ESG (Environment , Social, Governance) metrics have recently emerged as important criteria in the evaluation of companies in the global market, and regulations and consumer expectations on ESG are becoming ever stricter. In this era of change, ClassHankyul has established its ESG team to help corporations comply with relevant laws and achieve sustainable management.
Our ESG team is able to provide comprehensive and professional legal services based on the collaboration of experts across multiple fields, and assists companies in tackling complex ESG issues effectively and enhancing their long-term competitiveness.
The ClassHankyul ESG team is comprised of experts leading the fields of environment, labor, occupational safety, corporate advisory, and compliance, and provides multi-faceted professional legal advice to support the sustainable growth and responsible management of companies.
Introduction
Major Business
Environment
- Advice on Compliance with Environmental Regulations: Advising on compliance with environmental laws and regulations, environmental impact assessment and carbon emissions management
- Environmental Certification and Reporting: Assisting with the obtainment of environmental certification, and advising on the preparation and disclosure of sustainability reports
- Environmental Disputes and Litigation: Representing clients in damages claims for losses caused by environmental pollution, applications for injunctions to suspend construction, and administrative litigation matters
- Establishment of Sustainability Strategies: Advising on the goal setting and strategy development for corporate environmental sustainability
Social
- Legal advice on Labor Law: Providing legal advice on corporate restructuring, personnel and labor contracts, remuneration and welfare
- Advice on Labor Union and Labor-management Relations: Advising on collective bargaining, dispute actions, unfair labor practices, and labor-management disputes
- Occupational Safety and Social Insurance: Providing legal advice and representing clients in lawsuits related to the Labor Standards Act, the Occupational Safety and Health Act, and laws on industrial accident compensation insurance and employment insurance
- Responses Pursuant to the Serious Accidents Punishment Act: Establishing and operating occupational safety and health management systems in accordance with the Serious Accidents Punishment Act, performing initial response actions and responding to relevant claims in the event of major accidents
- Social Responsibility Implementation: Advising on corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities and supporting the development and implementation of social contribution programs
Governance
- Establishment of Compliance Management and Internal Control Systems: Advising on the development of corporate internal control standards and ethics/compliance management systems, and systematizing legal requirements for top management, such as the prohibition of misappropriation of business opportunities, prohibition of self-dealing, and non-competition
- Privacy: Advising on the establishment of a privacy information management system, and laws on data security and privacy
- Fair Trade and Compliance: Advising on compliance with fair trade laws and antitrust laws, and development of compliance programs. Advising on various issues related to fair trade, such as cartels (collusion), abuse of market dominance, unfair trade practices, business groups, unfair assistance and private profit-taking, business combinations (M&A), subcontracting, franchise businesses, large retail businesses, agents, labelling/advertising, and terms and conditions regulations
- Advice on Compliance with Environmental Regulations: Advising on compliance with environmental laws and regulations, environmental impact assessment and carbon emissions management
- Environmental Certification and Reporting: Assisting with the obtainment of environmental certification, and advising on the preparation and disclosure of sustainability reports
- Environmental Disputes and Litigation: Representing clients in damages claims for losses caused by environmental pollution, applications for injunctions to suspend construction, and administrative litigation matters
- Establishment of Sustainability Strategies: Advising on the goal setting and strategy development for corporate environmental sustainability
Social
- Legal advice on Labor Law: Providing legal advice on corporate restructuring, personnel and labor contracts, remuneration and welfare
- Advice on Labor Union and Labor-management Relations: Advising on collective bargaining, dispute actions, unfair labor practices, and labor-management disputes
- Occupational Safety and Social Insurance: Providing legal advice and representing clients in lawsuits related to the Labor Standards Act, the Occupational Safety and Health Act, and laws on industrial accident compensation insurance and employment insurance
- Responses Pursuant to the Serious Accidents Punishment Act: Establishing and operating occupational safety and health management systems in accordance with the Serious Accidents Punishment Act, performing initial response actions and responding to relevant claims in the event of major accidents
- Social Responsibility Implementation: Advising on corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities and supporting the development and implementation of social contribution programs
Governance
- Establishment of Compliance Management and Internal Control Systems: Advising on the development of corporate internal control standards and ethics/compliance management systems, and systematizing legal requirements for top management, such as the prohibition of misappropriation of business opportunities, prohibition of self-dealing, and non-competition
- Privacy: Advising on the establishment of a privacy information management system, and laws on data security and privacy
- Fair Trade and Compliance: Advising on compliance with fair trade laws and antitrust laws, and development of compliance programs. Advising on various issues related to fair trade, such as cartels (collusion), abuse of market dominance, unfair trade practices, business groups, unfair assistance and private profit-taking, business combinations (M&A), subcontracting, franchise businesses, large retail businesses, agents, labelling/advertising, and terms and conditions regulations
Major Performance
Environment
- Represented clients in lawsuits on large-scale damage to fisheries caused by reclamation works, marine pollution, etc.
