Watson Farley & Williams (WFW) has opened its fifth Asian office in Seoul with the hiring of duo Eugene Chang and Philip Kim as partners to focus on maritime, aviation, energy and dispute work.
Chang was previously a partner at K&L Gates for almost five years and Kim was a senior associate at Herbert Smith Freehills for more than five years. Both have been based in the city since joining their previous firms.
“Our new Seoul office represents a real game-changer for our Asia-Pacific projects practice, giving us a presence on the ground in one of the region’s most dynamic and active markets in the sector,” said Linh Doan, WFW Asia projects and corporate group head in Hanoi.
WFW senior partner George Paleokrassas in New York added that having an office in Seoul is crucial to maintaining and growing the firm’s Korean business and key for boosting integration across our other offices in Asia.
“With South Korea having one of the strongest economies in Asia and being one of the largest shipbuilding nations in the world, as well as a renewed focus on energy transition, there has never been a better time for WFW to open in Seoul,” said Paleokrassas.
Chang’s practice focuses on cross-border energy and infrastructure project developments, structured and project financing, and M&A, with expertise in conventional and renewable power projects.
He has significant experience in representing lenders and borrowers in various cross-border financing schemes. As a registered foreign legal consultant in Korea, Chang has notably represented many major Korean developers and sponsors, including the Korea Development Bank, KEPCO, POSCO, SK, Hanwha and Hyundai Heavy Industry for their outbound energy projects.
Meanwhile, Kim is an international arbitration practitioner with expertise in post-M&A, technology and public international law disputes. He has established strong relationships with several major Korean companies, with key clients in the energy, insurance and technology sectors.
