Practice Areas
Youngwon Yoon is a partner at Shin & Kim’s International Dispute Resolution Practice Group. He has a broad practice covering international commercial, investor-state, WTO and FTA disputes.
On arbitration matters, Mr. Yoon has represented Korean governmental agencies, major Korean construction companies, global manufacturing companies and financial institutions. Given his background in finance, he is instructed on matters concerning asset management & investment funds. He also regularly advises on issues concerning economic sanctions, export controls, and trade remedies.
Mr. Yoon advises clients on both contentious and non-contentious matters in all stages of overseas infrastructure and construction projects. He has participated in negotiations and drafted project documents on behalf of clients in large infrastructure and construction projects, including projects related to nuclear power generation.
Mr. Yoon serves as a member of the Executive Committee of the Korean Council for International Arbitration (KOCIA) and is on the KCAB’s Panel of International Arbitrators.
He is nominated as a “Leading Individual” by Chambers Asia-Pacific (2024-2025), which describes him as “very hard-working”, “an excellent advocate” and as counsel whom clients would “trust… to lead our most important and sensitive international dispute matters”.
Work Highlights
[International Commercial Arbitration and Investment-State Disputes]
Represent Korean construction companies in dispute arising out of different supply contract against a Philippine energy company
Represent a Korean electric power generation public utility in an investment treaty dispute against the Government of India relating to the power plant in which it invested (UNCITRAL arbitration)
Represent a Korean construction conglomerate against a Middle Eastern construction company relating to a delay and disruption claim (English law; ICC arbitration; London seat)
Represent a Korean energy industry company in a dispute against a German conglomerate related to construction delays (Swiss law; ICC arbitration; Zurich seat)
Represent Korean major bank acting as trustee of investment funds in a dispute relating to breach of contractual obligations involving Receivable Purchase Agreements (English law; HKIAC arbitration; Hong Kong seat)
Represent US-based renewable energy company in two disputes against Korean conglomerate related to breach of contractual obligations and termination of the exclusive license to market technology and products in Korea and Asia (first dispute: New York law; ICC arbitration; Singapore seat) (second dispute: New York law; ICC arbitration; London seat)
Represented US-based renewable energy company in defense of a dispute brought against it by a Korean conglomerate relating to alleged breach of warranty and payment obligations under a supply contract (Korean law; KCAB arbitration; Seoul seat)
Represent a Korean chemical and auto parts manufacturer in a dispute relating to outstanding loans in a project financing (English law; LCIA arbitration; London seat)
Represent a Korean nuclear energy company in a dispute relating to allegedly defective cables (Korean law; KCAB arbitration; Seoul seat)
Represent a Korean heavy industry company in a dispute against a Asian power supplier relating to failure to pay for and alleged defects with power plant equipment (Swiss law; ICC arbitration; Geneva seat)
Represent a Korean heavy industry company in a dispute against a major European manufacturer relating to purchase of generator sets and failure to pay (CISG & Swiss law; ICC arbitration; Geneva seat)
Represent a Korean electric power generation public utility in a dispute against a US global industrial conglomerate regarding steam turbine defects (Korean law; KCAB arbitration; Seoul seat)
Represent a Korean chemical company in a dispute involving a Chinese wafer manufacturer’s failure to return the prepayment balance (Hong Kong law; HKIAC arbitration; Hong Kong seat)
Represent a Korean exporter in a dispute involving a European importer’s failure to pay for certain auto products (Korean law; ICC arbitration; Seoul seat)
Represented a major European defense industry client in aircraft procurement dispute against governmental entity (Korean law; KCAB arbitration; Seoul seat)
Represented a leading Korean metals manufacturer in defense of a product liability and indemnity claim brought by a U.S. company (CISG and U.S. state law; ICC arbitration; Geneva seat)
Represent a Korean government agency against a major European manufacturer in a naval procurement dispute involving an allegedly defective motor (Korean law; KCAB arbitration; Seoul seat)
Represent a Korean construction conglomerate against a Middle Eastern construction company relating to a delay and disruption claim (English law; ICC arbitration; Singapore seat)
Represent a Korean construction conglomerate in dispute with European electrical engineering conglomerate regarding breaches of a consortium agreement (Swiss law; Singapore seat)
Represent a Korean electric power company in defense of breach of contract claim relating to replacement parts for use in a nuclear power plant (Korean law; KCAB arbitration; Seoul seat)
Represent investors in the first two investor-state treaty disputes involving Korea (ICSID arbitration; Washington, DC seat) (co-counsel)
Represent a Korean can lid manufacturer in a dispute against an Iranian company (Iranian law; KCAB arbitration; Seoul seat)
Represent a Korean machine tool manufacturer in a dispute arising from an exclusive distribution agreement with a US distributor (Korean law; KCAB arbitration; Chicago seat)
Represented a Hong Kong subsidiary of a global electrical appliance manufacturer in a dispute arising from a distribution agreement with a Korean distributor (Australian state law; LCIA arbitration; London seat)
Represented Korean companies in a dispute arising from a share subscription agreement and a share purchase agreement (Korean law; KCAB arbitration; Seoul seat)
Represent Korean conglomerates and other clients in litigations throughout the world; represent foreign (non-Korean) clients in litigation matters in Korea
[WTO∙FTA Trade Dispute∙Trade Remedies]
Advised the Korea Trade Commission in amending the Customs Act of Korea for the introduction of the anti-circumvention regulations
Represented the Korean government in a WTO export control-related dispute between Korea and Japan
Represented a Korean brass rod supplier in an anti-dumping and countervailing duty investigation by the US into brass rods produced in Korea
Represented the Korean government in a countervailing duty investigation by the US into large diameter steel pipes produced in Korea
Represented the Korean government in a countervailing duty investigation by the US into oil country tubular goods produced in Korea
Represented the Korean government in a countervailing duty investigation by the US into cold-rolled steel sheets produced in Korea
Represented the Korean government in a countervailing duty investigation by the US into hot-rolled steel sheets produced in Korea
Represented the Korean government as intervenor in U.S. Court of International Trade proceedings challenging the U.S. Department of Commerce’s final determination in the countervailing duty investigation of Certain Cut-To-Length Carbon-Quality Steel Plate from Korea
Represented the Korean government as intervenor in U.S. Court of International Trade proceedings challenging the U.S. Department of Commerce’s final determination in the countervailing duty investigation of Carbon and Alloy Steel Cut-To-Length Plate from Korea
Provided the Korean government and Korean companies with advice on investigations and lawsuits conducted and instituted around the world in connection with exports produced in Korea
