International Business Attorneys Nelson Ahn and Edward Kim Join Hunton Andrews Kurth as Partners

Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP is pleased to welcome to the firm new partners, Nelson Ahn and Edward Kim, who focus their practices on advising both South Korean and non-Korean businesses on a broad range of domestic and cross-border transactions, operational and regulatory matters.

Ahn has more than 30 years of private and public sector experience in South Korea and in the United States. Kim has more than 30 years of experience advising clients in South Korea, the U.S., Europe and China/Hong Kong. They join Hunton Andrews Kurth from leading South Korean law firm, Lee & Ko.

“Nelson and Edward have served as trusted advisors to several leading global corporations with interests in the U.S. and around the world, helping them to execute complex transactions and navigate an array of local legal and operational challenges,” said Hunton Andrews Kurth Managing Partner Sam Danon. “We are pleased to welcome them to the firm.”

“Inbound investment from South Korean companies in emerging and mature technologies continues to grow at a frenetic pace, particularly in the Southeastern United States,” added John Schneider, co-head of Hunton Andrews Kurth’s business finance practice group. “Nelson and Edward are highly regarded for their deep understanding of the South Korean market and the needs of companies operating locally in the U.S.”

A selection of Ahn and Kim’s notable representations, prior to joining the firm, include:

• Representation of a global private equity firm in its acquisition of a city gas company operating in the southeastern region of Korea (approximate deal value of $400 million).
• Representation of a NASDAQ-listed fuel cell company in its joint venture with a Korean conglomerate.
• Representation of a consortium of Korean institutional investors in the acquisition of an office building in Frankfurt, Germany (approximate deal value of €700 million).
• Representation of Korean conglomerates in their investments/acquisitions in the U.S., Asia and Europe.
• Representation of Korean sovereign wealth funds in their investments in Korean and non-Korean wealth funds in their investments in Korea.

About Nelson Ahn

Since 2015, Ahn has served as one of the primary lawyers responsible for building Lee & Ko’s inbound transactions practice group in Seoul. He previously led the outbound transactions practice group at Kim & Chang, a leading South Korean law firm, and was a partner in the M&A and Private Equity and Financial Institutions Practice Groups in the New York offices of Sidley Austin LLP and Winston & Strawn LLP. 

Ahn’s public sector experience includes serving as a member of the Self-Regulation Committee of the Korea Financial Investment Association, the self-regulatory body responsible for supervision of the securities industry. In addition, he acted as Senior Counselor to Deputy Prime Minister Kwon Oh Kyu at the Ministry of Strategy and Finance, in which capacity he advised on matters relating to the development of the Korean financial services industry.

Ahn is currently Vice Chair of the M&A Committee of the International Practice Group of the American Bar Association. Ahn has also served as advisor to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Private Public Partnership Advisory Panel advising emerging nations, including Indonesia on infrastructure development projects. Earlier in his career, he was an attorney in the Legal Department of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, focusing on regulatory matters relating to financial institutions operating in the U.S.

Ahn earned his undergraduate degree from Columbia University and his law degree from Boston College Law School.

About Edward Kim

Formerly a corporate partner resident in Seoul at Lee & Ko, Kim has extensive experience in U.S. and international mergers and acquisitions, private equity, corporate spin-offs/restructurings and joint ventures as well as U.S. and international securities offerings, including sovereign bond issuance. He has represented purchasers/sponsors, sellers, financial advisors, joint venture partners, issuers and underwriters in such transactions.

Over the course of his career, he has led matters involving various jurisdictions, including the U.S., Mexico, Asia (including China, Hong Kong, India, Singapore, Vietnam, Philippines, Australia, Korea and Japan), Europe (including the UK, Germany, Ireland, Poland and Greece), Africa (including South Africa and Egypt) and Central and Latin America (including El Salvador, Honduras and Brazil).

He previously held partner roles at Kim & Chang in Seoul; Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP in London and Hong Kong; and Ashurst LLP in London. He was also previously a visiting lawyer with Fangda Partners in Shanghai. Kim earned his undergraduate degree from Davidson College and his law degree from Cornell Law School.