IP-focused firm Cho & Partners was established in 2002 by Tae-Yeon Cho and Ik Hyun Seo. It is widely recognised in the market for its high-quality representation, particularly in trademark litigation matters. Although the firm, led by the two aforementioned partners, is not large in size, it punches above its weight with a stellar roster of multinational and domestic clients across a broad spectrum of sectors. The firm has a diverse offering in all aspects of IP, from trademark and patent prosecution to anti-counterfeiting and copyright matters. It has recently been active in domain name disputes, with Cho acting as outside counsel for the Internet Address Domain Name Dispute Resolution Committee. Seo is a panellist for the World Intellectual Property Organisation.
Client feedback
“They are responsive, provide practical advice and are cost-effective.” – Intellectual property
“Cho and Partners are a specialised IP boutique firm that has deep experience in all matters relating to IP, from trademark to designs, contentious to non-contentious work. ” – Intellectual property
“It has a brillant team of excellent lawyers who are business-oriented and charge a reasonable price.” – Intellectual property
Sunil Gu
“Sunil is very responsive and attentive to any queries we have. He is also very detailed and works hard on our matters.”
Jae Eun Lee
“Jae Eun is very user-friendly. She is always clear in her communications and offers practical solutions.
Ik Hyun Seo
“He has excellent communications, is a problem solver and is business-oriented.”
“Ik Hyun is extremely responsive, practical, and professional. He often delivers work product ahead of schedule. He is always professional, knowledgeable, and helpful.”
Work highlights
Representing US-based streetwear brand Supreme in ten cancellation actions before the Patent Court. The cancellation actions are against imitation marks which already received negative decisions at the IPT level and were appealed by the registrant.
Acting for energy drink giant Red Bull in a dispute with a domestic company named Bulls One, an automobile fluid manufacturer and distributor. The dispute involved mutual attacks on the parties’ trademark registrations, and was particularly complex and interesting because market survey evidence was being utilised, a relatively new area of law in Korea.
Representing Microsoft in a case against Asiamuyeok Company for the cancellation of its domain name ‘window10.asia’ and an injunction against its sale of product keys for Windows 10 programme software without the client’s permission. This is the first case in Korea on product keys provided in the licensing of software and will have a significant impact on the widespread sale of product keys in the country. In February 2021, Microsoft received a favourable decision from the District Court and two weeks later, Asiamuyeok appealed the decision to the High Court. The case is now pending.
Key clients
Apple, Burberry, Crocs, Louis Vuitton Malletier
