YOON & LEE International Patent & Law Firm

What YOON & LEE International Patent & Law Firm does

YOON & LEE International Patent & Law Firm is a Seoul-based boutique intellectual property law firm founded in 1989 that provides comprehensive IP services to Korean conglomerates, multinational corporations, and SMEs. The firm converted to a limited liability company in April 2017 and operates approximately 100 staff including around 40 patent attorneys and lawyers; named client work includes Samsung Electronics' DMC and SR divisions, where partner Yong-won Lee was recognized as an excellent drafter (2015-2017) and best drafter (2018). Revenue, ownership, and pricing are not publicly disclosed.

The firm's offering spans five practice areas — Patent/Utility Model prosecution, Trademark/Design registration and enforcement, Search/Strategy/Consulting, Trials/Appeal Cases, and integrated IP litigation delivered through a close partnership with ETHICS Law Office — with technical bench strength concentrated in electrical/electronics, Standard Essential Patents (3GPP LTE, 5G NR, 6G, WiMax, NFC), mechanical/materials, and chemical/biotechnology. The team includes former KIPO examiners and IPTAB trial judges, foreign attorneys admitted in the US, and technical advisors with PhDs and master's degrees, plus an in-house native Japanese/English translation team reviewed by technical patent attorneys. International matters are served through an overseas associate network in the US, Japan, China, and Europe rather than directly-staffed foreign offices.

The business model is professional services on a quote-based, matter-by-matter fee arrangement with no publicly disclosed pricing; client acquisition relies on consecutive top-tier directory rankings (Legal 500 Hall of Fame, Tier 1 IP: PATMA; WTR 1000; IAM Patent 1000; IP Stars; ALB Tier 1 Patents), senior-partner-led engagement, and a bilingual SEO-optimized website. The firm is privately held with no disclosed external funding, operates from a single Seoul headquarters in the Gasan Digital Complex, and has been led since 2017 by founding partner Dong-yol Yoon as Chief Executive Partner.

Name

YOON & LEE International Patent & Law Firm

Legal name

YOON & LEE International Patent & Law Firm, LLC.

Website

https://yoonpat.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

YOON & LEE is a Seoul-based boutique IP law firm founded in 1989, with ~100 staff including ~40 patent attorneys, serving Korean conglomerates, multinationals, and SMEs across patent prosecution, trademarks, SEP/FRAND, trials, and IP litigation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Intellectual Property Legal Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (541110), Offices of Lawyers (54111), Legal Services (5411)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAHAMAA

Patent Prosecution & Portfolio Management

Business & Public Services/Professional Services (Legal, Accounting, Consulting)/Intellectual Property (IP) & Patent Services

SECONDARYBPAHAAAF

Intellectual Property (IP) Law

Business & Public Services/Professional Services (Legal, Accounting, Consulting)/Legal Services

SECONDARYBPAHAMAE

IP Litigation & Dispute Resolution

Business & Public Services/Professional Services (Legal, Accounting, Consulting)/Intellectual Property (IP) & Patent Services

SECONDARYBPAHAMAI

IP Search, Watch & Competitive Intelligence

Business & Public Services/Professional Services (Legal, Accounting, Consulting)/Intellectual Property (IP) & Patent Services

SECONDARYBPAHAMAJ

IP Filing, Annuities & Renewals Administration

Business & Public Services/Professional Services (Legal, Accounting, Consulting)/Intellectual Property (IP) & Patent Services

Keywords

• Patent prosecution services
• Trademark registration services
• Intellectual property litigation
• Standard essential patents
• IP strategy consulting

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, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Patent and Utility Model Prosecution Services: Worldwide patent and utility model application and registration services including PCT applications, patentability searches, prior art searches, responses to Office Actions, and prosecution to registration. Services are billed per application or matter, with annuity services for maintained patents.
2. Trademark and Design Registration Services: Domestic and international trademark and design filing, prosecution, and registration services including Madrid Protocol and Hague Agreement applications, renewals, oppositions, and trials. Billed per filing or matter.
3. Search, Strategy, and Consulting Services: Prior art and trademark research, application strategy consultation, patent mapping, IP infringement or invalidation assessment, trademark valuation, licensing and technology transfer services, and dispute advisory. Includes translation services. Billed per engagement or project.
4. Trials and Appeal Case Services: Opposition, revocation trial, invalidation trial, trial to confirm scope of rights, appeal against decision to reject, trial for revocation of appeal decision, and warning letter services. Provided for Korean and overseas IP matters through overseas network.
5. IP Dispute and Utilization Services: Patent invalidation and cancellation trials, patent infringement analysis, dispute consulting, settlement negotiations, license agreements, assignments, technology transfer, contract assistance, and invention mining.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

YOON & LEE is a Korean intellectual property law firm providing comprehensive IP legal services across five integrated practice areas: patent and utility model prosecution, trademark and design registration, IP search/strategy/consulting, trials and appeal cases, and collaborative IP litigation with ETHICS Law Office. The firm serves Korean conglomerates, multinational corporations, and SMEs with specialized expertise in standard essential patents (3GPP LTE, 5G NR, 6G) and technical fields spanning electrical/electronics, mechanical/materials, and chemical/biotechnology.

