Herbert Smith Freehills to close Korea office

Herbert Smith Freehills has announced that it will close its office in Seoul, Korea after 10 years. Seoul-based partners Mike McClure and Dana Kim will relocate to London and Hong Kong respectively, from where they will lead a newly launched “Korea Group”. 

“Given the exclusively international nature of our work, we have determined that our clients' interests are now best served by a new approach,” said HSF in a statement.

“The Group, whose members will visit Seoul as required by clients and matters, draws on deep expertise across our international network, including global and Asia energy leaders Lewis McDonald in London and Hilary Lau in Hong Kong.”

HSF has built a roster of Korean public, private, energy and financial sector clients for whom the firm has acted on important cross-border transactions and disputes.

“Our existing and new Korean clients will continue to receive high-quality legal service through this new model of service, and we look forward to maintaining strong local firm relationships,” said the statement.

While some staff in Seoul will relocate to other network offices, others will be leaving the firm.