Shin & Kim Launches 'AI Data Center (AIDC) Infrastructure Center' to Coordinate Responses to AI, Semiconductors and Data Centers [Law Firm News]

[Financial News] Shin & Kim is strengthening its integrated advisory capabilities for large-scale projects involving national strategic industries, including artificial intelligence (AI), semiconductors and data centers.
Shin & Kim announced on the 22nd that it would launch the AI Data Center (AIDC) Infrastructure Center to provide comprehensive support for projects involving AI, semiconductors and data centers.
The firm plans to establish a one-stop advisory system covering every stage of a project, from site selection and permits to securing power and energy, AI and data regulations, technology protection, investment and financing.
The government is expanding policy support to foster AI, semiconductors and data centers as national strategic industries ahead of the AIDC Special Act taking effect next March. As a result, related investments and large-scale projects are expected to gain momentum.
In particular, building AI and data center infrastructure involves a complex combination of issues, including securing large-scale sites and development permits, connecting to the power grid, arranging energy supplies, complying with personal information and data regulations, protecting national core technologies, and attracting domestic and overseas investment and financing. Comprehensive advisory capabilities that combine multiple areas of expertise, rather than focusing on a single field of law, are considered crucial to the success of such projects.
Shin & Kim has built up expertise in the sector by successively handling major domestic and overseas data center development, investment, operations and sales projects.
The firm has advised on IGIS Asset Management's development, operation and sale of a Hanam-si data center; the development of the Goyang Samsong Data Center, the largest hyperscale data center in the northwestern Seoul metropolitan area; Samsung C&T's Pyeongtaek data center development project; and Smilegate's Goyang Munbong Data Center development project.
It also participated in major projects, including multiple data center developments carried out by global infrastructure investor Actis, the development of a Yongin data center by Warburg Pincus and Wide Creek Asset Management, and efforts to address power system impact assessments for data center electricity supplies.
Building on this experience, Shin & Kim plans to expand its data center expertise across advanced-industry infrastructure, including AI and semiconductors.
To that end, experts in real estate alternative investment, projects and energy, personal information and cybersecurity, AI governance, intellectual property (IP), trade and industrial policy, domestic and overseas investment and mergers and acquisitions (M&A), and project financing (PF) will participate in the center.
The center's key areas of work include due diligence on data center sites and business rights, as well as development, construction, operations and sales; securing power through development PF and renewable energy, natural gas-fired power and nuclear power generation; grid connections, power system impact assessments and power supply agreements; AI, data and telecommunications regulations and data center service contracts; IP and technology protection involving AI training data, copyrights and national core technologies; domestic and overseas investment, project finance, acquisition finance and refinancing; and fund and GPU financing.
The center will be jointly headed by Attorney Jang Kyung-soo, a member of the 32nd class of the Judicial Research and Training Institute, and Advisor Yu Jeong-yeol. Jang leads Shin & Kim's real estate alternative investment group and has advised on numerous data center development and investment projects. Yu, a former official at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, has policy experience in industry, trade and investment, including having served as president of the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA).
Around 100 other key experts from various fields will also participate, including Managing Attorneys Jang Yun-seok and Kang Shin-wook, Attorneys Lee Sang-hyun and Lim Bo-kyung, and Senior Foreign Attorneys Kim Se-jin and Park Hyeon-joo.
Oh Jong-han, a managing attorney at Shin & Kim, said, "Shin & Kim has accumulated extensive experience and advisory capabilities by carrying out a wide range of projects in AI, semiconductors and digital infrastructure, including data centers. With the AIDC Infrastructure Center at the core, we will provide clients with optimal solutions throughout every stage of complex and multifaceted projects, while also contributing to the growth and stronger competitiveness of national strategic industries."
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