Partner, Kook-Hyun Kim

Kevin, Kook-Hyun Kim, Attorney at Law / Patent Attorney, kkh@kasanlaw.com

Kevin, Kook-Hyun Kim is an attorney at law who represents and provides counsel to clients in in-depth legal matters related to intellectual property law. Since starting his career as a patent and trademark attorney in 1994, his practice encompassed virtually all aspects related to intellectual property from drafting and prosecuting patent applications to patent trials and litigation, and over the years, he has provided professional services relating to trademark registration, licensing and litigation to both domestic and multinational corporate clients.

Before joining KASAN, he worked at Kim & Chang, Lee & Ko and Myung-Shin & Partners. While working at Kim & Chang, he has prosecuted a large number of inbound patent applications and was extensively involved with representing multinational corporate clients in patent trials and litigation. At Lee & Ko, his major domestic clients included LG electronics and LG-Philips LCD, which he represented in technology transfers, litigation, trade secret, copyright and trademarks.

He is regularly involved with patent and trademark infringement litigations. Particularly, he has successfully represented domestic clients (defendants) in landmark patent infringement lawsuits. Though a patentee asked for the largest damage compensation in the history of our patent infringement lawsuits, attorneys for the defendants, including Mr. Kim, successfully defended the clients in a trial that lasted for 3 years.

At KASAN from 2006, he has worked for many clients regarding IP infringement litigation cases, arbitration cases, opinions, etc. The list of representative litigation cases is attached below.

Kevin is a frequent speaker at various seminars attended by domestic and international patent practitioners. He served as an adjunct professor for patent practice at Yonsei University, school of law for 5 years. And he regularly gives lectures at the Korean Invention Promotion Association and the Korean Patent Attorney Association.

Further, he was involved with the WIPO's educational project, as a counselor to the Korean Invention Promotion Association and the Korean Intellectual Property Office. Both organizations provided the WIPO with online education materials related to patent, trademark, copyright, trade secret, etc.

Mr. Kim is an active member of LESI, INTA, APAA, KPAA and the Korea Bar Association.

Mr. Kim received a B.S. and an M.S. in Pharmaceutics from Seoul National University (SNU) in 1987 and 1989, respectively, a Masters in IP from Franklin Pierce Law Center of UNH in New Hampshire, U.S.A. in 1994, and a LL.B. from Seoul National University in 2000.

Mr. Kim passed the Korean patent bar examination in 1993 and the Korean bar examination in 2000.

Mr. Kim wrote a book, “Business Secrets Protection Law” in 2010.

He is versed in English and Japanese.

• Representative Cases after 2006 at KASAN from 2006

- Pfizer Inc. v. Ahn-Gook, a Korean Pharmaceutical Company

Kasan IP and Law Firm successfully defended a Korean pharmaceutical company against allegations of infringement of a patent relating to Pfizer’s blockbuster medicine Norvasc® in preliminary injunction and permanent injunction infringement litigation, and successfully represented the Korean company in invalidation proceedings, trial to confirm the scope of a patent right and appeals against the trial decisions before the Korean Patent Court and the Supreme Court.

- Pfizer Inc. v. Hanlim, a Korean Pharmaceutical Company

This is the first case regarding “off-label” drug issue in Korea. The patent is directed a new use of a known compound, pregabalin. Kevin represented Hanlim and successfully defended permanent injunction claim and restricted damages against the patentee Pfizer.  

- Tokyo Electron Limited v. IPS, a Korean semiconductor equipment company

We successfully represented a Korean semiconductor manufacturing equipment company in patent infringement litigation before a civil court, invalidation trials before the IPT in KIPO, appeals against the trial decision before the Korean Patent Court. Also we successfully represented our client in criminal prosecution proceedings relating to trade secret theft allegation against TEL.

- Gilead v. Daewoong, a Korean pharmaceutical company

Our firm successfully defended a Korean pharmaceutical company against allegations of infringement of a patent relating to Gilead’s blockbuster drug Hepsera®, in preliminary injunction case, patent infringement litigation, invalidation trials before the IPT in KIPO and appeal against the trial decision.

- Konami v. a Korean game company

The firm successfully defended a Korean game company in copyright and trademark infringement litigations and criminal prosecution cases, relating to Konami’s famous characters and trademarks.

