Sungwoo Lee
Practice Areas
Key Achievements
Finance, Insurance & Securities
- •Subordinated Debt Investor Sues Samhwa, Cheil, Shilla Savings Bank, and Others
- •Investor lawsuits against Dongyang (now YUANTA) securities, including Dongyang Group CPs and corporate bonds.
- •Value Invest Korea (VIK) Investment Victim Lawsuit
- •Lawsuits by investors in VIK-related privately held companies (such as VIK Holdings)
- •Litigation Against Securities Firms and Banks Related to Lime Funds
- •Litigating trade finance-related financial investment products, including TA insurance.
- •Homeplus All-Shareholder Trust Bond (ABSTB) Investor Lawsuit
- •Investor Lawsuit for Unauthorized Shares of Fibbert Group Unlisted Shares (Indong 3, etc.)
- •Advising banks and securities firms on financial investment products and financial litigation in general and dispute resolution.
Construction & Real Estate
- •Complaint and litigation against banks and securities companies regarding Aegis Global Real Estate Investment Trust No.229 (Trianon Building, Germany) fund
- •Complaints and lawsuits against banks and securities companies related to Aegis Global Real Estate Investment Trust No. 204 (Nestlé Headquarters Building, Barcelona, Spain) fund
Corporate Advisory
- •Company-related lawsuits, such as injunctions against shareholder meetings, service of process, etc.
Intellectual Property
- •Unfair competition law claims, including trade secret infringement
General Civil Litigation
- •Product defect lawsuits
Track Record
[Attorney Sungwoo Lee] Awarded for Outstanding Legal Support for SMEs by the Ministry of Justice
Lee Seong-woo, an attorney at Hanbyul Law Firm (LLP), received a commendation from the Ministry of Justice for meritorious service in providing legal support to small and medium-sized enterprises. We hereby announce this.
1/7/2025
[Sung Woo Lee] Awarded the Outstanding Lawyer Award of the Korean Bar Association
The Korean Bar Association awards quarterly Excellent Lawyer Awards in areas such as justice and human rights, enhancing the standing of lawyers, exemplary advocacy, legal system reform and cultural improvement, and public interest activities. Attorney Lee Seong-woo of Hanbyeol law firm received this quarter's Excellent Lawyer Award.
11/12/2023
Related News
[Herald Square] We need to improve the legal fee guarantee system.
Lawyer Lee Sung-woo (Law Firm Hanbyul) argues for the need to supplement the litigation cost guarantee system
1/9/2026
Attorney Lee Seong-woo of Hanbyul Law Firm Receives Commendation from Minister of Justice
Attorney Lee Seong-woo receives Minister of Justice commendation for SME legal support
1/8/2025
[Attorney Lee Sung-woo] Koryo Zinc Shareholder Litigation
Law firm Hanbyeol (attorney Lee Seong-woo) announced on the 5th that it will pursue damages lawsuits against Korea Zinc’s CEO and directors who led decisions on the company’s share buyback and rights offering. The firm said alleged illicit trading led shareholders who relied on the buyback to suffer losses and is preparing suits focused on investors who bought shares between the 5th and the 29th of last month—those covered under the Capital Markets Act’s damages provision—and will consider suing Mirae Asset Securities and KB Securities if the Financial Supervisory Service’s on-site investigations confirm wrongdoing.
11/6/2024
[Lee Sungwoo] Interviewed by JTBC about a private equity fund for a New York hotel fund
According to JTBC, KB Securities' internal documents listed 'refinancing' as a risk for the New York hotel fund, warning that if property values fall local banks might not honor loan takeout commitments, making repayment difficult. However, the investor-facing product brochure omitted this risk and described the mezzanine product as a 'stable structure', raising concerns that significant risks were concealed from investors.
9/5/2024
[Attorney Sungwoo Lee] "I make a lot of money consulting on real estate... Real estate agents...
Attorney Lee Sung-woo said the ruling could be a turning point to change the practice of charging far above statutory brokerage fees under the name of real estate consulting, and the head of the Korea Association of Realtors pointed out that consulting and brokerage are entirely different and many firms have been effectively conducting brokerage under a consulting label. They expressed hope that this decision will curb unlawful excessive fees and help strengthen the rights and interests of licensed realtors.
12/19/2023
Qualifications
- Korean Bar (Korean Bar Association, Seoul District Bar Association)
- Pass the 45th Bar Exam
Education
- Graduated from Sungkyunkwan University School of Law
Professional Career
- Bank of Korea Research Station
- Graduated from the 35th Judicial Institute
- Apex Attorneys at Law
- Law firm member attorneys
- Bar Council of England and Wales exchange programs (BPP Law school training, Monckton Chambers pupillage, etc.)
- B&B Cheonjapyeongseok Committee
Publications
- Thesis
- Law Review No. 3799, December 7, 2009, "Validity of Insolvency Termination Clauses
- Financial Law Review, Vol. 10, No. 1, 2013 'A Study on Civil Remedies for Victims of Telecommunications Financial Fraud'
- Books
- The Complete Guide to the Law of the Land (2021, Goodland Publishing)
- Legal and Accounting Guide for Small Businesses (2025, Goodland Publishing)
- Sanghoon
- 2014 Department of Justice Award for Outstanding Achievement in Small Business Legal Assistance
- Korean Bar Association Outstanding Lawyer Award (Exemplary Advocacy), 2023
- 2024 Department of Justice Award for Outstanding Achievement in Small Business Legal Assistance