Product overview

YOON & LEE International Patent & Law Firm operates as a traditional intellectual property law firm offering a unified portfolio of legal services rather than a software product platform. The firm's core offering consists of five integrated service areas: Patent ∙ Utility Model Services (handling domestic and international patent prosecution across electrical, mechanical, chemical, and biotech fields), Trademark ∙ Design Services (covering registration, protection, and enforcement), Search ∙ Strategy ∙ Consulting (including prior art searches, patent mapping, and IP valuation), Trials ∙ Appeal Cases (IP litigation and administrative proceedings), and Collaborative Work with ETHICS Law Office (providing integrated IP litigation and dispute resolution). The firm was founded in 1989 and became a limited liability company in April 2017, with approximately 100 staff including 40 foreign and domestic patent attorneys and lawyers. The firm specializes in technical fields including Electrical ∙ Electronics, Standard Essential Patent (3GPP LTE, 5G NR, 6G, WiMax), Mechanical ∙ Material, and Chemical ∙ Biotechnology.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Patent · Utility Model Services Comprehensive patent and utility model prosecution services for domestic and international clients, covering worldwide patent applications, PCT applications, prior art searches, patentability searches, and responses to Office Actions. The firm handles patents across specialized fields including smartphone, UX/UI, display, software, and 3GPP and IEEE communication standard technologies, serving Korean conglomerates, multinational corporations, and SMEs.
• Trademark · Design Services Professional trademark and design registration, protection, and enforcement services for domestic and international clients, including filing under the Madrid Protocol and Hague Agreement, oppositions, trial cases, renewals, and infringement investigations. Services are delivered through the firm's dedicated trademark-focused website yoonandlee.com alongside the main practice.
• Search · Strategy · Consulting Intellectual property search, strategy development, and consulting services for clients seeking to optimize their IP portfolios, including prior art and trademark searches, patent mapping, IP infringement and invalidation assessment, trademark valuation, licensing and technology transfer assistance, and dispute advisory.
• Trials · Appeal Cases IP trial and appeal case services covering opposition, revocation trial, invalidation trial, trial to confirm scope of rights, appeal against decision to reject, trial for revocation of appeal decision, and warning letter preparation and responses. Services are provided for Korean and overseas IP matters through the firm's overseas network of local agents and associates.
• Collaborative Work with ETHICS Law Office Integrated IP litigation and dispute resolution services delivered through YOON & LEE's cooperative relationship with ETHICS Law Office, combining patent attorneys' technical experience with IP lawyers' legal expertise. Covers infringement litigation and arbitration, administrative procedures including customs suspension and unfair trade investigations, unfair competition prevention, trade secret protection, and domain name disputes.

Quantifiable outcome

• Top-tier firm ranking by Legal 500 (Hall of Fame), WTR 1000, IAM Patent, IP Stars, Asian Legal Business for consecutive years
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• ETHICS Law OfficecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYOON & LEE has established a close cooperative relationship with ETHICS Law Office for integrated IP services. Patent attorneys at YOON & LEE contribute technical and patent-related experience while ETHICS Law Office provides IP litigation, arbitration, and legal expertise. This partnership enables services covering the full IP lifecycle from discovery of rights to enforcement, including IP rights infringement litigation and arbitration, administrative procedures (customs suspension, unfair trade investigations), unfair competition prevention and trade secret protection, and domain name disputes.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Kim & Chang: Largest and most established full-service law firm in South Korea with a leading IP practice spanning patent prosecution, IP litigation, and cross-border IP transactions. Directly comparable because it competes for the same Korean chaebol and multinational IP mandates from a larger scale and broader practice portfolio.
• Lee & Ko: Major Korean full-service law firm with a top-tier IP litigation and prosecution practice. Comparable because it serves overlapping Korean conglomerate and multinational clients on complex patent prosecution, SEP disputes, and trademark portfolio management.
• Yulchon: Leading Korean full-service firm recognized for its IP, antitrust, and dispute resolution practices. Comparable because it competes for the same high-end Korean and international IP mandates, including SEP and cross-border patent litigation.
• Shin & Kim: Top-tier Korean law firm with significant IP prosecution and litigation capabilities. Comparable because several YOON & LEE senior partners previously worked at Shin & Kim, indicating overlap in client base and practice focus on Korean chaebol IP work.
• Yoon & Yang: Major Korean IP and full-service firm with a recognized patent prosecution and litigation practice. Comparable because it serves a similar Korean enterprise and multinational client base on patent and trademark portfolio management, and one YOON & LEE partner previously worked in its IP group.

Direct peers

• Cho & Partners: Korean IP-specialist boutique law firm focused on patent prosecution and IP litigation. Comparable because it competes for the same Korean technology and electronics patent mandates with a similar specialist positioning.
• YOU ME Patent & Law Firm: Korean patent and law firm with technical expertise across electronics, mechanics, and biotechnology. Comparable because it competes for similar patent prosecution and IP litigation work, with senior partner Byeong-ok Song having previously been a partner at YOU ME before joining YOON & LEE.
• FirstLaw: Korean IP and law firm specializing in patent prosecution, trademark, and IP litigation. Comparable because it serves a similar mix of Korean enterprises and multinational clients on patent and trademark matters in Korea.
• NAMKANG International Patent & Law Office: Korean patent boutique law firm with prosecution and litigation capabilities. Comparable because senior partner Byeong-ok Song previously practiced there, indicating overlap in client type, technical fields, and competitive positioning against YOON & LEE.
• Finnegan: Premier US-based IP boutique with deep SEP and patent litigation capabilities. Comparable because YOON & LEE's SEP specialization (3GPP LTE, 5G NR, 6G) parallels Finnegan's core franchise, and the firm serves as a counterpart for cross-border IP matters in the firm's US/Japan/China/Europe agent network.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

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 YOON & LEE International Patent & Law Firm