Baker McKenzie & KL Partners Joint Venture Law Firm Establishes Tax Practice with Addition of Elite Team Led by Jangwoon (John) Kwak and Duk Won (Doug) Suh

Baker McKenzie is pleased to announce the appointments of leading tax practitioners John Kwak as partner and Doug Suh as senior advisor in Baker McKenzie & KL Partners Joint Venture Law Firm (Baker McKenzie KLP JV). Their appointments will further expand the JV's service offering, which currently spans Energy & Infrastructure Development and Financing, Dispute Resolution and M&A. John and Doug join the JV together with a senior associate.

John is a seasoned lawyer with over 20 years of experience in international taxation and cross-border transactions. He has successfully represented multinational corporations in tax audits, tax litigation, dispute resolution, transfer pricing, M&A tax structuring, and overseas investment strategies. John is particularly skilled in navigating corporate tax and transfer pricing challenges for foreign companies operating in Korea, while also resolving complex tax disputes and regulatory issues for Korean companies expanding abroad. His expertise has been essential in helping multinational clients manage tax risks and optimize compliance in an increasingly complex global tax landscape. John also provides high-net-worth individuals and their private businesses with tailored cross-border tax and estate planning solutions.

Doug specializes in transfer pricing and overseas investment. He has extensive experience in transfer pricing, including Advance Pricing Agreements (APA), Mutual Agreement Procedures (MAP), tax audit defense, global transfer pricing planning, and representing taxpayers in transfer pricing legislation and tax appeals. Doug is also well-versed in customs-related work, particularly Advance Customs Valuation Arrangements (ACVA). He has considerable expertise in the tax systems of various countries, including China and Southeast Asian nations such as Vietnam and Indonesia, serving as a leading advisor to clients operating on the global stage.

Won Lee, Baker McKenzie's Korea Practice head, said: "We are delighted to welcome John and Doug to the team to establish a Tax Practice within Baker McKenzie KLP JV. Their arrival follows the recent addition of Sunyoung Kim and David Kim in our Dispute Resolution Practice, reinforcing our position as the largest international law firm in Korea by partner bench strength."

Adeline Wong, Asia Pacific chair of the Tax Practice, said: "We are very excited to welcome John and Doug to the team. Their appointments will bolster Baker McKenzie's leading Global Tax Practice to include matters with a nexus to Korea. Their rich experience in cross-border tax issues related to cross-border corporate transactions complements Baker McKenzie's ambitions for our Transactional Practice across Asia and globally, positioning the Firm as the first choice for our clients' complex legal needs."

Beomsu Kim, Joint Representative of Baker McKenzie KLP JV, added: "Establishing a Tax Practice within Baker McKenzie KLP JV is an important step in our ongoing market expansion. The team's combined expertise and knowledge will enable us to better serve our domestic and international clients."

Steven Sieker, Baker McKenzie's Asia Chief Executive, added: "The arrival of John and Doug, following on from our recent addition of Shirin Tang and Ang Lip Kian in Singapore, is further evidence of our commitment to further grow our strong, expansive Asia platform and deepen our capabilities in strategic areas to meet our clients' evolving needs."

John said: "I am very excited to be joining Baker McKenzie KLP JV to launch its Tax Practice in Korea. Alongside my colleagues across Baker McKenzie's global network, I look forward to delivering seamless, top-notch, cross-practice domestic and international legal advice to our clients."

Doug said: "Baker McKenzie's Tax Practice is highly rated for its local and international expertise, and its broad coverage across the Asia Pacific region and globally. Cross-border advice is core to my practice and I look forward to leveraging the Firm's unmatched global platform and connectivity to better serve our clients."

With more than 900 tax practitioners in over 40 countries, Baker McKenzie's Tax Practice is one of the largest and most highly regarded in the world. The Practice collaborates across borders and specialties to stay abreast of changing tax landscapes worldwide. Clients turn to the Firm for high quality tax advice in transactions, as well as in global tax policy, transfer pricing, indirect tax, dispute resolution and wealth management matters, worldwide. Learn more about our tax capabilities here.

Prior to joining, John was a senior foreign attorney in the tax practice of a Korean law firm and has worked in major accounting firms in New York as well as other local law firms in Seoul. He is admitted to practice in New York and holds an LL.M. in Taxation from New York University, an LL.M. from the University of Pennsylvania, and an LL.B. from Yonsei University.

Doug joins from the same Korean law firm as John. He holds a Ph.D. in Accounting & Taxation from Gachon University, an M.S. degree from University of Seoul and a B.A. degree from Yonsei University. He is also an instructor at the OECD Korea Policy Center and a visiting professor at the National Tax Officials Training Institute in Korea.

Baker McKenzie launched its historic joint venture with leading Korean law firm KL Partners last October. The JV welcomed leading arbitration practitioner David Kim and international arbitration practitioner Sunyoung Kim as partners in December 2023 and May 2024, respectively. Also in Asia, Baker McKenzie Wong & Leow, the member firm of Baker McKenzie in Singapore, recently welcomed a high-caliber M&A team in Singapore, led by principals Shirin Tang and Ang Lip Kian.