K&L Gates Strengthens Orange County Office with Corporate/M&A Partner Addition

Orange County and Seoul - Global law firm K&L Gates LLP welcomes Jay H. Im as a partner in its corporate/M&A practice. Im joins K&L Gates from Korean entertainment and media company CJ E&M Corporation, where he served as head of international legal affairs. He will initially be resident in the firm’s Seoul office before relocating to Orange County in the coming months to facilitate cross-border commercial activities and support the legal needs of the companies doing business there.
 
During his almost 15 years in Korea, Im has advised on landmark M&A deals with transaction amounts in the billions of dollars; negotiated thousands of corporate, commercial, and TMT-related contracts; and managed the licensing of hundreds of patents, trademarks, and copyrighted formats. He has regularly represented blue chip companies in their acquisition and divestment of equity interests in Korea and abroad; counseled private equity funds on foreign investments through joint ventures and other variable structures; and negotiated complex licensing rights and sales terms with sophisticated Fortune 500 counterparties. Named Asian Legal Business’ Korea In-House Lawyer of the Year in both 2013 and 2014 while at CJ E&M, Im also possesses a particular understanding of the entertainment industry, having been deeply involved in the production and distribution of films and television variety shows, large scale K-pop concert and festival planning, and artist management.

“Jay’s impeccable legal record at the largest conglomerates and law firms in Korea further enhances our credibility in Seoul, as well as in the Southern California business community,” said David Perry, administrative partner of K&L Gates’ Orange County office. “He brings an entrepreneurial mentality coupled with a strategic legal approach that will expand our inbound and outbound global work in both the U.S. and particular Asian countries. We are excited and look forward to his many contributions to K&L Gates’ Orange County office and beyond.”
 
With more than 500 lawyers in offices across five continents, K&L Gates’ corporate transactional and counseling practice is one of the most substantial full market practices in the legal industry, assisting clients across a diverse array of sectors in the structuring, financing, and completion of domestic, international, and cross-border transactions.