Squire Sanders has become the latest firm to announce plans to open an office in Korea, reports The Asian Lawyer.

Corporate partner Joon Yong Kim, the head of the firm's Korea practice, will relocate from Tokyo to lead the new office in Seoul. He will be joined by partner Edward Kim, who is also transferring from Squire Sanders' Tokyo base.

Joon Yong Kim's work in Seoul will focus mainly on M&A and joint ventures, though he has also advised Korean companies on US intellectual property matters, including litigation.

He joined Squire Sanders in 2010 as a partner from Sidley Austin, where he had been a partner since 2000. Kim had a brief earlier stint as a partner at Squire Sanders in Los Angeles after that firm acquired most of the offices of his former employer, Graham & James, in 2000, but he left soon after to join Sidley.

Edward Kim advises on project finance deals, focusing on the technology and logistics industries.

The announcement by 1,300-lawyer Squire Sanders follows those of fellow US firms Paul Hastings and Ropes & Gray, both of which submitted their applications to the Korean Ministry of Justice yesterday (6 March). A number of other US and UK firms have also recently announced plans to launch in Seoul, including Clifford Chance.

Squire Sanders has over the past few months made a significant push in the  Asia-Pacific region. In February, the firm announced a Singapore launch after hiring three partners from Bryan Cave, while last August, it opened an office in Perth with lawyers recruited from Australian firm Minter Ellison.

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