- Represented clients in lawsuits claiming various environmental damage caused by noise, infringement of rights to sunlight/views, etc. from roads, construction sites, etc.
- Advised on a number of environmental compliance matters
Social
- Handled a matter concerning Sammi Corporation’s transfer of business and redundancy process
- Handled a matter concerning Hana Bank’s standby orders and the assignment of back-office roles
- Handled a matter concerning the assignment of back-office roles at Kookmin Bank
- Handled a matter concerning the Korea Exchange Bank’s redundancy process
- Advised the Ministry of Employment and Labor on numerous instances in relation to multiple union issues and labor union activities
- Advised the Korea Railroad Corporation on dispute actions and negotiations
- Handled multiple cases on Korea National Railway’s dismissal and disciplinary actions following strikes
- Handled a matter concerning the interpretation of Seoul Metro’s collective agreement
- Handled a matter concerning the confirmation of nullity of the election in connection with the Korean Financial Industry Union at Kookmin Bank
- Handled a matter concerning Korean Air’s dismissal of employees for labor union activities
- Represented Daelim Petrochemical in dispute actions and negotiations
- Handled a matter related to the preliminary injunction to suspend the effect of the performance improvement program of the Korean Financial Industry Union at KB Bank
- Handled a matter concerning the dismissed incorporation filings of Pyeongtaek Port Trade Union
- Handled a matter concerning the preliminary injunction on the prohibition of interference with business of National Health Insurance Service
- Advised Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering on its wage related policies
- Advised Lotte Insurance on multiple matters in connection with its HR policies
- Advised Lotte Insurance on various matters concerning rules on the protection of personal information
- Advised SH Corp. on its employment rules and relevant policies
- Advised Woongjin Thinkbig on its employment rules and relevant policies
- Advised Daehan Life Insurance on sexual harassment issues
- Advised Seoul Transit Corporation Union on multiple matters regarding collective agreements
- Assisted thyssenkrupp AG in its review of various policies on human resources/labor/organization
Governance
- Advised clients including S-Oil, Lotte Cinema, Lotte Insurance, Lotte Duty Free, Heungkuk Fire & Marine Insurance, RCI Korea, Korea Information Security Agency, Hankyoreh, and KT on the protection of personal information
- Advised Homeplus in connection with its project on the establishment of a personal information protection management system and protection of personal information
- Advised a UK-based global law firm on the use of medical research/experiment data
- Advised KAIST on the protection of information on its students
- Advised a construction company (Company S) on unfair trade practices in the tenders for the operating rights/lease over highway service areas/gas stations
- Advised a company specialized in urban development (Company H) on issues of violations of the Fair Transactions in Subcontracting Act and the Monopoly Regulation and Fair Trade Act, in its award of a contract for services for integrated licenses/permits for a complex specialized in advanced chemicals
- Advised Company D on alleged violation of the Monopoly Regulation and Fair Trade Act in the operation of a merged company for the operation of Incheon inner ports
- Provided advice on potential violations of the Monopoly Regulation and Fair Trade Act of gas disconnections, etc., in case of gas users’ failure to make advance payments
- Advised a fire & marine insurance company (Company A) in relation to unfair trade practices such as termination of the contract on the subcontracted services of printing/dispatching of mail
- Advised a battery manufacturer (Company L) in a case regarding alleged violations of the Fair Transactions in Subcontracting Act, such as the request for and misappropriation of technical data
- Advised a large discount store operator (Company H) on the Fair Transactions in Franchise Business Act, with respect to the terms and conditions of the franchise agreements
- Advised a construction company (Company S) on the Fair Transactions in Franchise Business Act, with respect to the opening of a convenience store in the dormitory of Kyonggi University
- Represented a Korean restaurant (Company H) in its application for dispute mediation by a mediation center in connection with potential violations of the Fair Transactions in Franchise Business Act
- Represented a bingsu franchise operator (Company A) in a lawsuit seeking revocation of warnings rendered in connection with violations of the Fair Transactions in Franchise Business Act
- Represented an outlet operator (Company A) in a revocation litigation concerning corrective orders, etc. on violations of the Large-Scale Distribution Business Act
- Applied for dispute mediation by a mediation center regarding alleged violations of the Act on Fair Transactions in Large Retail Business by a large health and beauty retail business operator, Company A
- Represented clients in lawsuits on large-scale damage to fisheries caused by reclamation works, marine pollution, etc.
