In Ok SON

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Mr. In Ok SON is a senior advisor at DR & AJU LLC. His practice is primarily focused on Antitrust & Competition, Intellectual Property, Mergers & Acquisitions, and Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG). Mr. Son is a renowned expert in Antitrust & Competition, both domestically and globally. He studied business administration and public administration at Seoul National University. After passing the Public Administration Examination, he studied economics at the University of Konstanz in Germany. While serving in the Korea Fair Trade Commission, he was also dispatched to the Federal Cartel Office of Germany as well as American law firm Reed Smith LLP, and served as a Bureau Member of the OECD Competition Committee, in the process acquiring extensive Antitrust & Competition expertise. Since 1995, while working at the Korea Fair Trade Commission, he has held such key positions as business combination manager, joint action manager, and consumer protection director. Since 2006, he has held positions such as evaluator, standing committee member, and vice chairman, which allowed him the opportunity to review virtually every case at the Korea Fair Trade Commission. At the Korea Fair Trade Commission, he was evaluated as an exemplary public servant who received full support from his subordinates and superiors. For example, in 1998, he was voted first place overall in the labor union's first Upright Person Selection. He continued to take first place in multi-faceted evaluations of candidates for promotion to bureau director and general manager. After retiring as a civil servant, he reviewed fair trade law cases on the corporate side at Yoon & Yang LLC. He continues his international fair trade practice experience by attending the ICN general counsel meeting (Rio de Janeiro meeting, Warsaw meeting, Seoul meeting, etc.) and the ACA meeting (Beijing, Seoul).

Profile

      • Non-Executive Director, Hyundai Motor Securities (2017-Present)
      • Non-Executive Director, Shinsegae Co., Ltd. (2014-2017)
      • Non-Executive Director, Samsung Asset Management Co. LTD (2012-2017)
      • Senior Advisor, YOON & YANG LLC (2011-2019)
      • ReedSmith LLP (2004-2005)
      • Secretary, Prime Minister’s Secretariat (1994)
      • Administrative Officer, Economic Planning Board (1982-1994)
      • Administrative Officer, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (1980-1982)
      • Training Program in Business Administration, Konstanz University (1984-1986)
      • Graduate School of Public Administration, Seoul National University (Completed Coursework, 1980)
      • School of Commerce, Seoul National University (BA in Business Studies, 1975)
      • Gwangju High School (1970)
      • Licensed Administrative Agent
      • Korean
      • English
      • German

Representative Activities

      • After retiring from the Fair Trade Commission, he acted as the Chair Judge for the Fair Trade Commission Mock Trial Competition for two years. He is currently the Chairman of the Operations Committee for the Fair Trade Association.
      • He undertook the role of Non-Executive Director for Samsung Asset Management and Shinsegae. Currently, he is the Non-Executive Director of Hyundai Motor Securities.
      • Director of the Korean Competition Law Society
      • Member of the Korea Competition Forum
      • Attended important academic seminars hosted by the Korean Association of Fair Economy and the Korea Society for Regulatory Studies
      • Attended a seminar on legislative policy hosted by the National Assembly Association
      • Attended a seminar hosted by the Economic Law Precedent Research Association
      • Attended a seminar hosted by the Korea Fair Competition Institute
  • Representative Matters
      • Introduction of a regulating system for holding companies: Imposed specific enforcement ordinances such as a restriction on the debt ratio of holding companies and banning the possession of affiliates
      • Establishment of judgment standard for corporate action: Promoted enactment of corporate action regulating standards following his appointment as the Section Chief
      • Establishment of a reward system for reporters of corporate action: Arranged a reward system for reporters with clear evidence
      • Acquisition of Shinsegi Telecom by SK Telecom: Imposed corrective action limiting share percentage on the wireless communications market after analyzing the condition of the competition following the development of information and communication technology
      • Acquisition of Kia Motors by Hyundai Motors: Imposed corrective action regulating price in the market for trucks weighing less than one ton where market-dominant position occurs
      • Price fixing for LPG: Took measures against implied price fixing between LPG suppliers
      • Price fixing for national and international airlines’ transportation: Took measures against the collusion of transportation surcharges
      • Tie-in sale by Microsoft: Handled formal rejection of tying in an Internet search engine and music streaming program into sales
      • Exclusive trading of Intel: Took measures against the act disturbing the use of competitor’s computer chip
      • Exclusive trading of Qualcomm: Took measures against the act of pressuring not to use competitor’s chip
      • Reduction of mileage benefit by an airline: Took measures by regulating the act as an offence against consumer interests
      • Abuse of market power by Qualcomm (2nd Qualcomm case): Responded to inspection procedure by the Fair Trade Commission on behalf of Qualcomm
      • Acquisition of Nokia by Microsoft: Brought out the very first motion of consent after the introduction of the system
      • Collusion of international truck industry: Won a lawsuit by pointing out the Fair Trade Commission’s juridical unreasonableness
      • Approach to Implementing Certificated Emission Reduction Trading Regulation in the Perspective of Fair Trade (2011)
      • Research on Network Neutrality (2008)
      • Possibility of Applying Fair Trade Law in the New Economy (2006)
      • The German Policy on Preventing Limitation on Competition (1998)

Practice Areas

Professionals