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Mincheol Kim

Mincheol Kim is a partner in the firm’s global Technology Transactions, IP Litigation, and IP Procurement practice groups. With over 30 years of practice, Mincheol has developed an immense skill set with regard to counseling a wide range of businesses on the complex commercial, technical, and legal issues associated with global business transactions and disputes. He is dedicated to pursuing excellence across all his representations and helps his clients to win investments, strategic partnership, customer relationships, and disputes.

Mincheol is a bilingual lawyer who has practiced in both the US and Korea. He has vast experience working with Korean businesses in the US. He is familiar with the distinct challenges his Korean clients face when they conduct business in the global settings. Oftentimes, those challenges come from differences in the culture, language, and legal system between Korea and the global business environments. He offers his Korean clients creative solutions that would bridge such differences for successful business outcomes.

Mincheol has a technical background in both chemistry and electronics engineering, and has worked on a number of interdisciplinary projects. Leveraging his skills and experiences in the complex commercial, technical and legal matters, Mincheol represents many technology-driven businesses from global technology leaders to technology startups in a wide range of industries that include biotechnology, medical technologies, material science, semiconductor, secondary battery, display devices, mobile devices, telecommunication, artificial intelligence, digital assets, mobility technologies, IoT, energy storage, shipbuilding, and many others.

Prior to joining the firm, Mincheol served as a partner at a national law firm where he focused on intellectual property and technology practice over more than two decades. Before then, Mincheol had practiced Korean intellectual property law in Seoul, Korea for several years.

