The office opened yesterday, and is located in the Meritz Tower in the centre of Seoul’s Gangnam business district.
Timothy Hester, chairman of the firm’s management committee, commented: ‘We are honored to be among the first US law firms to open an office in Seoul. While our work with companies based in Korea has been an important part of our practice for many years, our Seoul office opening is an important step in our efforts to deliver the highest possible level of service to our client base in Seoul and throughout the world.’
Covington has deployed partner William Park to oversee the office of five lawyers.
Reports last month suggested 16 other law firms had applied to to open South Korean offices – or are rumoured to have done so: Clifford Chance, Cohen & Grasser, Paul Hastings, Ropes & Gray, Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, DLA Piper, H Park & Associates, K&L Gates, McDermott Will & Emery, McKenna Long & Aldridge, O’Melveny & Myers, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, Squire Sanders, Herbert Smith and Linklaters.