- KEC, a Korean electronics company v. ASE

We defended ASE against a Korean electronics company in criminal prosecution and litigation relating to theft of trade secret involving semiconductor packaging technologies.

- P&G v. Wooshin, a Korean pharmaceutical company

We successfully defended a Korean generic company in invalidation trial, trial to confirm the scope of a patent and appeal against the trial decisions before the Korean Patent Court and the Supreme Court relating to developing and marketing of a generic version of P&G’s patented medicine Risedronate Sodium for treating osteoporosis.

- ALCON v. Hanlim, a Korean pharmaceutical company

Kasan successfully represented a Korean generic company in invalidation trial and appeal against the trial decision, relating to developing and marketing of a generic version of ALCON’s patented medicine Patanol® for treating allergic conjunctivitis.

- INNOMTEK v. CDM Bridge

The firm successfully represented INNOMTEK in infringement litigation and preliminary injunction cases involving Bluetooth and USB driver technologies.

- TRY Brands v. a personal business owner

We successfully represented TRY Brands in trademark infringement litigation involving a well-known trademark for clothing. 

- Shinwha Inc. v. Mirae Inc.

We represented Shinwha in patent infringement litigation and invalidation trial, relating to a patent on diffusion film for LCD.

- Dash Co., Ltd v. a Korean consumer goods company

Kasan successfully defended a Korean consumer goods company against allegations of infringement of a patent relating to household goods in preliminary injunction.

- Sports TOTO Inc. v. a personal business owner

We successfully represented Sports TOTO in patent infringement litigation, invalidation trial and appeal for the trial decision against a personal business owner.

- Wonik Inc., a Korean semiconductor equipment company v. a former researcher of the company

The firm successfully represented a Korean semiconductor equipment company in a trade secret theft case against a former researcher of the company, throughout criminal prosecution, preliminary injunction and infringement litigation. 

- Ace Tech, a Korean electronics company v. Hirose Korea, an electronics joint venture between a Korean company and a Japanese company

Kasan IP and Law Firm successfully represented an electronics joint venture between a Korean company and a Japanese company in a trade secret theft case involving mobile antenna technology against Ace Tech throughout criminal prosecution, preliminary injunction and litigation for damages. 

- A Korean construction and engineering company “S” v. a Korean construction and engineering company “I”

The firm successfully represented a Korean construction and engineering company “S” in patent disputes and disputes relating to “New Excellent Technology” certification from Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. 

- National Health Insurance Corporation v. Seoul National University

We successfully defended Seoul National University in insurance benefits refund litigation against National Health Insurance Corporation.

- SK Chemical, a Korean pharmaceutical company v. Dongkuk, a Korean pharmaceutical company

We successfully defended Dongkuk, a Korean pharmaceutical company in patent infringement litigations, trademark infringement litigation, invalidation trial and trial to confirm the scope of a patent before the IPT in KIPO relating to a patented drug of a combination of existing two drugs. 

- National Health Insurance Corporation v. Kyungbo, a Korean pharmaceutical company

The firm successfully defended a Korean pharmaceutical company in pharmaceutical expenditure refund litigation, relating to active pharmaceutical ingredients exemption provision. 

- Daewoong, a Korean metal working company v. a personal business owner

We successfully represented a Korean metalworking company in patent infringement litigation, invalidation trial and appeal for the trial decision, against a personal business owner.

- Choistech, a Korean electronics startup v. a Korean electronics company

Kasan successfully represented Choistech, a Korean small electronics company in a trade secret theft case relating to electronic accessories for iPhone by obtaining injunctive relief against a Korean electronics company.

- Oy Ajat v. Vatech, a Korean medical device company

We successfully represented a Finnish medical device company Oy Ajat in patent infringement litigation, invalidation trial, post-grant amendment trial and appeal against the trial decisions, relating to a dental instrument. 

- Flowmaster Korea v. a Korean software company

Kasan successfully represented Flowmaster Korea, a subsidiary of American software company Flowmaster Inc., in a trade secret theft case relating to computational fluid dynamics simulation software, against a Korean software company.

- Saerom v. a Korean cable TV company

We successfully represented Saerom in design right infringement litigation and related criminal prosecution against a Korean cable TV company.