Lee & Ko received a total of five awards at the Benchmark Litigation Asia-Pacific Awards 2026, including ‘Labour and Employment Firm of the Year,’ ‘South Korea Lawyer of the Year’ and ‘Client Choice – South Korea Firm of the Year,’ earning the distinction of being the most awarded Korean law firm at this year’s awards.
In the Practice Area Firm Awards category, which recognizes one leading law firm across the Asia-Pacific region in each of 11 practice areas, Lee & Ko was named ‘Labour and Employment Firm of the Year,’ underscoring the firm’s exceptional expertise in labour and employment law. Among its many notable achievements, Lee & Ko’s Labour and Employment Group successfully defended one of the world’s largest tyre manufacturers before the Supreme Court against serious allegations of illegal worker dispatch, thereby protecting the client’s business operations. The group also represented a major global automobile manufacturer in matters concerning an employer’s disciplinary authority and procedures.
In the ‘Lawyer of the Year – South Korea’ category, Lee & Ko’s Taeyop Lee was recognized for his outstanding achievements and contributions. Before joining Lee & Ko, Mr. Lee served as a public prosecutor, gaining extensive investigative experience in special investigations, finance and taxation, customs and foreign exchange, intellectual property—including trade secrets—and the healthcare and food sectors. Drawing on this background, he now leads criminal defense and general litigation matters at the firm involving intellectual property and trade secrets, personal information protection, broadcasting and telecommunications, foreign exchange and customs, and healthcare. In particular, he has built a strong reputation for guiding clients through major corporate criminal matters involving finance, trade secrets and serious accidents, consistently securing favorable outcomes and delivering the highest level of protection for his clients’ interests.
Lee & Ko also received the ‘Impact Case of the Year’ award for its representation of HSBC Bank in a criminal short-selling case. In that case, the firm persuaded the court to adopt a reasonable interpretation of the short-selling provisions under the Financial Investment Services and Capital Markets Act and secured a not-guilty verdict for its client.
In addition, Lee & Ko was named ‘South Korea Firm of the Year’ in the Client Choice Awards, which were announced in conjunction with the Benchmark Litigation Asia-Pacific Awards, while Foreign Attorney Steve Minhoo Kim was recognized as ‘South Korea Honourable Mention Lawyer of the Year.’ Based on client feedback and evaluations, the Client Choice Awards recognize excellence in client service. These accolades further demonstrate Lee & Ko’s differentiated client service and the high level of trust it has earned from its clients.
Benchmark Litigation is a globally renowned publication focusing on dispute resolution and litigation. Each year, it publishes rankings based on in-depth analysis of law firm submissions, as well as interviews with lawyers, clients and litigation experts.