  • American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA)
  • International Association of Korean Lawyers (IAKL)
  • Orange County Korean American Bar Association (OCKABA)
  • Orange County Asian American Bar Association (OCAABA)
  • “U.S. Patents – Why and How,” presented at Samsung Display Corporation, Suwon, Korea (4  March 2024)
  • “From Adventure to Venture,” presented at VC AMA for Asian Founders, Los Angeles, CA (28 June 2023)
  • “K-Startups Coming to the U.S.,” presented at Korea Innovation Center, San Jose, CA (10 May 2023)
  • K-Startups Coming to the U.S.,” presented to Shinhan S2 Bridge Delegation at Shinhan Securities America, Palo Alto, CA (1 March 2023)
  • “Why and What IP for your global expansion,” presented to Korean Fund for Regenerative Medicine, Seoul, Korea (17 October 2022)
  • “How Many Working Examples Are Good for Patent Protection,” presented at TERMIS-AP 2022, Jeju, Korea (7 October 2022)
  • “Business Considerations for IP-Based Commercialization,” presented at WIPO InnoCamp (17 June 2022)
  • “Business Growth & IP,” presented at WIPO Academy (19 May 2022) 
  • “US Patents for Korea-Originated Inventions,” presented at Dongguk University (22 December 2021) 
  • “IP Essentials for MedTech Startups,” presented at Seoul National University Hospital’s Online Seminar (28 July 2021)
  • “Going Global and Global IP Strategy,” presented at D.CAMP Meetup, Seoul, Korea (3 June 2021)
  • “IP Strategy in the Platform Technology Era,” presented to partners of Company D, Seoul, Korea (2 June 2021)
  • “Winning Patents,” presented at Samsung Display Corporation, Suwon, Korea (31 May 2021)
  • “Pharmaceutical Business Transactions,” presented at Olipass, Suwon, Korea (26 May 2021)
  • “Sailing Through The Unknown Seas,” presented at Intocell, Suwon, Korea (20 May 2021)
  • “Leverage Your Medtech Deal with Strong Patents,” presented at Seoul Biohub, Seoul, Korea (17 November 2020)
  • "Technology Startups & IP Due Diligence," presented at Capstone Partners, Seoul, Korea (6 November  2019)
  • "Recent U.S. Intellectual Property Litigations of Korean Companies," presented at KOSDAQ CEO Forum, Seoul, Korea (23 September 2019)
  • "Leverage Your U.S. IP Position in Investment and Corporate Transactions," presented at Knobbe Reception for Startup and Investment Communities, Seoul, Korea (20 September 2019)
  • "Adventure of Gam and Technology," presented at Global Patent Monetization Forum Breakfast Seminar, Seoul, Korea (1 July 2019)
  • "IP Due Diligence for VC Investment," presented at KB Investment, Seoul, Korea (4 July 2019)
  • Moderated Panel Discussion on Patent Monetization Efforts at Global Patent Monetization Forum, Seoul, Korea (1 July 2019)
  • "Patent Monetization - U.S. Perspective," presented at Global Patent Monetization Forum Seoul, Korea (1 July 2019) 
  • "Extraterritorial Effects of KIPO’s Patent Examination Practice," presented at Korean Intellectual Property Office, Daejon, Korea (14 November 2018)
  • "Intellectual Property Considerations Before Launching Business/Products in the U.S.," presented to Korean Securities Dealers Automated Quotations (KOSDAQ) Delegation, Los Angeles, CA (12 June 2018)
  • "Patent Monetization as Technology Commercialization Option," presented at 2018 Strategic TLO Training Program, Pasadena, CA (11 April 2018) 
  • "Patent Strategies of U.S. Startups and Execution," presented at Startup Seminar organized by Company D, Seoul, Korea (3 November 2017)
  • "The PTAB - Past, Present, and Future" & "Attorney-Client Privilege," presented at Korea Patent Attorneys Association, Seoul, Korea (31 October 2017)
  • "Improve U.S. Patent Prosecution Performance," presented at LG Innotek, Seoul, Korea (11 July 2017) 
  • "Attorney-Client Privilege," presented at LG Electronics IP Center, Seoul, Korea, (31 March 2017)
  • "U.S. Trademark Law and Practice for non-U.S. trademark practitioners," presented at iNTOMARK User Seminar organized by WIPS, Seoul, Korea (30 March 2017) 
  • "System Failure," presented at Bon Day organized by Bon Angels and, Seoul, Korea (29 March 2017)
  • "Winning Patents - Valid & Infringed," presented at Goertek, Weifang, China (27 March 2017) 
  • "Managing U.S. Patent Prosecution Expenses," presented at Hyundai Mobis, Yongin, Korea (28 June 2016)
  • “Intellectual Property Q&As for Startups,” presented at 2016 TekOne, Los Angeles , CA (21 May 2016)
  • “Winning Patents,” presented at Cha Biotech Group, Korea (7 July 2015)
  • “Legal Strategies for Startups: Dos and Do-Nots,” presented at 2015 Global Startup Springboard in Los Angeles, CA (16 May 2015)
  • “Patenting Software Inventions in Korea and the US,” panel discussion at AIPPI APC Road Show, Seoul, Korea (1 December 2014)
  • Hosted “KIAT Intellectual Property and Technology Commercialization Seminar,” Irvine and San Diego, CA (29 September - 2 October 2014)
  • “Intellectual Property Issues for Technology Start-ups,” presented at TekOne 2014, Los Angeles, CA (30 May 2014)
  • “Intellectual Property & Doing Business in the United States,” presented at International Entrepreneurship Training Programs, Plug & Play Tech Center, Sunnyvale, CA (10 June and 26 November 2013) 
  • “Attorney Client Privilege in US IP Practice,” presented at UBIC Korea, Seoul, Korea (19 November 2013) 
  • “An International Perspective on Attorney-Client Privilege,” presented at AIPPI APC Road Show, Seoul, Korea (12 November 2013)
