Baker McKenzie’s Korean joint venture law firm with KL Partners has launched a tax practice after hiring a team from Korea Big Six firm Kim & Chang. 

Principal John Kwak has moved over to the joint venture firm – called Baker McKenzie KLP JV – alongside Doug Suh, who will serve as a senior advisor, and a senior associate. 

The hires will expand the JV’s service offering, which currently includes teams across energy and infrastructure development and financing, dispute resolution and M&A.

Kwak specialises in navigating corporate tax and transfer pricing challenges for foreign companies operating in Korea, as well as resolving tax disputes and regulatory issues for Korean companies expanding abroad. He has joined the JV after six years as a senior foreign attorney at Kim & Chang, before which he was a partner at Lee & Ko, another Big Six firm. 

Suh similarly specialises in transfer pricing and overseas investment and is also well-versed in customs-related work, particularly Advance Customs Valuation Arrangements. Like Kwak, he was a partner at Lee & Ko before joining Kim & Chang in 2018, where he served as a certified public accountant. Earlier in his career Suh also worked at PwC Korea for nearly six years, according to his LinkedIn profile.

Adeline Wong, Asia Pacific chair of Baker McKenzie's tax practice, said the team's hire would enable the practice to include matters with a nexus to Korea. 

"Their experience in tax issues related to cross-border corporate transactions complements our ambitions for our transactional practice across Asia and globally, positioning the firm as the first choice for our clients' complex legal needs," she added. 

The launch of its tax practice follows the JV's establishment last year, in a move that made Baker McKenzie the second foreign law firm permitted to practice Korean law after Ashurst secured a joint venture with domestic firm HwaHyun in 2022. 

Following Kwak's arrival the JV will have 10 partners and principals according to Baker McKenzie's website. Earlier this year arbitration partner Sunyoung Kim joined from Lee & Ko alongside David Kim, who made partner on joining. 

Bakers also bolstered its offering in Singapore earlier this month with the hire of a four-lawyer private equity M&A team from Morrison Foerster led by principals Shirin Tang and Lip Kian Ang. Tang had been managing partner of Morrison Foerster's Singapore office.