We regularly share our perspectives on the most recent developments in IP law and practice.
NEWS
FirstLaw P.C. Earns Top Honors Across Leading Global IP Directories in 2026 FirstLaw P.C. is proud to announce that the firm has once again been recognized as one of South Korea's premier intellectual property practices, securing top-tier rankings across the world's most respected IP directories and rankings for 2026. The accolades span the full breadth of the firm's practice—patents, trademarks, and litigation—and reflect the consistent quality and dedication our professionals bring to clients around the world. Chambers and Partners 2026 In both the Chambers Global 2026 and Chambers Asia-Pacific 2026 guides, FirstLaw P.C. was ranked in Band 1 for Intellectual Property: Patent Specialists (South Korea)—the highest tier of recognition Chambers awards, reaffirming the firm's standing among the elite of Korea's patent specialists. IAM Patent 1000 2026 IAM Patent 1000, the definitive global guide to patent expertise, recognized FirstLaw P.C. across multiple categories: l Gold — Patent Prosecution l Recommended — Patent Transactions l Bronze — Patent Litigation IAM noted that for nearly four decades, FirstLaw has been a mainstay on the South Korean IP scene, working primarily with foreign clients in prosecution, litigation, and commercialization while also handling complex matters for leading domestic names. Eight of the firm's professionals were named recommended individuals: managing partner Kwang Hun Choi, Won Sang Lee and Hyun-Sil Lee (chemistry, biology and pharmaceuticals), Sejeong Son, recognized for her work with Japanese clientele in chemical, biotech and pharmaceutical matters, Hyoun Ja Park and Jinwon Chun (IT and electrical), Hwa Kyun Lee and Youngmin Park (mechanical). World Trademark Review (WTR 1000) 2026 On the trademark side, WTR 1000 awarded FirstLaw P.C.: l Gold — Trademark Prosecution and Strategy l Silver — Trademark Enforcement and Litigation WTR highlighted FirstLaw as a compelling option for brand owners seeking multidimensional advice, with one source describing the firm as the best they had worked with in Korea. Three practitioners earned individual recognition: trademark practice head Jeong Won Lee, praised for her strategic, responsive counsel and deep knowledge of MOIP practice; division co-leader Jiyeong Yi, who advises clients of all sizes across prosecution, monetization and dispute resolution; and rising star Junyoung Cho, recognized for handling complex trademark and design matters. Managing IP / IP STARS 2026 FirstLaw P.C. continues to be recognized by Managing Intellectual Property (IP STARS), which ranked the firm across three categories for 2026: l Tier 1 — Patent Prosecution l Tier 2 — Trademark Prosecution l Tier 3 — Patent Disputes A Continued Commitment to Excellence These recognitions across four of the most authoritative IP directories underscore FirstLaw P.C.'s position as a first-tier intellectual property firm in Korea. Since our founding in 1988, we have grown to a team of more than 60 IP professionals supported by approximately 120 engineers and staff. We thank our clients and colleagues for their continued trust, and we remain committed to delivering personalized, high-quality service across every area of intellectual property law.
June 15, 2026
NEWS
🏆 Congratulations to our attorneys recognized in the IAM Patent 1000 2026!We're proud to share that eight FirstLaw PC partners have been individually named as Recommended Individuals in the 2026 edition of the IAM Patent 1000 — South Korea.Thank you to our clients and associates for your continued trust. This recognition reflects the dedication of our entire team across prosecution, litigation, and transactions.View full IAM Patent 1000 profile
June 09, 2026
NEWS
🏆 FirstLaw P.C. has been recognized in the IAM Patent 1000 2026! For nearly 40 years, FirstLaw has been a mainstay on the South Korean IP scene, serving multinational clients in semiconductors, electronics, mechanics, chemistry, and pharmaceuticals. We are delighted to share that we have been recognized across all three practice areas covered by the 2026 edition of IAM Patent 1000 - Gold in Prosecution, Bronze in Litigation, and Recommended in Transactions. In addition, 8 of our attorneys were recognized this year as Recommended Individuals. Thank you to our clients and friends for your continued trust.View full IAM Patent 1000 profile
June 09, 2026
NEWS
Jinwon ChunWe are proud to share that Managing IP recently featured an exclusive interview with Jinwon Chun, a partner in our Electrical/IT Group, in their "Five Minutes With..." series. In this insightful piece, Jinwon reflects on his own journey in IP practice, emphasizing the importance of strategic client partnerships and international perspective in today’s globalized legal market. The article shows a glimpse of why FirstLaw was recognized as South Korea Patent Prosecution Firm of the Year at the 2024 Global IP Awards, reinforcing our longstanding reputation for uncompromising quality and commitment to our clients. We invite you to read the full article here.
May 02, 2025
NEWS
Kye Young Lee Ms. Kye Young Lee, one of our partners in the Electrical/IT Group, was honored with the Prime Minister's Commendation at the 61st Trade Day ceremony held on December 5, 2024. Hosted by the Korea International Trade Association, this event recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to the growth and promotion of Korean trade. The Commendation acknowledged Ms. Lee’s outstanding tenure as a commissioner of the Korea Trade Commission, where she leveraged her wide range of experiences and expertise in intellectual property rights to mitigate damages arising from unfair international trade practices (Related Link).
December 06, 2024
NEWS
We are thrilled to announce that FirstLaw P.C. was named the “South Korea Patent Prosecution Firm of the Year” at the Global IP Awards 2024, held on October 17 at the St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel in London. The Global IP Awards, launched in 2019, recognize excellence in litigation, prosecution, and transactional IP services based on extensive research done by Intellectual Asset Management (IAM) and World Trademark Review (WTR) for the IAM Patent 1000 and WTR 1000 surveys. FirstLaw P.C.’s achievement is a culmination of a year in which the Firm maintained its IAM Patent 1000 gold tier status for patent prosecution, bronze tier status for IP litigation, and recommended tier status for IP transactions. Further, Hyoun Ja Park and Hwa-Kyun Lee, who lead our electrical/IT group and mechanical groups, respectively, were named Global IP Leaders, headlining the six individuals recognized by IAM Patent 1000 for their professional excellence.For more details on the awards and a full list of this year’s winners, please see the related article. ※ IAM Global Leaders 2024 (Link) Hyoun Ja Park Hwa-Kyun Lee ※Recommended Individuals (Link) Kwang Hun Choi Hyun-Sil Lee Sejong Son Jinwon Chun
October 21, 2024
