With the inauguration of President Lee Jae-myung, the so-called 'pro-Lee' and 'progressive' factions in the law firm industry are reportedly gaining attention, as of the 7th. A partner at a large law firm said, 'Whenever the government changes due to presidential elections, it is said that law firms with close connections and friendships with influential figures often take on significant cases.'
Oh Kwang-soo, a representative lawyer at the law firm Dae-ryuk Aju, is being mentioned as a strong candidate for the chief civil affairs official in the current presidential office. Oh is a classmate of President Lee Jae-myung from the 18th Judicial Research and Training Institute. He graduated from Jeonju High School and Sungkyunkwan University Law School, passed the bar exam, and was appointed as a prosecutor. He has served as the head of the second detective division at the Supreme Public Prosecutors' Office and as the head of the special investigation division at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, classifying him as a 'specialist' in that area. After being promoted to chief prosecutor, he served as the head of the Cheongju District Prosecutors' Office and the Daegu District Prosecutors' Office and retired from his role as the director of the Ministry of Justice's Crime Prevention Policy Bureau.
Nam Dong-hwan, a lawyer affiliated with Dae-ryuk Aju, is also a classmate of President Lee Jae-myung at the Judicial Research and Training Institute and shares the same hometown of Andong. He graduated from Andong High School and Seoul National University Law School and has worked at the law firm Aju since 1996. After Aju merged with Dae-ryuk in 2008, he has been working under Dae-ryuk Aju.
The law firm LKB Partners served as the representatives for the National Assembly's impeachment prosecution team in the impeachment case against former President Yoon Seok-youl. On the LKB website, 'presidential impeachment ruling' is introduced as one of the 'representative success cases'.
LKB was founded by Lee Kwang-beom, a former presiding judge at Seoul High Court and a graduate of the 13th Judicial Research and Training Institute. Lee is a founding member of the Progressive Judge Council, which is a gathering of progressive judges within the courts.
LKB is regarded as having grown during the Moon Jae-in administration. During that time, they took on cases such as the scandal involving former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk and the 'Druking' comment manipulation case of former Gyeongsangnam-do Governor Kim Kyeong-soo. Lee Yong-gu, a lawyer who served as Vice Minister of Justice during the Moon Jae-in administration, has been employed at LKB.
LKB also has connections with President Lee Jae-myung. They were part of the legal representation for the appeal in the case related to the alleged forcible hospitalization of the President's 'older brother' concerning the publication of false facts. The President received a ruling of not guilty in the 2020 appeal proceedings for this case, and the not guilty ruling was subsequently finalized. This allowed him to maintain his position as governor of Gyeonggi Province and run for president in 2022.
The law firm Pyeongsan, which recently announced a merger with LKB, is also related to President Lee Jae-myung. Kang Chan-woo, the former head of the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office who founded Pyeongsan, is a classmate of the President from the 18th Judicial Research and Training Institute. Kang served as legal counsel during the investigation of the President's election law violations and during the first trial process. Also, Kim Man-bae, the major shareholder involved in the key Daejang-dong project, has signed a legal advisory contract with Pyeongsan.
Some large law firms are reportedly busy trying to find connections to President Lee Jae-myung. A representative from one large law firm stated, 'Among large corporations that can afford high fees for significant cases, I understand that they are closely observing how many individuals with VIP status and close ties to that law firm there are.'
Another large law firm partner noted, 'President Lee has primarily engaged with regional civil society after becoming a lawyer, and his central political career is not long. Therefore, it is not easy to recruit someone with connections to the President.'
Meanwhile, among law firms, some were referred to as 'pro-Yoon law firms' during the previous administration. Law firm A was representative, made up of former prosecutors who built connections during former President Yoon's time in the prosecution or during his presidency.
A partner from a large law firm said, 'While it is said that law firms rumored to be close to specific governments may see an increase in case commissions in the immediate term, over time, when the government changes, they may find themselves in just the opposite scenario.'