Lee International

What Lee International does

Lee International is a Seoul-headquartered intellectual property law firm founded in 1961, described in its own materials as one of the largest internationally-recognized IP law firms in Korea. It provides a full suite of IP legal services — patent prosecution (covering patents, utility models, designs, patent term extensions, and plant variety rights), opinions and counseling, IPTAB proceedings, IP litigation, trademark protection, IP transactions and licensing, and patent searches — to enterprise clients whose inventions span electronics, life sciences, machinery, information and communication technology, and chemistry. The firm complements this general IP practice with a specialized IP TechCenter covering seven narrow technology sectors: Semiconductor Materials, Semiconductor Equipment, Semiconductor Devices, AI/Information Convergence, Secondary Battery, Displays, and Medical Devices.

The firm employs 51–100 professionals and operates from a single Seoul headquarters on the 14th floor of the Poongsan Building in Seodaemun-gu. Its public website is offered in Korean, English, Japanese, and Chinese, indicating a posture toward cross-border clients seeking Korean IP protection, although formal operating geographies are listed as Korea. Marketing and client development are conducted primarily through content channels — publications, newsletters, an IP news board, and the IP TechCenter resource hub — rather than paid acquisition.

Revenue is generated through professional service fees on a per-matter basis, with engagement pricing determined by client requirements, matter complexity, and scope; no pricing is publicly disclosed. Distribution is direct: clients contact the firm by phone, fax, email, or an online contact form. The firm is privately held and independently operated with no parent company or institutional investor disclosed in the source materials, and it maintains GDPR compliance (privacy notice last updated 23 May 2018) and SSL certification on its web properties.

Name

Lee International

Legal name

Lee International IP & Law

Website

https://leeinternational.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1961

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Lee International is a Seoul-based intellectual property law firm founded in 1961, providing patent prosecution, IP litigation, trademark protection, and licensing services to enterprise clients across semiconductor, AI, battery, display, and medical device technology sectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Intellectual Property Legal Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (54111), Legal Services (5411)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Intellectual Property (IP) Law (BPAHAAAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Patent Prosecution & Portfolio Management (BPAHAMAA), IP Search, Watch & Competitive Intelligence (BPAHAMAI), IP Filing, Annuities & Renewals Administration (BPAHAMAJ)

Keywords

• Intellectual property law
• Patent prosecution
• Trademark protection
• IP litigation
• Patent licensing

Headquarters

HQ city

Seoul

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations

Revenue model

1. Legal Services Revenue: Revenue generated from providing professional legal services including patent prosecution, IP litigation, trademark protection, IP transactions and licensing, patent searches, opinions and counseling, and IPTAB proceedings.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Lee International is a South Korea-based intellectual property law firm founded in 1961 that provides legal services across the IP lifecycle, including patent prosecution, IP litigation, trademark protection, IP transactions and licensing, patent searches, opinions and counseling, and IPTAB proceedings. The firm serves clients seeking to secure, defend, license, and enforce intellectual property rights in Korea.

Product overview

Lee International is one of Korea's largest internationally-recognized intellectual property law firms offering comprehensive IP legal services. The firm provides a portfolio of core legal services including Patent Prosecution (covering Patents & Utility Models, Designs, Patent Term Extensions, and Plant Variety Rights), Opinions & Counseling, IPTAB Proceedings, IP Litigation, Trademark Protection, IP Transactions & Licensing, and Patent Searches. The firm also operates a specialized IP TechCenter covering seven key technology sectors: Semiconductor Materials, Semiconductor Equipment, Semiconductor Devices, AI/Information Convergence, Secondary Battery, Displays, and Medical Devices. Additionally, the firm has dedicated technology practice areas spanning Electronics, Life Sciences, Machinery, Information & Communication Technology, and Chemistry. The firm operates as a service-based law firm rather than a software product company.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Patent Prosecution

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Kim & Chang: Korea's largest full-service law firm with a market-leading IP practice (patents, trademarks, litigation). Most directly comparable to Lee International in Korean-market IP coverage and enterprise clientele.
• Yoon & Yang: Major Korean full-service firm with a substantial IP prosecution and litigation group, competing for the same Korean enterprise IP mandates as Lee International.
• Lee & Ko: Established Korean law firm with a strong IP and technology practice covering patent prosecution, litigation, and licensing — directly comparable in service mix and target clients.
• Birch, Stewart, Kolasch & Birch (BSKB): IP-only boutique serving diverse technologies including semiconductors and electronics. Comparable in specialization depth on patent prosecution and IP transactions for tech-sector clients.
• Ladas & Parry: Long-established international IP boutique covering patent prosecution, trademarks, and IP licensing. Comparable mid-sized IP specialist offering with international reach.
• Bae, Kim & Lee: Top-tier Korean full-service law firm with a sizable IP and technology practice. Directly competitive with Lee International for Korean enterprise IP mandates across prosecution and disputes.

Broad incumbents

• Finnegan: Leading global IP-only law firm with offices in the US, Europe, and Asia. Competes with Lee International for cross-border patent prosecution and litigation involving Korean parties.

Others

• Fish & Richardson: Large US-headquartered IP firm with strong Asian practice. Targets the same enterprise patent and IP litigation matters that Lee International's IP TechCenter practices serve.

Emerging players

• Dennemeyer & Associates: Global IP service provider spanning patents, trademarks, and IP software/portfolio management. Overlaps with Lee International's IP transactions, licensing, and patent search services with more technology-enabled delivery.
• Rouse & Co International: Global IP services and consulting firm with strong presence in Asia. Targets the same intellectual property and trademark enforcement work as Lee International across jurisdictions.

Market position

Strengths3 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Lee International