Minwho

What Minwho does

Minwho (법무법인민후) is a Seoul-based boutique law firm founded in 2011, specializing in IT law, intellectual property, fintech regulation, data privacy, and corporate and criminal litigation, with particular depth in technology-driven disputes. The firm is led by Representative Partners Kim Kyung-hwan and Yang Jin-young, both dually qualified as attorneys and patent attorneys (변리사), and employs more than 20 lawyers across representative, partner, and associate roles from a single office in POSCO Tower Yeoksam, Gangnam-gu. Its client base spans Korean technology companies and startups, entertainment and media platforms, large corporations, and government and public institutions, and includes high-profile engagements such as the Supreme Court defense of Pinkfong in the Baby Shark copyright case, representation of Coupang in a non-compete injunction dispute, a 12 billion KRW settlement for JobKorea in a web-crawling matter, and successful administrative litigation for Meta against the Personal Information Protection Commission.

The firm generates revenue through professional services fees on a case-by-case engagement basis, with no publicly disclosed pricing, and operates a sales-led go-to-market via phone, KakaoTalk, email, and website consultation channels. Distribution is direct and domestic, with no disclosed international offices; marketing is driven by content (blog, knowledge-sharing portal), earned media (regular columns in 전자신문 and other business publications), and thought leadership through academic and government advisory participation. Minwhat does not develop software, APIs, or AI products, and holds no disclosed patents or technology certifications; its competitive position rests on the legal and technical credentials of its attorneys, the regulatory influence of its partners, and a deep track record of precedent-setting Korean court rulings in technology, data, and digital-asset matters.

Strategic positioning is centered on a concentrated set of adjacent practice areas: IT contracts and software disputes, copyright, patent and trademark enforcement, trade-secret and non-compete litigation, data privacy and personal information protection, fintech and blockchain regulatory advisory, and criminal defense in technology-related cases. The firm has formal advisory relationships with the Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA), Korea Communications Commission, Personal Information Protection Commission, Financial Supervisory Service, and the Korean Intellectual Property Office, embedding it in the country's core technology and data regulatory infrastructure. The firm is privately held as a Korean law partnership (법무법인), with no disclosed institutional investors, parent company, or subsidiaries, and revenue is not publicly reported.

Name

Minwho

Legal name

법무법인민후

Website

https://minwho.kr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Minwho (법무법인민후) is a Seoul-based boutique law firm founded in 2011 that provides litigation and advisory services in IT law, intellectual property, fintech regulation, data privacy, and corporate matters, serving Korean technology companies, entertainment platforms, large corporations, and government agencies through more than 20 lawyers led by dually qualified attorney-patent attorneys.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Services (IT, IP, and Technology Law)

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (541110), Offices of Lawyers (54111)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

White-Collar Defense & Investigations (BPAHAAAJ)

Keywords

• IT legal services
• Intellectual property law
• Fintech legal advisory
• Corporate legal counsel
• Technology law

Headquarters

HQ city

Yeoksamdong

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Legal Advisory Services: Corporate legal advisory services including contract review, IP protection, data privacy compliance, fintech regulation, and dispute resolution for enterprise and startup clients.
2. Litigation Services: Civil and criminal litigation representation in courts, including intellectual property infringement cases, trade secret disputes, fintech compliance cases, and corporate litigation.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Minwho (법무법인민후) is a South Korean law firm that provides specialized legal advisory and litigation services, with a focus on IT law, intellectual property rights (patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets), fintech regulation, corporate legal affairs, and criminal and civil litigation. The firm serves technology companies, startups, entertainment and media firms, large corporations, and government agencies, handling matters such as data privacy compliance, web crawling disputes, non-compete enforcement, cryptocurrency-related cases, and software copyright litigation.

