Leeje Law Firm Achieves 10 Billion KRW in Revenue in 10 Years

Expertise of a Large Firm,
Agility of a Boutique
"A Law Firm Like Switzerland: Small but Strong"

Law Firm Leeje was established in 2015 by three partner lawyers who had long been responsible for fair trade, labor and employment, and mergers and acquisitions (M&A) at Kim & Chang. At the time, the founders of Leeje believed that the domestic legal market was divided between large law firms and firms located in the Seocho-dong legal district of Seoul. Clients were demanding reasonable fees, prompt service, and practical solutions that would help them make real decisions, rather than ambiguous answers. However, there was a lack of law firms that could serve as a bridge in the middle ground of this polarized market. Leeje decided to target this gap. As a result, the firm has seen steady revenue growth over the past ten years without any setbacks. In 2024, its annual revenue surpassed 10 billion KRW. Kwon Kukhyun (age 54, Judicial Research and Training Institute class 28), the managing partner, stated, "I believe this is the result of our efforts to stay true to the basics," adding, "The expertise and capabilities of our members are on par with those of large law firms."

Law Firm Leeje Kwon Kukhyun (left) Representative Lawyer, Lawyer Kim Munseong Photo by Baek Seonghyun, Legal News Reporter

Leeje currently has 21 Korean attorneys, 2 New York State attorneys, and 5 advisors and specialists. The firm provides integrated services in litigation, public procurement, fair trade, and labor and employment, thanks to the addition of litigation experts who previously served as Supreme Court research judges and specialists from the Public Procurement Service. Managing partner Kwon explained, "Rather than focusing on short-term or superficial growth, we have recruited lawyers and experts who share our commitment to delivering quality legal services."

Unlike other law firms of similar size that primarily adopt a 'separate profit-sharing system,' Leeje operates under a 'one firm' system, similar to large law firms. The firm aims to provide comprehensive legal services, not just boutique offerings. Managing partner Kwon likened large law firms to the United States and Leeje to Switzerland, emphasizing that Leeje is a 'small but strong law firm' offering high-quality products and high value-added services, much like Switzerland. He stated, "Our goal is to grow into a comprehensive law firm that provides the most efficient legal services and one-stop solutions."

Leeje's greatest strength lies in its ability to quickly assemble experts in the fields clients need, facilitating immediate discussion and response. Kim Munseong (age 53, class 30), an attorney at the firm, explained, "We handle work in the style of large law firms but move with agility," adding, "We have simplified the communication structure between lawyers and clients, enabling swift and efficient decision-making." He also noted, "We aim for a flexible organization, similar to the 'No Rules Rule' culture at Netflix."

Recently, Leeje strengthened its expertise in fair trade by recruiting Cho Hongseon, former Vice Chairman of the Korea Fair Trade Commission. Attorney Kim Munseong, who previously served as a Supreme Court research judge (presiding judge), has also been serving as a non-standing commissioner of the Fair Trade Commission since 2024. In a collusion case involving a children's educational content development company, Leeje secured a non-prosecution decision at the Fair Trade Commission stage. In both the animal feed collusion case and the auto parts company collusion case, the firm obtained not-guilty verdicts in court.

The litigation team has also proven its capabilities. The team attracted attention in the construction industry by securing a provisional injunction that suspended the effect of debt assumption based on a completion guarantee. The labor team won a case representing a major home shopping company in a dispute over whether freelance show hosts should be classified as employees.

Marking its 10th anniversary, Leeje has restructured its compensation system so that, instead of distributing dividends based on equity, greater rewards are given to those who make significant contributions in a given year. The firm also introduced a junior partner system, granting new titles to five associate lawyers. Managing partner Kwon stated, "The ultimate goal of our internal changes and new systems is to foster a strong organizational culture," adding, "I want to leave behind a culture where experts can quickly collaborate and respond."

Han Suhyeon, Legal News Reporter

※This article is based on content supplied by Law Times.

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