법무법인바른 사이트는 IE11이상 혹은 타 브라우저에서
정상적으로 구동되도록 구현되었습니다.

익스플로러 10 이하버전에서는 브라우저 버전 업데이트 혹은
엣지, 크롬, 사파리등의 다른 브라우저로 접속을 부탁드립니다. 감사합니다.

Lee, Eung Se Attorney (Partner)

Professionals Introduction

Attorney Lee Eung-se is a specialist in intellectual property (IP), construction, and energy.

As the head of the IP Group at Barun Law LLC, he handles a wide range of matters including patent infringement litigation, employee invention compensation cases, trademark and design disputes, trade secret infringement cases, and copyright disputes. In the construction and real estate sector, based on his expertise as an arbitrator in construction matters at the Korean Commercial Arbitration Board, he handles civil and administrative cases and advisory work relating to construction payments, defect disputes, and bidding matters. In addition, he has contributed legal columns on construction law for over 10 years to The Korea Economic Daily, analyzing key industry issues and proposing solutions.

In the energy sector, he serves as the head of the firm's Energy/Infrastructure Team, advising and representing power generation companies, including state-owned utilities, across a wide range of matters. He has also achieved notable results in criminal cases, including election law violations involving elected members of the National Assembly and cases involving breach of trust, embezzlement, and stock price manipulation by CEOs of KOSDAQ-listed companies. Based on his experience as a member of the Trust Forum of the Korea Financial Investment Association, he also provides advisory and litigation services relating to trusts.

Education

  • 2021Completed the Digital Finance Expert Program (Blockchain and Digital Assets), KAIST College of Business
  • 2013Finance Law Program, Seoul National University
  • 2006Graduate School of Law, Korea University (Ph.D., majoring in commercial law, intellectual property law)
  • 2004Graduate School of Law, Korea University (LL.M., majoring in intellectual property law)
  • 1999University College London (Academic Visitor)
  • 1988Judicial Research and Training Institute of the Supreme Court of Korea (17th)
  • 1986College of Law, Korea University
  • 1985Passed the Bar Exam (27th), Korea
  • 1982Daeil High School

Experience

  • 2012 ~ PresentPartner, Barun Law LLC
  • 2007 ~ 2009Senior Judge, Seoul Central District Court
  • 2004 ~ 2006Professor, Judicial Research and Training Institute of the Supreme Court of Korea
  • 2003Senior Judge, Chuncheon District Court
  • 2002Judge, Seoul District Court
  • 2000 ~ 2001Judge, Seoul High Court
  • 1998 ~ 1999Judge, Suwon District Court
  • 1996 ~ 1997Judge, Ueijungbu District Court
  • 1993 ~ 1995Judge, Busan District Courtt
  • 1991 ~ 1992Judge, Busan District Court Eastern Branch Court
  • 1988 ~ 1990Judge Advocate, Republic of Korea Navy

Practice Areas and Representative Matters

Intellectual Property

- Case seeking invalidation of trademark registration involving Company W, a tableware distribution company

- Software copyright infringement dispute between Company P and Company D

- Trade secret infringement case relating to design technology involving Company N

- Damages litigation concerning infringement of simultaneous retransmission rights between a terrestrial broadcaster and a cable TV operator

- Patent infringement case involving concrete piles used at construction sites

- Employee invention compensation case relating to bridge technology patents

- Patent infringement case involving earth anchor brackets used in construction

- Patent infringement case concerning a pile structure construction method used in civil engineering

- Patent infringement (indirect infringement) case involving a display product for contact lenses

- Patent infringement case concerning a method for purification and separation of an organic luminescent material

- Patent infringement case involving mobile phone cases

- Patent infringement case involving medical sutures between Company J and Company M

- Trademark infringement dispute involving a well-known denim brand

- Dispute relating to parallel imports of foreign furniture trademarks

- Advisory on compensation collection matters for the Korea Music Performers Association

- Neighboring rights dispute relating to an album of a well-known rock singer

- Unjust enrichment claim relating to distribution of royalties by the Korea Music Performers Association among performers

- Employee invention compensation case relating to harmful website blocking programs for high-speed communication networks

- Damages claim against a patent attorney for professional negligence in patent prosecution

- Injunction and damages claim relating to transmission of audiovisual works due to copyright infringement

- Case seeking payment of royalties for musical works against IPTV service providers, representing the Korea Music Copyright Association

- Injunction prohibiting employment transfer of executives due to trade secret infringement

- Trade secret infringement case involving genetic technology of a life sciences company

- Criminal case involving alleged trade secret infringement of chemical manufacturing technology by a company CEO (acquittal)


Construction, Real Estate, Trusts, and Right to Light

- Damages claim against a design company arising from collapse of a retaining wall at a baseball stadium site

- Damages dispute arising from design changes between commercial unit purchasers and a developer/constructor

- Service fee dispute between a regional housing cooperative and a sales agency

- Numerous cases involving construction payments and defect-related damages between project owners and contractors

- Litigation and arbitration concerning construction costs due to price fluctuations and design changes

- Settlement of shared cost contributions among joint contractors in construction projects

- Dispute over trust costs between settlor and trustee (trust company) in real estate development trusts

- Advisory to preferred beneficiaries in real estate security trusts

- Advisory to settlors in real estate disposal trusts

- Presentations at the Trust Forum of the Korea Financial Investment Association on topics such as fiduciary duties of trustees and invalidity of transactions between proprietary and trust accounts

- Disputes concerning rights to sunlight and views between large-scale apartment complexes developed by redevelopment associations

