K&L International Patent Law Firm

What K&L International Patent Law Firm does

K&L International Patent Law Firm (세한국제특허법률사무소, operating as Kims and Lees International Patent & Law Offices) is a privately held South Korean intellectual property law firm founded in 1973 and headquartered in Jongno-gu, Seoul. The firm provides comprehensive IP legal services across four practice areas: patents and utility models (covering electrical/electronics, chemical/biotech/pharmaceutical, and mechanical fields), trademarks (domestic and international filing, portfolio management, enforcement, and anti-counterfeiting), designs (industrial design registration with secret/similar design systems), and copyright (registration, protection, and trust management). It also offers PCT international patent filing services (since 1985) and overseas trademark/patent filing across 120+ countries through its established international network.

The firm services both corporate clients (its primary segment, including long-standing relationships with HYUNDAI, PONY, Rolex, Louis Vuitton, and Toshiba) and individual inventors seeking patent, utility model, trademark, design, or copyright protection. Its domain expertise spans AI/Deep Learning/Generative AI/LLM, semiconductors, communications, biotech, chemistry, automotive, robotics, and aerospace. The firm operates a traditional direct-engagement legal services model with no disclosed software products, APIs, or technology platform, relying on website inquiry, professional referral networks, and leadership positions in international IP organizations (AIPPI, APAA, LESI, Korean Licensing Association) for client acquisition.

The business model is fee-for-service legal consulting with pricing not publicly disclosed. The firm is founder/partnership-owned with no external investment, no parent company, and no subsidiaries. Leadership has transitioned through three generations of representative patent attorneys: Kim Yun-bae (AIPPI President 2010-2012), Kang Cheol-jung (APAA Auditor 2021), and the current representative Jung Ho-yoon (2025). The firm completed full operational digitization in 2023 and has signaled a strategic orientation toward AI and digital transformation under its current leadership.

Name

K&L International Patent Law Firm

Legal name

세한국제특허법률사무소

Website

https://kimsandlees.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Short description

K&L International Patent Law Firm is a Seoul-based IP law firm founded in 1973 serving corporate and individual clients with patent, trademark, design, and copyright services across 120+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Intellectual Property Legal Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Intellectual Property (IP) Law (BPAHAAAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Patent Prosecution & Portfolio Management (BPAHAMAA), IP Compliance, Anti-Counterfeiting & Enforcement (BPAHAMAK), Copyright Services & Content Protection (BPAHAMAC)

Keywords

• Intellectual property law
• Patent prosecution services
• Trademark registration
• Industrial design protection
• Copyright registration

Headquarters

HQ city

Mapo

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

K&L International Patent Law Firm (Kims and Lees) is a Seoul-based intellectual property law firm that provides end-to-end IP legal services across patents, utility models, designs, trademarks, and copyrights. The firm handles domestic and international IP filings (including PCT applications), portfolio management, infringement disputes, litigation, and rights protection across 120+ countries, with technical specialization in AI, semiconductors, biotech, automotive, robotics, and aerospace domains.

Product overview

Kims and Lees International Patent & Law Offices is a traditional Korean intellectual property law firm established in 1973, providing comprehensive IP services through four core practice areas: Patent/Utility Model services (covering electrical/electronics, chemical/biotech/pharmaceutical, and mechanical fields), Trademark services (with extensive international filing capabilities across 120+ countries), Design services (industrial design registration and protection), and Copyright services (registration, protection, and trust management). The firm also offers PCT international filing services since 1985 and overseas patent/trademark services. The firm operates as a law firm rather than a software product company.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Patent/Utility Model Services Patent and utility model filing, prosecution, and registration services covering electrical/electronics (AI, semiconductors, communications), chemical/biotech/pharmaceutical, and mechanical fields (automotive, aerospace, robotics) for corporate and individual inventors.
• Trademark Services Comprehensive trademark services including domestic and international trademark filing, portfolio management, monitoring, enforcement, infringement prohibition claims, and anti-counterfeiting measures across 120+ countries.
• Design Services Industrial design registration and protection services including secret design system, similar design system, and set-of-articles design registration with a 20-year protection period from filing date.
• Copyright Services Copyright registration, protection, and management services covering literary works, music, performances, photographs, films, computer programs, and neighboring rights, including copyright trust management and dispute mediation.
• PCT International Filing Services PCT international patent application services enabling clients to pursue patent protection across multiple jurisdictions through a single filing procedure.
• Overseas Patent and Trademark Filing Services International patent and trademark filing services covering overseas jurisdictions through an established global network, with a track record of filing for major Korean brands such as HYUNDAI and PONY in approximately 120 countries since the 1970s.

Quantifiable outcome

• Protection of innovations across 120+ countries through established global network

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• AIPPI (International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple firm principals have held leadership positions including AIPPI President (Kim Yun-bae, 2010), AIPPI Vice President (2008), and AIPPI Korea Chairman (2002). Firm has contributed publications including 'AIPPI President's Report 2010-2012'.
• APAA (Asian Pacific Lawyers Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKang Cheol-jung, Representative Patent Attorney, was elected as APAA Auditor in 2021.
• International Licensing Association (LESI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKim Seon-ryeong, US Attorney, was elected as chairman of the IUGT Committee of the International Licensing Association. Kim Yun-bae was elected as executive director and vice president in 2000.
• Korean Licensing AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKim Yun-bae, Representative Patent Attorney, was elected as chairman of the Korean Licensing Association in 1996.
• Korean Patent Attorney AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKim Yun-bae, Representative Patent Attorney, was elected as vice president of the Korean Patent Attorney Association (1988-1990).

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Lee & Ko: Premier Korean law firm with a strong IP group handling patents, trademarks, designs, and IP litigation. Competes for the same Korean enterprise and multinational clients seeking IP prosecution and disputes work in Korea.
• Kim & Chang: Largest full-service Korean law firm with a market-leading IP practice covering patents, trademarks, and licensing. Directly comparable on IP services but with materially broader corporate, litigation, and cross-border capabilities from a much larger headcount.
• Fish & Richardson: Large US IP-focused law firm with patent prosecution and litigation expertise. Comparable on patent and technology IP services, particularly for clients with US/Korea cross-border filings.
• Yulchon: Major Korean full-service firm with a substantial IP practice group serving domestic and international clients. Comparable on cross-border IP filings and disputes, though from a much larger and more diversified platform.
• Finnegan: Premier US IP law firm with deep technology-domain patent expertise (AI, semiconductors, biotech). Comparable on technical specialization and multinational client base, though it operates primarily from the US.

Emerging players

• RWS Group: Global IP services and language services provider including patent translations, filings, and renewals. Comparable on the international IP filings and prosecution support service that Kims and Lees delivers through its overseas network.
• Dennemeyer: Global IP service provider offering patent and trademark filings, renewals, and IP management software across jurisdictions. Comparable as a competitor for international IP filings, differentiated by scale, technology, and worldwide offices versus a single-Seoul office.
• Birch, Stewart, Kolasch & Birch: US-based IP boutique specializing in patent prosecution and IP licensing. Comparable as a specialized patent firm, though geographically focused on the US rather than Korea/Asia.

Direct peers

• FirstLaw P.C. Korean IP-specialist law firm providing patent, trademark, and design prosecution with technology-domain expertise. Closest direct peer in size, model, and service mix — a Korean boutique IP firm competing for the same specialist mandates.
• Y.P. Lee & Partners: Korea-based IP-specialist firm covering patents, trademarks, designs, and copyrights with international filing capabilities. Operates in the same niche as Kims and Lees and addresses overlapping client needs in cross-border IP prosecution.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 K&L International Patent Law Firm