吕贤东

Mr. Hyundong Yeo is a partner at Shin & Kim, where his practice focuses on technology-related matters, including patents, trade secrets and industrial technology, artificial intelligence (AI) and IT, environmental and energy disputes, and product liability.

Mr. Yeo has a technical background in materials science and engineering and chemistry from KAIST. He began his career as a patent attorney before qualifying as an attorney-at-law. Drawing on his technical background, he has handled a wide range of patent infringement actions, patent invalidation proceedings and appeals from Intellectual Property Trial and Appeal Board decisions, as well as trade secret disputes, across industries including secondary batteries, semiconductor equipment, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology and medical devices. He also served as Head of Management and Legal Affairs at a medical device startup, where he was directly involved in technology commercialization, IP strategy and regulatory matters. This in-house experience enables him to approach legal issues with an understanding of the commercial and operational considerations facing technology companies.

Mr. Yeo has also been actively involved in the development of Korea’s legal and regulatory framework for AI. He has served on various government and industry initiatives, including the AI Legal Framework Task Force of the National Information Society Agency (NIA), the Ministry of Science and ICT’s working groups on subordinate legislation and regulatory improvements under the AI Basic Act, the Expert Committee on High-Impact AI Determinations, and the TTA working group on AI transparency policy. Building on this experience, he advises on the AI Basic Act and its subordinate regulations, as well as privacy and AI regulatory issues arising from the use of medical data and other aspects of the adoption and deployment of AI by businesses. In 2025, he received a Ministerial Commendation from the Ministry of Science and ICT for his contribution to the development of the AI industry.

Mr. Yeo’s practice also extends to environmental and energy matters, including automotive emissions certification, environmental aspects of M&A transactions and compliance matters, and soil contamination disputes. In addition, he has handled product liability and technology disputes involving complex technical issues, including fires at automobiles, manufacturing facilities and data centers, hydrogen tank explosions, power plant equipment, and wind turbine failures. Combining his engineering background with his experience as both a patent attorney and an attorney-at-law, as well as his in-house experience, Mr. Yeo advises technology companies on legal issues spanning the underlying technology, business structures, regulatory requirements and disputes.

Intellectual Property and Healthcare

• Represented clients in patent infringement litigation, patent invalidation proceedings, and appeals from Intellectual Property Trial and Appeal Board decisions involving rechargeable battery technologies
• Represented a client in trade secret misappropriation injunction proceedings involving battery crushing equipment
• Represented a client in trade secret misappropriation and patent infringement litigation involving semiconductor equipment
• Advised and represented a client in litigation concerning the misappropriation of trade secrets relating to botulinum toxin
• Advised a client on the patent approval linkage system and represented their interests in related patent infringement litigation
• Represented a client in pharmaceutical patent infringement litigation and patent invalidation proceedings
• Advised clients on patent filing strategies and the development of patent maps
• Advised and represented clients in litigation concerning employee inventions

Artificial Intelligence and Privacy

• Advised clients on the Framework Act on Artificial Intelligence and its Enforcement Decree
• Advised clients through the Framework Act on Artificial Intelligence Support Desk
• Participated in legislative reform concerning technical standards for high-risk AI
• Advised clients on privacy and AI laws concerning the collection and use of healthcare data
• Represented a credit card company in litigation arising from a personal data breach
• Represented a cryptocurrency exchange in damages litigation arising from a personal data breach

Environment and Energy

• Advised a client on the Motor Vehicle Management Act and conducted due diligence on documentation relating to automobile emissions certification
• Advised a client in connection with the humidifier disinfectant incident
• Advised a client on environmental regulations and conducted environmental due diligence in connection with M&A transactions
• Advised a client on environmental regulatory compliance and conducted related due diligence
• Represented a client in damages litigation arising from soil contamination
• Advised a client on chemical products and environmental advertising claims

Product Liability and Technology Disputes

• Advised and represented clients in damages litigation arising from fires involving automobiles, factories, and data centers
• Advised and represented a client in criminal proceedings arising from a hydrogen tank explosion
• Represented a client in arbitration concerning the design and construction of fire protection piping at a nuclear power plant
• Represented a client in arbitration concerning the design and construction of cooling water piping at an overseas power plant
• Represented a client in damages litigation arising from damage to wind turbines
• Represented a client in damages litigation concerning the procurement of meteorological aircraft
• Represented a cryptocurrency exchange in damages litigation arising from a shutdown
• Represented a client in criminal proceedings concerning the issuance of virtual assets and advised them on virtual asset-related legal matters