- Represented clients in lawsuits claiming various environmental damage caused by noise, infringement of rights to sunlight/views, etc. from roads, construction sites, etc.
- Advised on a number of environmental compliance matters
Social
- Handled a matter concerning Sammi Corporation’s transfer of business and redundancy process
- Handled a matter concerning Hana Bank’s standby orders and the assignment of back-office roles
- Handled a matter concerning the assignment of back-office roles at Kookmin Bank
- Handled a matter concerning the Korea Exchange Bank’s redundancy process
- Advised the Ministry of Employment and Labor on numerous instances in relation to multiple union issues and labor union activities
- Advised the Korea Railroad Corporation on dispute actions and negotiations
- Handled multiple cases on Korea National Railway’s dismissal and disciplinary actions following strikes
- Handled a matter concerning the interpretation of Seoul Metro’s collective agreement
- Handled a matter concerning the confirmation of nullity of the election in connection with the Korean Financial Industry Union at Kookmin Bank
- Handled a matter concerning Korean Air’s dismissal of employees for labor union activities
- Represented Daelim Petrochemical in dispute actions and negotiations
- Handled a matter related to the preliminary injunction to suspend the effect of the performance improvement program of the Korean Financial Industry Union at KB Bank
- Handled a matter concerning the dismissed incorporation filings of Pyeongtaek Port Trade Union
- Handled a matter concerning the preliminary injunction on the prohibition of interference with business of National Health Insurance Service
- Advised Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering on its wage related policies
- Advised Lotte Insurance on multiple matters in connection with its HR policies
- Advised Lotte Insurance on various matters concerning rules on the protection of personal information
- Advised SH Corp. on its employment rules and relevant policies
- Advised Woongjin Thinkbig on its employment rules and relevant policies
- Advised Daehan Life Insurance on sexual harassment issues
- Advised Seoul Transit Corporation Union on multiple matters regarding collective agreements
- Assisted thyssenkrupp AG in its review of various policies on human resources/labor/organization
Governance
- Advised clients including S-Oil, Lotte Cinema, Lotte Insurance, Lotte Duty Free, Heungkuk Fire & Marine Insurance, RCI Korea, Korea Information Security Agency, Hankyoreh, and KT on the protection of personal information
- Advised Homeplus in connection with its project on the establishment of a personal information protection management system and protection of personal information
- Advised a UK-based global law firm on the use of medical research/experiment data
- Advised KAIST on the protection of information on its students
- Advised a construction company (Company S) on unfair trade practices in the tenders for the operating rights/lease over highway service areas/gas stations
- Advised a company specialized in urban development (Company H) on issues of violations of the Fair Transactions in Subcontracting Act and the Monopoly Regulation and Fair Trade Act, in its award of a contract for services for integrated licenses/permits for a complex specialized in advanced chemicals
- Advised Company D on alleged violation of the Monopoly Regulation and Fair Trade Act in the operation of a merged company for the operation of Incheon inner ports
- Provided advice on potential violations of the Monopoly Regulation and Fair Trade Act of gas disconnections, etc., in case of gas users’ failure to make advance payments
- Advised a fire & marine insurance company (Company A) in relation to unfair trade practices such as termination of the contract on the subcontracted services of printing/dispatching of mail
- Advised a battery manufacturer (Company L) in a case regarding alleged violations of the Fair Transactions in Subcontracting Act, such as the request for and misappropriation of technical data
- Advised a large discount store operator (Company H) on the Fair Transactions in Franchise Business Act, with respect to the terms and conditions of the franchise agreements
- Advised a construction company (Company S) on the Fair Transactions in Franchise Business Act, with respect to the opening of a convenience store in the dormitory of Kyonggi University
- Represented a Korean restaurant (Company H) in its application for dispute mediation by a mediation center in connection with potential violations of the Fair Transactions in Franchise Business Act
- Represented a bingsu franchise operator (Company A) in a lawsuit seeking revocation of warnings rendered in connection with violations of the Fair Transactions in Franchise Business Act
- Represented an outlet operator (Company A) in a revocation litigation concerning corrective orders, etc. on violations of the Large-Scale Distribution Business Act
- Applied for dispute mediation by a mediation center regarding alleged violations of the Act on Fair Transactions in Large Retail Business by a large health and beauty retail business operator, Company A
