Watson Farley & Williams LLP — South Korea

About

- Watson Farley & Williams LLP - Seoul - The Firm Watson Farley & Williams is a leading international law firm advising clients operating in the energy, infrastructure and transport sectors. With a network of offices spanning Asia, Europe and the USA, we bring together technical excellence and deep industry knowledge to deliver unparalleled advice on complex transactions and disputes. - Principal Areas of Work In all our core sectors, we provide integrated and commercially focussed advice across a broad range of capital markets, corporate, finance, dispute resolution, employment, real estate, regulatory and tax matters. - Senior Partner: George Paleokrassas - Managing Partner: Lindsey Keeble Energy (Mining; Oil and Gas; Power and Renewables; and Commodities and International Trade) - key contacts: Henry Stewart; María Pilar García Guijarro; and Clarinda Tjia-Dharmadi Infrastructure (Airports; Digital and E-Infrastructure; Ports and Terminals; Roads, Bridges and Tunnels; and Social Infrastructure) - key contacts: Florian Kutzbach and José María Anarte Transport (Aviation and Aerospace; Maritime; and Rail) - key contacts: Jim Bell and George Macheras - Energy – Mining We leverage the wealth of experience across our global network to support industry players across the whole mining life cycle, including in the emerging sectors of seabed and space mining, as well as investor-state dispute settlement. We are the go-to advisors for all mining participants from owners/licensees, developers and sponsors to financiers, contractors and governments. Operating globally and in areas beyond national jurisdiction enables us to advise on complex, multi-jurisdictional matters in all the major mineral-producing areas of the world, from Africa and Australasia to Asia and the Americas. - Energy – Oil & Gas We have over 30 years’ direct industry experience advising clients across the whole of the oil and gas value chain, covering upstream, midstream and downstream. We also have in-depth knowledge of new fuels and gases such as LNG, hydrogen, ammonia and SAF to help support the industry’s energy transition. Clients include exploration, development and production companies, traders, offshore services, storage and distribution companies, refinery developers and operators, funds and investors, banks and governments. - Energy – Power and Renewables With an international offering of sector specialist lawyers, we are the natural choice for clients across the power and renewables space. We have long been at the forefront of new technology and developments in the industry and have a successful track record advising on all aspects of the value chain and life cycle of projects from conventional power to renewables such as onshore and offshore wind, solar, biomass, and waste to energy. By leveraging our regulatory, transactional, ESG and dispute resolution experience, we offer an unrivalled full service in sector to clients including developers, investors, sponsors, financiers, contractors and both governments and government entities. - Energy – Commodities and International Trade We offer a comprehensive sector offering covering disputes, structured trade finance, sanctions and regulatory, ESG, project development & finance, and corporate matters. Our historical focus on the energy, infrastructure and maritime sectors, which each have strong synergies with commodities and international trade, give us a unique 360-degree perspective, allowing us to support our clients operating in these sectors across all key service lines. Clients include major corporates, trading houses, mining majors, energy traders, banks, independent trade financiers, investment funds and agricultural and food companies. - Infrastructure With the global demand for infrastructure rapidly increasing, we support our clients on major projects around the world. We act for a broad range of participants across transport-relevant infrastructures ranging from airports, ports and terminals, rail and roads, bridges and tunnels. We also work on energy-relevant projects ranging from transmission and storage, water and waste management and renewable energy assets, as well as social infrastructure to emerging sub-sectors such as smart and digital infrastructure. Our multi-disciplinary team, based across our global network of offices, provides first-rate advice and guidance to all participants in the infrastructure sector. - Transport - Aviation and Aerospace Always abreast of trends within the aviation and aerospace sectors, we have over 40 years’ experience advising key industry stakeholders. These include aircraft and engine leasing companies, banks and financial institutions, funds and investors, export credit agencies, airlines, tour operators and manufacturers. What propels our service beyond that of our competitors is our active involvement in making impactful changes to the industry at a global level. This includes being the principal advisors to the Aviation Working Group (AWG) and the prime choice for legal advice focussing on the decarbonisation of the industry, alternative fuels and emissions reduction. - Transport - Maritime With the largest dedicated maritime legal practice worldwide, we have been helping clients address the industry’s ups and downs for over 40 years. Our unrivalled shipping experience attracts clients including shipowners, charterers, ship managers, P&I and FD&D insurers, investors, banks and financiers with substantial shipping portfolios. Areas of special expertise include maritime infrastructure, commercial shipping, container shipping and logistics, offshore oil & gas, cruise, commercial contracts, sanctions, disputes and regulatory, loan portfolios and restructuring. We are at the forefront of the industry move towards decarbonisation, including having advised on the development of the Poseidon Principles to support the IMO’s goal to reduce shipping’s annual greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50% by 2050. ### Languages - 25+ languages ### Staffing Figures - 0 Partners - 19 Offices

Office locations

Practice areas

Lawyers in this office

Philip Do Youn Kim

Philip specialises in international arbitration and has expertise in the resolution of corporate (post M&A, shareholder and joint ventures), energy (construction and shipbuilding) and public international law disputes with nexus to East and Central Asia. Philip is in high demand for the most complex, high-value and novel cases, given his extensive experience and outstanding track record in landmark cases. Philip is often engaged as additional co-counsel to work with other international law firms in significant cases. Notably, the American Lawyer magazine have featured two of Philip’s cases as the “Top 10 Defense Wins” in the arbitration field internationally, which are leading authorities in public international law. Philip also acted for the Government of Korea in the first arbitration under the US-Korea Free Trade Agreement, which was successful at an early stage. In recent years, Philip advised on the most significant post M&A, commercial and investment disputes for Korea based clients, in particular London, Hong Kong or Singapore seated arbitrations (ad hoc, LCIA, SIAC, ICDR, ICC and HKIAC) and English High Court litigation. Philip has a unique client base in North and Central Asia and acts as relationship partner to Asian conglomerates, technology (in particular IT and automobiles) and healthcare companies, who entrust him with a wide range of work relating to Europe, China and South-East Asia. As a result, Philip’s practice covers non-contentious and bespoke matters, such as international restructurings and office launches, data privacy, intellectual property licensing, ESG and incentives. The directories have consistently recognised his expertise for international arbitration and dispute resolution. He is listed as an “Arbitration Future Leader” by Who’s Who Legal 2023 (Arbitration, United Kingdom) as well as one of “30 Super Lawyers” in South Korea by Asian Legal Business. In addition he is listed as a “Rising Star” by Legal 500, International Arbitration, South Korea. His Chambers & Partners, Global and Asia Pacific ranking states that “Philip Kim advises clients in commercial and investment treaty arbitrations and has particular expertise in disputes relating to Korea and Kazakhstan. One source enthuses ‘He is brilliant and he is really making waves. He is one of the best…I’ve seen.’”. · International Arbitration

Ricky Kim

Ricky has over a decade of experience on all aspects of ship financing advising financial institutions (banks, export credit agencies, private equity investors and funds) and shipping companies (owners, managers and charterers). He specialises in banking and finance matters including secured lending, syndicated and bilateral lending, corporate finance and ECA-backed finance (particularly KEXIM Guarantee, KOBC, K-Sure and Sinosure cover) as well as restructuring, works-outs, rehabilitation and loan portfolio transfers. Ricky is native Korean and has significant experience on Korean BBCHP structured financings and regularly acts for both Korean and international financial institutions on financings involving leading Korean shipowners. Ricky is qualified in both Singapore and England & Wales. · Banking and Finance