Sources say that major law firms have been reluctant to represent Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) against Woori Financial Group Chairman Son Tae-seung for fear of losing clients in the private sector, which pay more.
The FSS has ultimately tapped private law firm Kim, Chang & Lee to overturn the Seoul Administrative Court's Aug. 27 ruling that it should revoke the heavy sanctions it had placed last year on Son.
In the first trial, FSS was represented by lawyers from the mid-size law firm, HMP Law, and later moved to another mid-size law firm, Jipyoung.
The FSS was also unable to engage Jipyoung’s services because of conflicts of interest as it offers legal advice to financial companies and represented them in several lawsuits.
FSS noted that Kim, Chang & Lee does not lag behind large private law firms in terms of its capabilities.
Meanwhile, the chairman was represented in the first trial by the nation's leading law firm, Kim & Chang, and the sixth-largest law firm, Yoon & Yang, which has enabled financial firms to get favorable results against regulators.
Yoon & Yang also has several lawyers that have previously serviced the FSS.


U.S. Supreme Court to Review Trump Administration Appeal on Immigrant Detention Without Bond Hearings
Japan Signals Readiness to Intervene as USD/JPY Nears 161 Amid Yen Weakness
Canada, British Columbia Launch $5 Billion Infrastructure Partnership to Boost Housing, Transit, and Healthcare
Biden Sues DOJ to Block Release of Audio From Classified Documents Probe
Colombia Opens New Investigation Into Former President Álvaro Uribe Over Paramilitary Allegations
US Stock Futures Slip After Wall Street Rally Fueled by US-Iran Deal and Chipmaker Surge
HSBC Australia Faces A$35M Penalty Over Scam Protection Failures
DOJ Sues UCLA Over Alleged Antisemitism and Hostile Campus Environment
Canada Imposes 10% Tariff on Canned Vegetable Imports to Protect Domestic Industry
Oil Prices Slide as U.S.-Iran Deal and Hormuz Reopening Ease Supply Concerns
Trump Team Rejects BBC Financial Data Request in $10B Lawsuit
Italy’s Economy Outpaces Eurozone Peers as Investment Spending Fuels Growth
Sable Offshore Wins Key Court Battle Over California Oil Pipeline
Italy’s ITA Airways Weighs Legal Action Against Pratt & Whitney Over Grounded Airbus Fleet
German Industry Employment Falls to Lowest Level in a Decade
Frank Stronach Found Guilty of Sexual Assault and Indecent Assault in Ontario Court 



