KIM&CHANG posted double-digit growth last year, cementing its undisputed No. 1 position in Korea's law firm market. The firm is credited with driving performance by consecutively handling major litigation and mergers and acquisitions advisory work tied to business reorganizations by leading conglomerates such as Samsung Electronics and SK.
According to legal sources on the 26th, KIM&CHANG's revenue last year is estimated at about 1.7 trillion won. That is up 13% from the previous year (1.5 trillion won).
As of the 23rd, KIM&CHANG had 1,142 lawyers, up 39 from the previous year (1,103). Revenue per lawyer (RPL) is estimated at about 1.488 billion won. The average RPL last year at the other Big Four firms (Bae, Kim & Lee; Shin & Kim; Lee & Ko; YulChon) was 730 million won, making KIM&CHANG roughly twice as high.
Observers say the standout results last year stemmed from successfully handling conglomerate litigation and mega-sized mergers and acquisitions advisory matters.
Notably, KIM&CHANG led to acquittals in the first, second and third trials for Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong in the Samsung C&T–Cheil Industries merger case.
KIM&CHANG also won a Supreme Court ruling last June canceling the Korea Fair Trade Commission (FTC)'s corrective order and penalty surcharge against SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won over alleged private interest appropriation tied to his equity in SK Siltron. The Korea Fair Trade Commission (FTC) had deemed it private interest appropriation that SK Co. acquired only 70.6% of Siltron's equity and had the remaining 29.4% purchased by Chairman Chey, imposing a penalty surcharge, but the court ruled it was not unlawful. This resolved the legal risk for Chairman Chey and highlighted KIM&CHANG's defense capabilities.
KIM&CHANG also represented Kakao founder Kim Beom-su, head of the Future Initiative Center, who was brought to trial on SM Entertainment price rigging charges. The firm won an acquittal at the first trial. KIM&CHANG is also said to have taken on the role of legal representative for the appellate trial starting on Mar. 30.
KIM&CHANG has not only won. It lost early last year in a lawsuit seeking to cancel penalty surcharges in the 100 billion won range filed on behalf of Google and Meta against the Personal Information Protection Commission.
Results were notable in the corporations M&A institutional sector. The firm's successful execution of business rebalancing by conglomerates such as Samsung and SK Group stands out. First, KIM&CHANG advised on the spin-off of Samsung Biologics and Samsung Epis Holdings last year. It also helped private equity fund Hahn & Company clinch the acquisition of SK Specialty, a semiconductor specialty gas manufacturer under SK Group.
Recently, KIM&CHANG received the top rating (Band 1) in 17 of 19 research categories for Korea in the 2026 Asia-Pacific Guide released by the global legal outlet Chambers and Partners. In some areas, including intellectual property (IP), shipping, and white-collar crime, it was the only domestic law firm to maintain the top rating.
The firm is also active in social contribution. The KIM&CHANG Social Contribution Committee donated 100 million won to the Korean Bar Association in July last year, asking that it be used to help flood victims nationwide affected by torrential rains at the time. The KIM&CHANG Social Contribution Committee, established in 1999, is the first permanent body of its kind among domestic law firms. It conducts legal education for the underprivileged, improves public-interest legal systems, and carries out public-interest litigation.