Dentons Lee

What Dentons Lee does

Dentons Lee is a Seoul-based, full-service Korean law firm that operates as the sole Korean member firm of the Dentons global legal network, a Swiss Verein association spanning 80+ countries and 200+ offices. Originally founded in 1961 as Lee International (리인ternational 법률사무소) with a focus on intellectual property, the firm combined with Dentons in 2020 and rebranded as Dentons Lee, extending its practice from IP into a full-service offering that includes M&A, corporate, finance, real estate and construction, litigation and international arbitration, tax and customs, entertainment, labor, TMT, and biotech. The firm is privately held, governed by Korean partners, and employs approximately 30 professionals at its headquarters at 14F Poongsan Building, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul.

The firm's core offerings are professional legal services delivered through partner-led engagement, billed via hourly rates, fixed fees, and success fees on individual matters. Beyond conventional legal advisory, the firm operates a differentiated E-Discovery service line through an exclusive partnership with Morez Information Protection Services (주더존정보보호서비스), leveraging forensic collection, predictive coding, and concept clustering tools. There are no proprietary software products or technology platforms; the firm is a people-and-expertise business whose value proposition rests on the depth of its bench (former judges, senior prosecutors, foreign-qualified attorneys) and the cross-border reach of the Dentons network.

Dentons Lee serves three primary customer segments: Korean major enterprises (conglomerates and chaebols), multinational corporations entering or operating in Korea, and Korean government entities and state-owned enterprises. Notable client engagements include Korea Gas Corporation (legal advisor 2013-2024, 10+ continuous years), POSCO International (Uzbekistan subsidiary asset sale), KEPCO, Korea Mine Rehabilitation Corporation, and Pharos iBio. Distribution is direct partner-led sales supplemented by thought leadership through legal industry publications, professional events, and the global Dentons brand platform.

Name

Dentons Lee

Legal name

Dentons Lee

Website

https://dentonslee.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1961

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Dentons Lee is a Seoul-based full-service Korean law firm and the sole Korean member of global Dentons network, serving Korean conglomerates, multinational corporations, and government entities with legal advisory across IP, M&A, litigation, arbitration, and cross-border matters.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) & Securities Law (BPAHAAAI)

Keywords

• Legal advisory services
• Corporate law firm
• Intellectual property law
• Cross-border transactions
• Litigation and arbitration

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. Legal Services: Traditional law firm revenue from legal advisory, litigation, arbitration, and corporate legal services. Billed through hourly rates, fixed fees for specific matters, and success fees for certain transactions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Dentons Lee is a Seoul-based full-service Korean law firm that provides comprehensive legal advisory and representation across intellectual property, M&A, finance, real estate and construction, litigation, international arbitration, tax and customs, labor, entertainment, TMT, and biotech practice areas. The firm serves Korean conglomerates, multinational corporations with Korean interests, and Korean government entities, leveraging the global Dentons network for cross-border matters and offering specialized E-Discovery services through an exclusive technology partnership.

Product overview

Dentons Lee is a full-service Korean law firm (formerly Lee International IP & Law Group) that provides comprehensive legal services across multiple practice areas. The firm operates as part of the global Dentons network following a 2020 combination. Key service lines include intellectual property (the firm's historic strength since 1961), M&A and corporate transactions, finance, real estate and construction, litigation and international arbitration, entertainment, labor and employment, TMT/biotech, and tax. The E-Discovery service line offers exclusive partnership with (주)더존정보보호서비스 for electronic discovery and forensic services. No distinct software products or modules are offered—services are delivered as professional legal counsel.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dentons Lee Legal Services
• E-Discovery Services
• International Litigation and Arbitration
• Real Estate and Construction
• Tax Services
• Franchise Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Continued selection as Korea Gas Corporation advisory firm for 10+ years (2013-2024)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered strategic, minor and core.

• KAIST AI Fairness Research CenterstrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 February 2022MOU signed for collaboration on AI ethics, fairness laws and regulations research. Dentons Lee will provide legal advisory on AI-related laws and regulations interpretation, while jointly investigating ethical and fairness aspects of AI deployment.
• Pharos iBio (파로스아이바이오)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 December 2021AI platform-based new drug development company. MOU for Dentons Lee to provide legal, investment, listing advisory, dispute resolution, and IP services for Pharos iBio's overseas expansion.
• D-Strict Holdings (디스트릭트홀딩스)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 May 2021Digital design company recognized with iF Design Award 2021. MOU for Dentons Lee to support D-Strict Holdings' global expansion to North America, Middle East, and Southeast Asia, including new market development advisory.
• DentonscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 February 2020Lee International combined with global law firm Dentons to become Dentons Lee. This partnership provides access to Dentons' global network of 80+ countries and 200+ offices, enabling Korean clients to receive seamless cross-border legal services and international clients to access Korean market expertise.
• Morez Information Protection Services (주)더존정보보호서비스strategicTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2020Exclusive partnership for e-discovery services. Dentons Lee's E-Discovery team leverages Morez's forensic collection, processing, and review technology including concept clustering, predictive coding, and early case assessment tools to provide differentiated e-discovery solutions.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Shin & Kim: Top-tier Korean full-service law firm with robust corporate, finance, and cross-border practices. Direct competitor for high-end Korean enterprise mandates.
• Jipyong LLC: Korean full-service firm with strong corporate, finance, real estate, and IP practices. Comparable mid-to-large Korean firm competing for similar enterprise and government mandates.
• Yulchon LLC: Major Korean full-service firm with strong M&A, antitrust, finance, and international arbitration practices. Competes for the same chaebol and multinational client base.
• KL Partners (formerly Kim & Lee): Korean full-service firm known for corporate, M&A, IP, and litigation. Comparable boutique-to-mid-sized Korean competitor with similar practice mix.
• Lee & Ko: One of Korea's 'Big 5' full-service law firms with deep practice across corporate, M&A, IP, finance, and litigation. Direct competitor for Korean enterprise and cross-border mandates.
• Kim & Chang: Korea's largest and most prestigious full-service law firm. Directly comparable as a Korean-headquartered full-service firm serving chaebols, multinationals, and government clients across M&A, IP, litigation, and cross-border matters.
• Bae, Kim & Lee LLC (BKL): One of Korea's largest full-service firms, recognized for M&A, finance, IP, and dispute resolution. Direct competitor with comparable Korean enterprise and government clientele.
• HMP Law (formerly Hyundai Marine & Fire Insurance Legal Team spinoff): Korean full-service firm with strong IP, corporate, and dispute resolution practices. Comparable Korean firm competing for similar enterprise clients.

Broad incumbents

• Dentons (Global): The parent global law firm network of which Dentons Lee is a member. Direct relationship as the worldwide platform Dentons Lee leverages for cross-border mandates.
• Latham & Watkins (Seoul): Global elite law firm with a Seoul office serving Korean and inbound cross-border M&A, finance, and dispute matters. Competes with Dentons Lee for premium Korean inbound mandates.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Dentons
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dentons-lee

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Dentons Lee