Product overview

Minwho is a law firm (법무법인 민후) that provides legal advisory and litigation services. It does not offer software products or technology platforms. The firm's service offerings are professional legal services including corporate legal affairs, IT and emerging technologies law, intellectual property, fintech and finance law, and criminal/civil litigation. While the firm advises clients on technology-related legal matters (such as AI systems, data analysis platforms, software development contracts, and digital transformation projects), these are advisory services provided to clients, not the firm's own products or services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• IT Law Advisory
• Intellectual Property Law
• Fintech Legal Services
• Corporate Legal Affairs
• Criminal and Civil Litigation Court representation in civil and criminal cases involving technology-related offenses, information communications network violations, IP infringement, trade secret theft, embezzlement, and breach of trust, with track record at the Supreme Court level.
• Data Privacy and Personal Information Protection Advisory Counsel on data privacy compliance, personal information protection law, data breach response, regulatory investigation defense, and administrative litigation against privacy enforcement actions by government agencies.

Quantifiable outcome

• Handled 12,389+ successful case wins and advisory engagements
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• 한국인터넷진흥원 (KISA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on GDPR guidelines, blockchain industry promotion, electronic signature regulations, personal data protection standards, and technology policy research. Kim Kyung-hwan serves as a legal advisory committee member.
• 방송통신위원회coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegulatory advisory on telecommunications, data protection, and autonomous vehicle privacy regulations. Yang Jin-young serves on the Communications Dispute Mediation Committee.
• 개인정보보호위원회coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPolicy advisory on personal information protection, data breach response, and privacy regulation implementation. Yang Jin-young appointed to the 2026 Privacy Future Forum.
• 금융감독원 (FSS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBlockchain technology advisory including regulatory framework development and compliance guidance for financial institutions.
• 특허청coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStandard patent research and IP policy advisory services. Participation in patent-related policy development and training programs.
• 국회사무처minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLegislative advisory and policy research support on technology law matters.
• 한국여성변호사회minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYang Jin-young serves as ESG Special Committee Chair and actively participates in women lawyers' professional development programs and seminars.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• BARUN Law LLC: Korean full-service law firm with active IP, technology, and corporate practices serving Korean tech and media clients. Overlaps with Minwho in IP litigation and technology sector advisory.
• Yulchon LLC: One of Korea's largest full-service law firms with a deep technology, IP, and data privacy practice. Comparable to Minwho in serving Korean tech enterprises on IP and regulatory matters, but materially larger and broader in scope.
• Bae, Kim & Lee LLC: Major Korean full-service firm with active IP, technology, and dispute resolution practices serving enterprise clients. Overlaps with Minwho on IP litigation and tech sector advisory at a broader scale.
• JIPYONG LLC: Korean full-service firm with an active IP/technology and corporate practice serving tech and startup clients. Comparable to Minwho in serving Korean tech and startup segments but as a broader full-service provider.
• Kim & Chang: Korea's largest law firm with market-leading IP, technology, and fintech practices serving the country's biggest tech and financial companies. Comparable in subject-matter overlap with Minwho but at a substantially larger scale.
• Lee & Ko: Leading Korean law firm with a strong IP/IT litigation and technology transactions practice. Comparable in handling IP infringement and IT disputes for major Korean corporates, but operates as a full-service firm rather than a boutique.
• Yoon & Yang LLC: Major Korean law firm with an established IP, technology, and dispute resolution practice serving enterprise clients. Comparable to Minwho on IP and tech disputes at a larger full-service scale.

Direct peers

• Lee International IP & Law Group: Korea-focused IP-specialist law and patent firm combining attorneys and patent attorneys for technology, trademark, and patent disputes. The closest direct peer to Minwho's dual-qualified lawyer/patent attorney model for IP litigation.
• FirstLaw: Korean IP-focused law firm with patent and trademark prosecution and litigation capabilities. Directly comparable to Minwho in the IP-specialist segment, particularly for patent disputes involving technical subject matter.
• HMP Law Group: Korean IP-specialist firm combining patent attorneys and lawyers for IP litigation and prosecution. Comparable to Minwho's IP-focused boutique model and dual-qualified team for technology-related disputes.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCIyGluNW_RA7c6ERSqfG4gA

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Minwho