Rotok "Bar Association Disciplinary Action Loses Legitimacy... Will Pursue Legal Responsibility to the End"

Outdoor advertisement of the legal platform 'Lotok' in Seoul subway stations.
[Photo by Ro&Company]

[Asia Economy Reporter Junhyung Lee] Law platform operator Law&Company, which runs 'Lotoc', pointed out that "the disciplinary actions against Lotoc member lawyers by the Korean Bar Association have lost their legitimacy."

Law&Company made this statement at a press conference held on the 4th. The press conference was organized to announce the recent police investigation results, which ruled the Lotoc service as 'legal,' and the company's future plans.

Lee Jong-yeop, president of the Bar Association, and Kim Jung-wook, president of the Seoul Bar Association, reported Law&Company to the police in November 2020 on charges of violating the Attorney-at-Law Act. However, the police issued a non-prosecution decision at the end of last month, finding all allegations against Lotoc to be 'unfounded.' Jung Jae-sung, vice president of Law&Company, stated, "The Bar Association created internal regulations last May to discipline lawyers registered with Lotoc based on the premise that Lotoc was an illegal platform. With this non-prosecution decision reaffirming Lotoc's legality, the legitimacy of those disciplinary regulations has been completely lost."

With this police decision, Lotoc has received its third non-prosecution ruling from investigative authorities. Previously, the Seoul Bar Association and the Bar Association had reported Lotoc for violating the Attorney-at-Law Act, but Law&Company was cleared without charges in both 2015 and 2017.

Law&Company demanded the suspension of disciplinary actions by the Bar Association. Vice President Jung said, "(The Bar Association) must retract the false claims that stigmatize the Lotoc service as an illegal platform," adding, "We also demand the suspension of disciplinary actions against lawyers using Lotoc, whose legitimacy has been lost." He further warned, "From this moment on, anyone who claims Lotoc is an illegal platform must be prepared to take legal responsibility for such statements," and added, "We will hold accountable all acts that spread false information, damage reputation, or obstruct legitimate business activities."

Additionally, Vice President Jung stated, "Law&Company will continue steadfastly with the determination to provide better services to lawyers and the public," and "We will actively engage in dialogue with the Bar Association to explore ways to expand the legal service market."

Meanwhile, the Fair Trade Commission recently ruled that the Bar Association's internal regulations disciplining lawyers registered on legal platforms like Lotoc violate the Fair Trade Act and the Act on Labeling and Advertising. The Fair Trade Commission also dismissed the Bar Association's report against Law&Company for 'false and exaggerated advertising' as baseless, issuing a 'no charge' decision in November last year.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.