Dongho Lee
Partner, Seoul
Biography
Clients have described Dongho as “one of the leading/top-tier M&A lawyers at an international law firm in Korea. He has extensive deal experience and gets actively involved. He is creative and advocates zealously for his clients.”
Legal 500 Asia-Pacific 2023
Overview
Dongho Lee is Partner and Head of White & Case's Korea Corporate / M&A / PE practice group.
Dongho advises Korean and global clients, including many of the largest Korean conglomerates, technology companies and international and domestic private equity firms, on cross-border M&A transactions, strategic alliances, joint ventures and ESG matters.
Bars and Courts
New York State Bar
Registered Foreign Legal Consultant, Korea
Education
JD
Georgetown University Law Center
BA
Economics
Seoul National University
Languages
English
Korean
Experience
- Brite Energy Partners, a Korean solar energy development and investment company, on its equity financing and further financing commitment in an aggregate amount of more than US$200 million from BlackRock Real Assets.
- The Carlyle Group in connection with its US$200 million strategic investment and partnership between Carlyle Asia Partners V and KB Financial Group, Korea's largest bank.
- Green Cross in connection with various acquisitions and investments including its acquisition of Biocentrique, Inc., a contract development & manufacturing organization (CDMO) business in New Jersey.
- KDB Investment-Hana Securities, Korea Investment Private Equity and KB Asset Management on the US$150 million acquisition of newly issued convertible preferred shares of US-based HyAxiom, Inc., a leading developer and manufacturer of hydrogen-based and other fuel cells and electrolyzer solutions.
- Korea Investment & Securities Co., Ltd., a leading securities firm in Korea, on the formation of a substantial leveraged lending joint venture (SF Credit Partners, LLC) and strategic collaboration with Stifel Financial Corp., an international full-service investment bank in the US.
- LG Energy Solution on its acquisition of NEC ES, a US-based energy storage system technology company; and, together with LG Chem, on its investment in NYSE-listed Li-Cycle Holdings Corp. (Li-Cycle), an industry leader in lithium-ion battery resource recovery and the leading lithium-ion battery recycler in North America.
- Lotte Corporation in connection with the establishment of Lotte Biologics and its US$160 million acquisition of biologics assets in Syracuse, New York from Bristol Myers Squibb.
- The founders of Medit Corporation, a leading manufacturer of dental scanners, on the sale of their portion of the 99.5% stake in Medit Corporation to MBK Partners for approximately US$1.9 billion (majority stake sold by Unison Capital).
- Samsung Electronics in connection with multiple acquisitions, dispositions and IP matters.
- Zinus, a Korea Exchange-listed global manufacturer and distributor of mattresses and furniture, and its controlling shareholder on their US$732 million sale of a 35.8 percent stake to Hyundai Department Store (HDS), a major department store chain in South Korea.
- A Middle East-based sovereign wealth fund on its US$150 million acquisition of newly issued convertible preferred shares of SK On Co., Ltd., a leading Korean battery maker.
Awards and Recognition
Ranked as a leader in M&A and Governance in South Korea by Who's Who Legal: South Korea 2023
ALB's Korea Super 30 Lawyer 2022, 2023
Leading Individual for Corporate/M&A: Foreign Firms – South Korea, Legal 500 Asia-Pacific 2020-2023
Leading Lawyer for Corporate/M&A: International Firms – South Korea, Chambers Asia-Pacific 2020-2023
