[Law Firm Now] Kim & Chang, Largest Law Firm's 'Trade Secrets and Corporate Information Protection Group' in Focus

Formation of a Dedicated 'Trade Secret Case Team' with Over 150 Experts
Providing Comprehensive Services Including Trade Secret Leakage and Information Protection Consulting

Kim & Chang Law Office Trade Secrets and Corporate Information Protection Group.
Photo by Kim & Chang

As cases of trade secrets and corporate information leaks increase, there is a growing trend of these disputes escalating into civil and criminal litigation. The Supreme Court Sentencing Commission is also working on revising sentencing guidelines for technology leakage crimes, and courts are currently discussing raising sentencing standards for intellectual property crimes.

In this context, Kim & Chang Law Office, which has the largest trade secrets and corporate information protection group among domestic law firms, is gaining attention. Kim & Chang was the first domestic law firm to proactively establish a dedicated trade secrets team in 2009, and currently operates the largest trade secrets and corporate information protection group in Korea, consisting of over 150 experts.

The Kim & Chang trade secrets and corporate information protection group is composed not only of specialized lawyers with extensive experience handling technology leakage cases from backgrounds in courts, prosecution, and police, but also talents with deep understanding and broad experience in law, technology, and industry.

Additionally, patent attorneys affiliated with Kim & Chang, who possess expertise across various industries and technologies, actively collaborate with lawyers, resulting in a high level of technical understanding throughout the team and consequently a well-established reputation for excellent client satisfaction. In particular, the Kim & Chang trade secrets and corporate information protection group has secured experts with experience in related agencies such as the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the Fair Trade Commission, and the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, providing comprehensive services.

Trade secret-related disputes arise in various forms, including acquisition of competitors’ trade secrets through multiple channels, trade secret leaks or non-compete issues during employee transitions, trade secret leaks or acquisitions through partners or clients, trade secret leaks arising from contractual relationships such as licenses, joint development, consignment production, and confidentiality agreements, as well as overseas disputes such as those involving the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) and forensic investigation tasks.

Accordingly, the Kim & Chang trade secrets and corporate information protection group not only handles typical civil and criminal cases related to trade secret leaks and infringements but also has experience in evidence investigation and digital forensics. From an industry perspective, their experience spans semiconductors, automobiles, chemicals, bio, healthcare, machinery, and construction, enabling them to provide advice based on a rich understanding of fundamental industrial structures, which is one of Kim & Chang’s greatest assets. They also offer consulting on disputes related to employee transitions, non-compete, or confidentiality from hiring to resignation, as well as trade secret and information protection and security system establishment.

Recently, overseas disputes involving domestic companies or against domestic companies have become frequent, and Kim & Chang has successfully concluded numerous international disputes. In U.S. disputes, discovery allows for evidence investigation, making evidence collection through litigation relatively easier than in Korea, so early case strategy and response are crucial. Kim & Chang is optimized for overseas disputes, possessing extensive experience collaborating with foreign law firms and the manpower and capability to conduct independent analyses across various fields.