Press Release
Press Release
Press Contacts: Erik Cummins, Matt Hyams, Taina Rosa, Olivia Thomas
05.29.24
As international trade, export controls, sanctions and customs regulatory schemes are posing increasingly complex regulatory challenges to global entities, Pillsbury has recruited leading International Trade partner Sungbum Lee, who will initially be based in the firm’s growing London office. Lee joins from leading South Korean law firm Yoon & Yang LLC, where he was also a partner.
“Sungbum is a highly successful regulatory and business lawyer who fits perfectly within our market-leading international trade practice, advising clients on export controls, sanctions, supply chain matters, trade remedies, U.S. and EU market entry, and more,” said Pillsbury Chair David Dekker. “He has a fantastic reputation and strong connections with financial institutions, chemical producers, pharmaceutical companies, manufacturers and other large Korean businesses, adding important new dimensions to our international platform.”
Lee represents South Korean clients on trade matters such as U.S. trade remedy proceedings, economic sanctions by the United States and EU relating to Iran and Russia, trade agreement country of origin verifications, customs reviews and tariff classification issues. He has also represented the South Korean government in investor-state disputes submitted under bilateral investment treaties and free trade agreements, and he advises clients on business transactions, regulatory issues and litigation.
In 2005, Lee worked for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of the Korean government, in two different free trade agreement (FTA) divisions, as well as an international legal affairs division, and in the trade dispute settlement division. His subject matters included World Trade Organization (WTO) cases and FTAs between Korea and the U.S., the ASEAN region, Mexico and Canada. He began his private practice in 2012 at Kim & Chang before moving to Yoon & Yang in 2013.
“Adding a partner of Sungbum’s calibre—someone highly regarded by companies in Korea, the U.S. and the UK to combine with Pillsbury’s global international trade expertise—is a real coup, for our clients and our firm,” said Nancy Fischer, Pillsbury’s Global head of the firm’s Regulatory practice. “As the trade-related issues faced by global business become broader and more complex, his arrival affords those we represent additional depth to navigate the compliance issues associated with cross-border commerce and dramatically strengthens our offering to a growing South Korean clientele.”
Lee noted: “For many years, I have had the privilege of working with Pillsbury’s outstanding lawyers as co-counsel, coordinating with them to address the multifaceted trade and other needs of the companies I represent. I am now thrilled to call the many excellent practitioners here ‘partner,’ and look forward to collaborating across the firm’s many strong practices to support clients worldwide.”
Lee is the latest partner to join Pillsbury’s London office, which recently relocated to larger, premier office space at 100 Bishopsgate. Other recent arrivals to the London-based team include Corporate Investigations and White Collar Defense partner Audrey Koh; Gawain Hughes, a partner with a market-leading investment funds practice; EMEA-focused corporate lawyer Nadia Barazi and VC and private equity lawyer Nick Burgess, who were promoted to the Pillsbury partnership in 2023.