Bae, Kim & Lee – The first Korean law firm to operate in Middle East

From left to right: Jason H. J, Attorney at Law- BKL;  Yangho Oh, Chief Operation Partner at BKL; HE Essa Kazim, Governor, DIFC; Kim Kap-You (Kevin), Managing Partner at BKL's Dubai office.

Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), the financial and business gateway between the Middle East, Africa and Asia, today welcomed the first Korean law firm  – Bae, Kim & Lee (BKL) LLC – into its premises in the presence of Yangho Oh, Chief Operation Partner at BKL LLC, as well as senior partners of the firm-Kap You (Kevin) Kim and Ghun Chul Do.

Leading Korean attorney Hyun Jong (Jason) Kim heads the Dubai operation that aims to deliver high quality legal consultation to Korean companies investing in the MEA region and to countries and companies in the Middle East that are keen to invest in Korea and in the far eastern countries.

The United Arab Emirates is currently home to 160 Korean companies and a 13,000-strong Korean workforce. 

His Excellency Essa Kazim, Governor of the Dubai Financial Centre, said, “It’s a great pleasure and honour to welcome our first Korea-based law firm to the DIFC. The establishment of their corporate office here is a positive step in terms of expanding DIFC’s sophisticated portfolio of services and will significantly boost our position as the leading regional financial and business hub. Notably, their presence will help enhance our delivery of world-class legal and regulatory expertise for ensuring the stability of businesses operating out of the hub and the wider region.”

On behalf of the law firm, Yangho Oh, Chief Operation Partner at BKL LLC, said, “As the first Korean Law firm in Middle East, we look forward to providing value added service to clients in the construction, energy, and natural resources domains. We will also play an active role in international arbitration on behalf of our clients in the markets that we target in the region.”

Kevin Kim, Managing Partner of BKL LLC – Dubai, said,“We are confident that the DIFC arbitration centre and DIFC court are fast emerging as the regional hub for dispute resolution in the Middle East. As a contributing and proactive member of the DIFC community, we look forward to BKL playing an important role in dispute management in the Middle East.”

In addition to the Dubai office, BKL plans to open overseas offices in Vietnam (Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City) and Hong Kong in the first half of 2015.