- Lecturer (2014–2016), Construction and Real Estate Law Training Institute, Seoul Bar Association (topics: right to light, view rights, environmental rights in practice)


Energy

- Advisory to Korea Electric Power Corporation, Korea South-East Power, Korea Western Power, Korea Midland Power, and Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power on various operational matters

- Review of contracts entered into by power generation companies, and advisory on contract disputes, defect disputes, and shareholder agreements for newly established entities


Criminal

- Case involving violation of the Public Official Election Act by an elected member of the 19th National Assembly (acquittal)

- Case involving breach of trust under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes by a CEO of an affiliate of Group H (suspended sentence)

- Case involving stock price manipulation by an executive of a securities company (suspension of sentence)

- Case involving breach of trust, embezzlement, and stock manipulation by a CEO of a KOSDAQ-listed company

- Case involving embezzlement under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes by a CEO of a mid-sized company (suspended sentence)

- Fraud case involving investment funds under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes (acquittal)

- Fraud case relating to mutual financing (acquittal)

- Case involving violation of the Aggravated Punishment Act (flight) by an executive of a public enterprise (suspended sentence)

- Fraud case relating to real estate (acquittal)

- Occupational breach of trust case involving a group chairman (acquittal)

- Fraud case relating to stock trading (acquittal)

- Fraud and door-to-door sales violations (acquittal)


Administrative

- Action seeking confirmation of invalidity of a decision rejecting a proposal for designation of an urban development zone between a project promotion committee and a local government head

- Case seeking cancellation of a decision denying relief for unfair dismissal of an employee of a local public corporation in Gyeonggi-do

- Case seeking cancellation of surcharge imposition due to bid rigging in the defense industry

- Administrative appeal seeking cancellation of a local government's refusal to grant development permission

- Case seeking cancellation of a public notice determining a park development plan related to a cemetery park project

- Administrative cases seeking cancellation of imposition of tourism promotion fund charges and return of subsidies against local governments


Other Civil Matters

- Management control disputes including injunctions suspending duties of CEOs of listed companies

- Arbitration concerning construction payments between Company G and Company S

- Preliminary injunction preserving the status of a preferred negotiation bidder between Company D and a local government

- Action seeking confirmation of invalidity of rejection of an urban development zone designation proposal

- Damages claim against a former controlling shareholder for improper asset valuation prior to sale of a KOSDAQ-listed company

- Damages claim against a local government based on a company's status as a delegated administrative entity


Professional Activities (Past and Present)

- Registered IP Specialist, Korean Bar Association

- Vice President, Korea Intellectual Property Lawyers Association (http://kipla.kr)

- Arbitrator (Construction and Software), Korean Commercial Arbitration Board

- Legislative Advisory Member, KOSDAQ Association

- Member, Trust Forum, Korea Financial Investment Association

- Member, Special Committee on Legislative Review, Korean Bar Association

- Mediator, Korea Content Dispute Resolution Committee (KCDRC), Korea Creative Content Agency

- External Counsel to multiple organizations including the Korea Music Copyright Association, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, Korea Electric Power Corporation, Korea South-East Power, Korea Western Power, Korea Midland Power, Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power, Global Robotics, Sinhwa Intertek, VCA Korea, De'Longhi Korea, SNE Research, Korea Mechanical Equipment Contractors Association, and Korea Software Industry Association

- Member, Special Committee on Telecommunications and User Protection, Korea Communications Standards Commission

- Outside Director (Audit Committee Member), Bit Computer; Outside Director, WiderPlanet

- Member, Viewer Committee, LG U+

- Adjunct Professor, Korea University School of Law

- Columnist, The Korea Economic Daily (formerly Construction Economy Daily), Construction & Real Estate Law (Apr. 2016 – Present)

Profile

02-3479-7860

eungse.lee@barunlaw.com

Recent Cases

[Intellectual Property] Implied permission to use business secrets

[Intellectual Property] A case where it was held that Company N allowing Company B to refer to the design and engineering materials provided by Company A, an engineering company in charge of the desig

[Broadcasting·M&A] Winning a complete victory in the dispute relating to the acquisition of a cable TV channel, including the collection of KRW5 billion as penalty

[Trade Secrets] Barun obtained a decision in which a defendant of an appeal case found innocent, precluding the admissibility of evidence collected by illegal seizure and search.

[Intellectual Property] A case in which an application for interim injunctive relief was denied on the basis of a patent that was null and void due to the violation of novelty

[Intellectual Property] Reversed the district court’s decision and helped the client obtain the decision of patent noninfringement

[Intellectual Property] A matter where Barun Law effectively argued against the other party’s argument that infringed a certain patent right

[Patent] A case in which the constitution of the infringement of a patent right by multiple entities was an issue

[Intellectual Property] Barun Law Wins the Case of Injunction Against Trademark Infringement with a Company Using a Name Similar to its Corporate Name

[Intellectual Property] We Win a Trademark Non-Use Cancellation Dispute During a Trademark Infringement Lawsuit

[Intellectual Property] Barun Law Obtains the Decision from the Supreme Court That Overturns Lower Courts' Rejection of Copyright Infringement for In-Store Music Playback

[Labor & Employment] Barun Law Successfully Defended a Public Institution's Dismissal of Employees Engaged in Solar Power Business Activities in Violation of the Prohibition on Concurrent Employment

[General Commercial / Civil Litigation] Case in which Barun Law successfully secured dismissal of a counterparty's application for a preliminary injunction seeking confirmation of the validity of a data center electricity supply agreement despite the fulfillment of a contractual condition subsequent