  • “Reinvent Your Inventions,” presented at Samsung Electronics Mobile Division, Suwon, Korea (30 September 2013)
  • “Winning Patent Claims,” presented at KIAT Tech Commercialization Training Program, Von Liebig Entrepreneurism Center, University of California, San Diego, CA (9 September 2013)
  • “Discovery & Attorney-Client Privilege in US Litigation,” presented at the Reception for Gyeonggi Central Bar Association, Irvine, CA (26 July 2013) 
  • “Winning Patent Claims,” presented at Joint LL.M. Program of Seoul National University & Santa Clara University School of Law, Santa Clara, CA (9 May 2013)
  • “Discovery in US Patent Litigation,” presented at EZPEX CLE Program for Korean IP practitioners , Seoul, Korea (14 February 2013) 
  • “Trademark Implications of Meta Tags and Keywords,” presented at AIPPI World Congress, Seoul, Korea (22 October 2013)
  • “Patent Claims Asserted in Apple v. Samsung,” presented at KIAT Tech Commercialization Training Program, Von Liebig Entrepreneurism Center, UCSD, San Diego, CA (11 September 2012) 
  • “US Trademark Law and Practice for Korean Clients and Practitioners,” presented at Korean Patent Attorneys Association, Seoul, Korea (24 March 2011)
  • “Commonly Under-Appreciated Aspects of US IP Laws and Practice,” presented at Knobbe Reception for Korean IP Professionals Delegation, Washington DC, (27 January 2011)
  • “Handling US Patent Infringement Claims and Clearance Issues,” presented at Korean Intellectual Property Office, Daejon, Korea (28 October 2010)
  • “IP Due Diligence,” presented at Seoul National University School of Law, Seoul, Korea (23 October 2010)
  • “Intellectual Property Due Diligence for Transactions on Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology,” presented at Korea Pharmaceutical and Bio-Pharma Manufacturers Association, Seoul, Korea (22 September 2010)
  • “Career in Intellectual Property Law for Engineers and Scientists,” presented at Korean American Scientists and Engineers Association (KSEA) Conference, Los Angeles, CA (15 May 2010)
  • “US-Korea Bi-Country Intellectual Property Law Practice,” presented at The US-Korea Law Forum, University of California School of Law, Irvine, CA (3 February 2010)
  • “Invention Capital,” presented at Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology (KIAT), Seoul, Korea (23 October 2009)
  • “Winning Patent Claims – Strategy and Drafting,” presented at Hyundai Motor Research Center, Hwaseong, Korea (29 July 2009)
  • “US Claim Construction – Rules and Practice,” presented at Korea Electronics Association (KEA), Seoul, Korea (9 July 2009)
  • “Handling Patent and Trademark Issues for Entering the US Market,” presented at the KOTRA & Knobbe Martens CES Reception, Las Vegas, NV (6 January 2009)
  • “Securing Intellectual Property Rights,” presented at Orange County Korean American Bar Association (OC KABA) 2008 Community Law School, Garden Grove, CA (3 May 2008)
  • “Strategy for Maximizing Values of US Patents,” presented for Technology Transfer Officer Training Program, Korea Research Council for Industrial Science & Technology (KOCI), Seoul, Korea (18 September 2007)
  • “Considerations for Technology Transfer to the United States for Korean Research Institutes,” presented at Korean Techno Cluster Program, Global Connect, San Diego, CA (15 November 2007) 
  • “KSR v. Teleflex, Post-KSR Strategies,” presented at Yonsei University Graduate School of Law, Seoul, Korea (10 September 2007)
  • “USPTO’s Recent Rule Changes,” presented at Korean Intellectual Property Office, Daejon, Korea (12 September 2007) 
  • “KSR v. Teleflex, Post-KSR Strategies,” presented at Seoul National University-Berkeley Center for Law and Technology Korean Summer Institute, Seoul, Korea (18 July 2007)
  • “Primer on US Patents, Trademarks and Copyrights,” presented for NHN Corp., Silicon Valley, CA (17 April 2007)
  • “Successful Commercial Exploitation of R&D Results in the United States,” presented at Korea Research Council for Industrial Science & Technology (KOCI), Seoul, Korea (24 January 2007)
  • “Basics of Intellectual Property Law,” presented at Orange County Korean American Bar Association (OC KABA) 2006 Community Law School, Anaheim, CA (29 April 2006)
  • “Considerations for Commercial Exploitation of R&D Results in the United States,” presented at Korean Techno Cluster Program, Global Connect, San Diego, CA (25 April 2006)
  • “Extraterritorial Activities and Patent Infringement NTP Inc. v. Research In Motion Ltd.,” presented at Korean Patent Attorneys Association, Seoul, Korea (15 December 2005)
  • “Defending Against a Charge of US Patent Infringement,” presented at Korean Patent Attorneys Association, Seoul, Korea (December 2004)
  • “Maximizing Patent Protection In the United States,” presented at Korean Patent Attorneys Association, Seoul, Korea (14 August 2003)
  • “Reduce Risks Involving Patents for Your Business Partnership,” presented at InterBiz Bio-Partnering & Investment Forum 2002, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea (9 July 2002)
  • “Building Effective US Patent Portfolio in University Setting,” presented at POSTECH, Pohang, Korea (11 July 2002)
  • “Intellectual Property Protection in Korea,” presented at Knobbe Martens IP Abroad Seminar, Santa Monica, CA (8 June 2001)
  • “Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights in Korea,” presented at Whittier Law School, Costa Mesa, CA (17 March 2000)
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