As collective lawsuits involving companies such as Coupang, SK Telecom, and franchise stores are gaining momentum, and discussions on expanding punitive damages are also underway, law firms are moving to reorganize collective litigation as an independent area of work. With a growing number of cases automating repetitive work such as organizing evidence through AI platforms, the response to collective lawsuits is expanding beyond one-off case handling to the establishment of a permanent preparedness system.
Improving Collective Lawsuit Management Efficiency with AI
Collective lawsuits often involve at least several hundred plaintiffs, which places a heavy burden on law firm staff to verify and organize participant information one by one. As a result, there are ongoing efforts to automate repetitive work in collective litigation.
Law firm One jointly developed a "collective litigation AI platform" with legal tech company A2D2. A2D2 began development in mid-December 2025 and completed the initial system build.
The primary objective of the platform is to reduce the burden on attorneys and staff for data verification and correction, thereby improving work efficiency.
To achieve this, the platform automatically converts data entered by lawsuit participants into structured files such as Excel, which are required for court submission. The AI automatically filters out evidence submitted in incorrect formats. Using Vision Language Model (VLM) technology, the platform automatically compares the resident registration numbers entered by participants with the numbers in their ID card photos to ensure they match. All submitted information is transmitted via 256-bit SSL encrypted communication and is used solely for the purpose of litigation.
In addition, if uploaded materials do not meet the requirements of the case, immediate messages such as "The name in My Page does not match the name you entered" or "This does not appear to be a screenshot from Coupang My Page. Please capture and upload the 'My Information Management' screen from the Coupang App" are displayed. This preemptively blocks the submission of inappropriate materials and reduces the burden of repeated corrections during the review process.
Seunghyun Kong, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of A2D2, stated, "We are considering expanding the application of this service beyond one-off use for specific cases, to multiple law firms and various collective lawsuits." In the future, A2D2 is also considering the phased introduction of simple authentication methods such as PASS or payment functions via credit card to improve participant convenience.
Establishing a Dedicated System for Collective Lawsuits
On February 25, law firm LKB Pyongsan launched a "Collective Litigation Center" comprised of about 20 attorneys. Led by Managing Attorney Woonggul Yoon (Judicial Research and Training Institute Class 21), the center includes former chief judges and chief prosecutors, who are dedicated to analyzing case issues and establishing litigation strategies.
Previously, on January 29, the firm opened a dedicated website where users can check the status of ongoing collective lawsuits in one place, such as the Coupang personal information leak, SKT USIM hacking, and the delay in registering Buk Suwon Jaie Rexvia. The site is also used to gauge interest in collective lawsuits regarding franchise price difference fees and damages resulting from sugar and flour price-fixing collusion.
As of now, the cumulative amount claimed in LKB Pyongsan’s Coupang personal information leak case stands at 3,099,000,000 won. Of approximately 6,500 applicants, collective lawsuits have been filed for 6,195 people in four rounds, and additional participants are still being recruited.
Some firms are cooperating with related organizations. Law firm Doa is preparing a collective lawsuit on franchise price difference fees based on a business agreement with the franchise owners’ association. In mid-March, around 1,000 Mega Coffee franchisees and about 250 The Venti franchisees are expected to participate in the lawsuit.
Forecast for Expansion of Collective Lawsuits
Law firms expect that the demand for collective lawsuits will structurally increase going forward. Changhwan Park (Class 37), attorney at One, stated, "The possibility of bringing together small-scale victims has increased due to real-time information sharing via social media and the development of legal tech, and the growing discussion around punitive damages aimed at strengthening corporate accountability is further accelerating this demand."
Tae Won Jung (Class 33), head of the LKB Pyongsan Collective Litigation Center, said, "We have determined that focusing on the social significance of cases and providing practical remedies to a large number of small-scale victims can, in the long term, help law firms accumulate expertise and trust, thereby strengthening brand value and revenue base."
Reporter Hayoun Seo, Legal Times
※This article is based on content supplied by Law Times.
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