Taepyungyang, Haegwang, Shim Joonbo...
A Lineup of High-Profile Legal Representatives
As internal conflicts over management control have erupted within the Kolmar Korea Group (hereafter "Kolmar"), the issue has drawn significant attention not only from the business community but also from the legal sector. What began as a clash between siblings has now escalated into a legal battle between father and son, resulting in a total of three lawsuits related to Kolmar’s management rights. The legal representatives involved in each case are also notable figures.
The first person to take the matter to court was Yoon Sanghyun, Vice Chairman of Kolmar and son of Kolmar Holdings Chairman Yoon Donghan. In an effort to improve Kolmar BNH’s performance, Vice Chairman Yoon requested his younger sister, CEO Yoon Yeowon, to appoint himself and former CJ CheilJedang Vice President Lee Seunghwa as inside directors. When CEO Yoon refused his request, Vice Chairman Yoon filed for an injunction on May 2, seeking court approval to convene an extraordinary shareholders' meeting to restructure the board. This case is being handled by the 21st Civil Division of the Daejeon District Court (Presiding Judge Kim Soonhan). The hearing concluded on June 18, and a decision is expected soon (2025Bihap50014).
After Vice Chairman Yoon filed for court approval to convene an extraordinary shareholders' meeting, CEO Yoon Yeowon responded by filing for an injunction on June 10 against her brother, seeking to prohibit illegal acts. CEO Yoon’s legal team argues that Vice Chairman Yoon’s request to convene an extraordinary shareholders' meeting directly violates the tripartite management agreement and could seriously undermine both Kolmar BNH’s independence and the overall stability of Kolmar Group’s governance structure. This injunction case is being reviewed by the same court division handling Vice Chairman Yoon’s case, with a hearing scheduled for July 2 (2025Kahap50204). Chairman Yoon Donghan is also expected to participate in the proceedings as an auxiliary intervenor.
As the conflict between the siblings intensified, their father, Chairman Yoon Donghan, also took legal action. On May 30, Chairman Yoon filed a lawsuit against his eldest son, Vice Chairman Yoon Sanghyun, seeking the return of shares. He stated, “The gift of shares was made based on the tripartite management agreement, and the current management order is being undermined.” This case is being heard by the 29th Civil Division of the Seoul Central District Court (Presiding Judge Ko Seungil) (2025Gahap11131). The key issues are the legal effect of the “tripartite management agreement” and the “gift contract.” Chairman Yoon’s legal team asserts that the shares Vice Chairman Yoon received constitute a “gift with burden” made in accordance with the original agreement among Chairman Yoon, Vice Chairman Yoon, and CEO Yoon. In contrast, Vice Chairman Yoon’s legal team denies these claims.
At the center of this conflict lies the “tripartite management agreement” signed in 2018. Under this agreement, Chairman Yoon Donghan entrusted Kolmar Korea and Kolmar Holdings to his eldest son, Vice Chairman Yoon Sanghyun, and Kolmar BNH to his eldest daughter, CEO Yoon Yeowon, while he himself coordinated the entire group. The management agreement began to unravel when Kolmar BNH’s performance declined.
Given that this is a management rights dispute at one of Korea’s leading cosmetics manufacturing and pharmaceutical companies, the legal representatives involved are also drawing attention. The lawsuit filed by Chairman Yoon Donghan against his eldest son, Vice Chairman Yoon Sanghyun, seeking the return of shares, is being handled by attorney Shim Joonbo (age 59, Judicial Research and Training Institute class 20). Attorney Shim retired with honors in February 2025 after serving as Director of Judicial Support at the National Court Administration and as a presiding judge at the Seoul High Court.
During his career, Attorney Shim handled major corporate cases on appeal, including the Kolon Life Science Invossa research grant recovery lawsuit, the 210 billion won gift tax appeal involving the late Shin Kyukho, Honorary Chairman of Lotte, and the 100 billion won corporate tax cancellation lawsuit involving Samsung SDS.
Vice Chairman Yoon Sanghyun and Kolmar Holdings are represented by law firm Bae, Kim & Lee (Taepyungyang) for all lawsuits. The injunction case filed by CEO Yoon Yeowon to prohibit illegal acts is being handled primarily by attorney Yeom Hojun (age 52, class 29). Attorney Yeom previously served as a presiding judge at the Gwangju District Court, a senior research fellow at the Judicial Policy Research Institute, and a presiding judge at the Intellectual Property Division of the Seoul Central District Court.
CEO Yoon Yeowon is represented by law firms Haegwang and Gihyun. Haegwang is handling the injunction case CEO Yoon filed against her brother, Vice Chairman Yoon. Attorney Lee Wanhee (age 57, class 27) is participating in this case; he previously served as a presiding judge at the Changwon District Court and as a high court judge at the Seoul High Court. Haegwang is a prominent “former judge” law firm based in Seocho-dong’s legal district, and has proven its capabilities by successfully defending Lee Jaeyong, Chairman of Samsung Electronics, in cases related to unfair mergers and accounting fraud. Gihyun specializes in corporate advisory services and represented CEO Yoon in the injunction case filed by Vice Chairman Yoon seeking to convene an extraordinary shareholders' meeting.
An Jaemyung, Law Times Reporter
※This article is based on content supplied by Law Times.
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