[Invest&Law] Seven Major Law Firms Scale Up Serious Accident Response Teams for Comprehensive Services

Kim & Chang Operates Korea's Largest Response Team
Launched in Early 2021 with Over 160 Members
Lee & Ko Recently Expanded Its Response Center
Recruited Experts Including Former Minister of Employment and Labor
Bae, Kim & Lee Introduces 24/7 "Comprehensive Situation Room" System
Yulchon, Shin & Kim, and HwaWoo Also Operate Response Centers

As the Serious Accidents Punishment Act enters its fourth year of enforcement, demand for legal risk management among companies is increasing. In particular, since last year, the scope of application has expanded to include workplaces with five or more but fewer than fifty employees, leading to a significant rise in the need for on-site response by companies. The seven largest law firms in Korea are upgrading their serious accident response teams, offering comprehensive services ranging from preventive consulting and immediate response after an accident to investigations, trials, and administrative measures.

Teams that have combined traditional expertise in labor, criminal, construction, and environmental law to form "integrated organizations" are drawing attention as legal shields for companies, having achieved tangible results such as non-prosecution, acquittals, and case closures.

According to the legal community on December 17, Kim & Chang operates the largest serious accident response team in Korea. Even before the law took effect, Kim & Chang established its "Serious Accident Response Group" in early 2021, and currently about 160 members are active. The group is centered on the Environment, Health, and Safety (EHS) Team and is structured to combine labor and criminal, construction, HR and labor, and compliance expertise. Key members include attorney Cha Kyunghwan (former chief prosecutor, Judicial Research and Training Institute class 22), Kim Kwangsoo, and Kwon Soonha (classes 25 and 28). Notable achievements include securing non-prosecution decisions in cases where the Chief Safety Officer (CSO) was recognized as a management representative, arguing that mere non-compliance with on-site procedures does not automatically constitute a breach of managerial duty. Another strength is its consulting on building safety and health management systems for more than 250 companies.

Lee & Ko recently expanded its existing "Industrial Safety and Serious Accident Team" into the "Serious Accident Response Center" and reinforced its capabilities by recruiting experts such as former Minister of Employment and Labor Ahn Kyungduk. The firm provides comprehensive legal services, including pre-hearing responses to business suspension orders. It has secured numerous non-prosecution, case closure, and acquittal decisions under the Serious Accidents Punishment Act in various cases such as burial during excavation, electric shock, and falls. The center is led by attorney Kim Hugon (class 25, former chief prosecutor of the Seoul High Prosecutors’ Office) and supported by attorneys Bae Jaeduk and Heo Hoon (classes 26 and 35).

Bae, Kim & Lee (BKL) had operated an industrial safety task force since 2015 and expanded it into the "Serious Accident Response Headquarters" in 2021. BKL was the first in Korea to introduce a "Comprehensive Situation Room" system, operating 24/7, to ensure that criminal and HR/labor experts can be dispatched to the scene immediately in the event of an accident. The firm has achieved case closures or non-prosecution decisions in investigations of fatal accidents at construction sites and also provides virtual accident simulation training. The team, led by Managing Partner Lee Hyungseok (class 21), involves about 150 members. Since its launch, BKL has handled over 400 related advisory and response cases.

Yulchon LLC also preemptively launched its Serious Accident Center before the law took effect in 2021, providing both compliance advisory and accident response. The center consists of about 40 members and is led by Kim Kyungsoo (class 17, former chief of the Central Investigation Department of the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office), with Cho Sangwook and Lee Siwon (class 28) serving as co-directors. Former officials from the Ministry of Employment and Labor and the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency have joined as expert advisors to strengthen practical field expertise. The firm also provides information to corporate practitioners through its YouTube channel "Serious Accident Center TV" (about 290 episodes). Notably, Yulchon achieved the first acquittal for a management representative under the Serious Accidents Punishment Act and has delivered results in various cases.

Shin & Kim launched its Serious Accident Response Center in 2021, with more than 70 experts currently active, and established a "Serious Accident Emergency Response Team" to maintain a 24-hour response system. Led by attorney Jin Hyunil (class 32), the firm has developed and provides its own compliance check consulting based on simulated accidents. Shin & Kim has handled more than 100 related advisory cases and over 70 investigation and trial cases.

HwaWoo established its "Serious Accidents Punishment Act Response Task Force" in November 2020 and has since built an integrated response system, operating sub-units such as a CPR Center and Emergency Response Team. The team consists of about 45 members, including former judges, prosecutors, police investigators, officials from the Ministry of Employment and Labor and the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency, and labor attorneys. The task force is led by attorney Park Chankun (class 33), with Park Sanghoon and Cho Seonguk (classes 16 and 17) as key members. The firm also handled the "Doosung Industry case," known as the first indictment under the Serious Accidents Punishment Act.

Jipyong LLC launched its Industrial Safety and Serious Accident Team in 2021 and expanded it into the "Serious Accident Response Center" in 2022. Led by Senior Advisor Park Sangok (class 11) and Managing Partners Park Jeongsik and Yang Youngtae (classes 20 and 24), the team includes former prosecutors, judges, officials from the Ministry of Employment and Labor, police, and industrial engineering experts. A notable achievement is securing an acquittal by contesting whether a tower crane accident at a shipyard constituted "construction work." The firm handles about 50 fatal accident investigations and advisory cases annually.