A Large Team of Former Judges Specializing in Criminal Trials
On February 5, law firm Sejong announced that it has launched a dedicated Corporate Criminal Litigation Team to provide professional and systematic responses to criminal cases involving corporate executives and employees.
(From left, clockwise) Changyeong, Choi Hansun, Kang Munkyung, Do Huntae, Ha Taehun and Kim Sejong, attorneys. Sejong
Criminal cases involving corporate executives and employees do not end with criminal punishment of individuals. Under the dual liability provisions, a corporation may face criminal liability, as well as substantial employer liability, bidding restrictions, and various other regulatory risks. In addition, disclosures and media reports can damage corporate image, thereby having a significant impact on overall corporate management.
In particular, in corporate criminal cases, responses at the early stages of investigation often determine the outcome, and a deep understanding of complex facts and legal principles is essential. Against this backdrop, Sejong has launched the Corporate Criminal Litigation Team, centering on former judges with extensive experience in criminal trials. The firm aims to significantly strengthen its capabilities to respond throughout the entire process, from the investigation stage through criminal litigation.
The Corporate Criminal Litigation Team is led by Attorney Choi Changyoung (24th class of the Judicial Research and Training Institute), who has long been recognized for his high level of expertise in criminal litigation. Attorney Choi served as Presiding Judge of a Criminal Division at the Seoul Central District Court, Criminal Policy Officer and Director General for Information Management at the National Court Administration, and Presiding Judge at the Daejeon High Court, before founding law firm Haekwang and serving as its managing partner. He has successfully handled numerous major criminal cases, including securing acquittals on charges of violating the Capital Markets Act while representing heads of major domestic conglomerates.
The team also includes Attorney Choi Hansun (27th class of the Judicial Research and Training Institute), who handled numerous criminal cases while exclusively overseeing fair trade and labor cases at the Seoul High Court; Attorney Kang Munkyung (28th class), a former High Court Judge at the Seoul High Court who is well versed in criminal cases across the entire spectrum of public law, including fair trade, tax, and labor; Attorney Kim Sejong (30th class), who served as Criminal Judicial Policy Officer at the National Court Administration and as Head of the Sentencing Commission Secretariat at the Supreme Court; Attorney Ha Taeheon (33rd class), the only attorney in Korea with both medical and Presiding Judge experience, who served as High Court Judge at the Seoul High Court and as Judicial Researcher at the Supreme Court, and has built an outstanding track record in numerous capital markets, virtual asset, and corporate crime cases; and Attorney Do Huntae (33rd class), an expert in tax-related criminal cases who served as Judicial Researcher and Head of the Tax Division at the Supreme Court. These attorneys will form the core of the team and lead its day-to-day practice.
In addition, many litigation attorneys with extensive court experience in various disputes are part of the team, including Managing Partner Jung Jin-ho (20th class), who oversees Sejong’s litigation practice; Attorney Kim Yongho (25th class), who has handled numerous criminal cases related to construction and urban redevelopment projects; Attorney Cho Chanyoung (29th class), a former High Court Judge at the Seoul High Court; Attorney Kwon Sunyoul (31st class); Attorney Yoon Jootak (33rd class), who served as a judge at the Patent Court and as a High Court Judge in the Intellectual Property Division of the Seoul High Court; and Attorney Lee Jinhee (35th class), a pharmaceutical expert and former Patent Court judge who graduated from the College of Pharmacy and Graduate School of Pharmacy at Seoul National University and obtained a Ph.D. in law from the Seoul National University School of Law with a dissertation on pharmaceutical inventions. Also included is Attorney Seo Youngho (35th class), a former judge of a Criminal Division at the Seoul Central District Court and Judicial Researcher at the Supreme Court, who majored in environmental law at Seoul National University. Furthermore, Attorneys Cho Jooyeon (33rd class), Kim Taeseung (3rd bar exam), and Kim Sungjin (43rd class), who have served at the prosecution, police, and the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, as well as Attorney Lee Minhyeon (44th class), who has experience handling numerous major corporate finance and corporate criminal cases, will join the team to create strong synergies.
Based on this manpower, Sejong’s Corporate Criminal Litigation Team plans to respond to all types of criminal cases related to corporations, including: property crimes (such as breach of trust, embezzlement, and fraud); capital markets-related crimes (such as market manipulation and unfair trading involving the use of undisclosed information); tax and financial crimes and industrial property crimes (such as violations of the Unfair Competition Prevention Act and infringement of trade secrets); corruption crimes (such as bribery and acceptance of breach-of-trust benefits); crimes in new business areas (such as virtual asset-related cases); safety and regulatory crimes (such as violations of the Serious Accidents Punishment Act and the Industrial Safety and Health Act); competition law and election crimes (such as violations of the Monopoly Regulation and Fair Trade Act and the Public Official Election Act); medical and pharmaceutical-related crimes (such as receipt of rebates); and environmental crimes (such as violations of food sanitation and environmental laws).
Managing Partner Oh Jonghan of Sejong stated, "Corporate criminal cases go beyond simple criminal disputes and are directly linked to a company’s very existence and management stability," adding, "Sejong’s Corporate Criminal Litigation Team will do its utmost to minimize companies’ criminal risks through strategic responses that accurately identify the essence of each case, from the early stages of investigation through criminal trial."
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