Goldman Sachs, Samsung, Google, Cargolux, ORIX, SK Group, Allergan, Activision-Blizzard and Oriental Brewery in numerous antitrust cases. Notably, he acted for Google as lead counsel when Google successfully obtained unconditional clearance from the Korea Fair Trade Commission to acquire Motorola Mobility.

Mr. Lee has been involved in approximately 50 to 60 merger filing cases each year. Considering the average merger filing cases handled by the KFTC handles per year is approximately 600 to 700, he is considered one of the top ranked antitrust lawyers with the highest track record in advising clients on merger filings in Korea.

Mr. Lee has recently published numerous articles on antitrust issues in the academic journals widely known and highly regarded among the Korean legal academics and practitioners, including “Legal Implication of Merger Review Period under the Monopoly Regulation and Fair Trade Act,” “Evaluation Standards of Anticompetitiveness of Non-compete Provision Ancillary to M&A Transaction,” “Merger Regulation and Evaluation Standards of Anticompetitive Minority Acquisitions: Comparative Study of US, European, and Korean Antitrust Law,” “Review of the European Commission’s Merger Filing Regulations on Minority Shareholdings: the Concept of Joint Control.”

Merger Control Cases

• Representing Asiana Airlines in connection with Korean Air’s acquisition of Asiana Airlines
• Representing Figma in connection with Adobe’s acquisition of Figma
• Represented CNGR in connection with its establishment of a joint venture company with POSCO
• Represented CMA CGM in connection with its acquisition of Bollore Logistics
• Represented Samsung SDI in connection with its establishment of a joint venture company with General Motors
• Represented SK geo centric in connection with its establishment of a joint venture company with Tokuyama
• Represented ZF Friedrichshafen, Hella, NGK Spark Plug Europe and Clarios Germany in connection with their establishment of a joint venture company
• Represented ArcelorMittal in connection with its acquisition of Companhia Siderurgica do Pecem
• Represented Foxconn in connection with its acquisition of ZF Chassis Modules
• Represented Corio Generation and OTPP in connection with its acquisition of Attentive Energy
• Represented Maersk in connection with its acquisition of LF Logistics
• Represented Lotte Chemical and SK Gas in connection with their establishment of a joint venture company
• Represented SD Biosensor in connection with its acquisition of Meridian Bioscience
• Represented OCI and Kumho Petrochemical in connection with their establishment of a joint venture company
• Represented SK geo centric in connection with its acquisition of Arkema’s functional polyolefin business
• Represented Lotte Chemical and GS Energy in connection with their establishment of a joint venture company
• Represented SK Telecom and SK Broadband in connection with their acquisition of T-Broad
• Represented an interested party in connection with IBM’s acquisition of Red Hat
• Represented ZF in connection with its acquisition of WABCO
• Represented ETAS and Constellation International in connection with the establishment of a joint venture company
• Represented Merck in connection with its acquisition of Versum Materials
• Represented Bosch in connection with the establishment of a joint venture company with Prettl
• Represented SJL Partners, KCC, Wonik in connection with their joint acquisition of Momentive
• Represented Daehan Oil Pipeline Corporation in connection with its acquisition of GS Caltex Distribution Center (oil storage tanks)
• Represented Linde in connection with its merger with Praxair
• Represented Mubadala in connection with its acquisition of Gazpromneft Vostok
• Represented Novelis in connection with its establishment of a joint venture company with Kobe Steel
• Represented Kuraray in connection with its establishment of a joint venture company with PTT Global Chemical Public Company and Sumitomo Corporation
• Represented Mirae Asset Global in connection with its acquisition of Global X Management
• Represented Berkshire Hathaway Group in connection with its acquisition of Changnam INT
• Represented CJ Logistics in connection with its acquisition of Gemadept in Vietnam
• Represented Macquarie in connection with its acquisition of Cargil’s petroleum business
• Represented Technicolor in connection with its acquisition of LG Electronics’ set-top-box business
• Represented Macquarie and Goldman Sachs in connection with their joint acquisition of HES International
• Represented Valeo in connection with its establishment of a joint venture company with PHC
• Represented Linde in connection with its acquisition of Air Liquide’s domestic on-site and bulk business
• Represented Trafigura in connection with its acquisition of Essar Oil
• Represented Asahi Group Holdings in connection with its acquisition of SAB Miller’s Eastern European beer brands
• Represented Terumo Corporation in connection with its acquisition of a divested business as part of Abbott Laboratories’ acquisition of St. Jude Medical
• Represented Hilti in connection with its acquisition of Øglænd System Group
• Represented Genie Music in connection with its merger with CJ Digital Music (Mnet)
• Represented Kakao in connection with its acquisition of Ubicare
• Represented SKC in connection with its acquisition of SKC Haas Display Films
• Represented three main domestic terrestrial broadcasting companies in connection with the establishment of a North America OTT joint venture company
• Represented Trafigura in connection with its acquisition of Essar Oil
• Represented Tongyang Moolsan in connection with its acquisition of Kukje Machinery
• Represented SK Telecom in connection with its acquisition of CJ Hellovision
• Represented Saint-Gobain in connection with its establishment of a joint venture company with Corning
• Represented SK Materials in connection with its establishment of a joint venture company with Tri-Chem in Japan
• Represented Hahn & Company in connection with its acquisition of Ssangyong Cement Industrial
• Represented Kakao in connection with its acquisition of Loen Entertainment (Melon)
• Represented Activision Blizzard in connection with its acquisition of King Digital Entertainment
• Represented Trafigura in connection with its acquisition of Nyrstar
• Represented ORIX in connection with its acquisition of KB Securities
• Represented Hahn & Company in connection with its merger filing for the acquisition of Posfine
• Represented Erae in its merger filing for the acquisition of Delphi Korea
• Represented SEB Group in connection with its acquisition of WMF Group
• Represented KCW in connection with its establishment of a joint venture company with Bosch
• Represented an interested party in connection with merger of Applied Materials and Tokyo Electron
• Represented Merck in connection with Bayer’s acquisition of Merck’s global consumer care business
• Represented CSR plc in connection with Qualcomm’s acquisition of CSR plc
• Represented ORIX in connection with its acquisition of Hyundai Logistics
• Represented Google in connection with its acquisition of Motorola Mobility
• Represented Samsung LED in connection with the establishment of a joint venture company with Sumitomo Chemical

KFTC Investigation Cases

• Represented a leading global semiconductor manufacturer and a telecommunications equipment company in the KFTC's investigation of abuse of dominance
• Represented a leading Japanese auto parts manufacturer in the KFTC's investigation of cartel
• Represented Korea Gas Corporation in the KFTC's investigation of abuse of superior bargaining position
• Represented a leading domestic steel sheets manufacturer in the KFTC's investigation of cartel
• Represented a leading global electronics & semiconductor manufacturer in the KFTC's investigation of cartel
• Represented a leading global air cargo carrier in the KFTC's investigation of price-fixing
• Represented multiple construction companies in the KFTC's investigations of bid-rigging
• Represented a leading marine hose supplier in the KFTC's investigation of price-fixing
• Represented a domestic credit card company in the KFTC's investigation of price-fixing

Franchise

• Represented a number of global franchisors in connection of franchise transaction with local franchisees and information disclosure to the KFTC

Compliance Program

• Evaluated internal competition compliance program of Korean subsidiary of a multinational chemical storage company
• Evaluated internal competition compliance program of a domestic chemical company
• Evaluated internal competition compliance program of a domestic home-shopping channel company