Barun Law Opens '2nd Corporate Legal Affairs Expert Course' to Strengthen In-house Counsel Expertise [Law Firm News]

[Financial News] Barun Law is working to strengthen the expertise and practical capabilities of in-house counsel operating on the front lines of corporate legal affairs.
Barun Law announced on the 28th that it would launch the '2nd Corporate Legal Affairs Expert Course' beginning on the 22nd of next month to enhance the expertise of in-house counsel.
The course will focus on key topics essential for corporate legal professionals, including responses to search and seizure operations, internal controls, labor, fair trade and personal information protection, mergers and acquisitions (M&A), and environmental, social and governance (ESG) disclosures.
Experts in each field will share the latest legal issues and practical know-how firsthand. Networking among participants will also provide knowledge and insights that can be applied directly to their work.
Topics for each session include corporate search and seizure operations and forensic response; financial companies' responsibility maps and internal controls; practical aspects of capital transactions such as capital increases, capital reductions and share consolidations at stock companies, as well as key labor issues; subcontract payment and guarantees and trade secret protection; personal information protection and fair trade practices that in-house counsel should know; a practical insolvency law manual, M&A share purchase agreements and shareholders' agreements; and responses to disclosures in the era of statutory ESG disclosures and corporate compliance practices learned through case studies.
Lee Dong-hoon, managing partner at Barun Law, said, "Strengthening the capabilities of in-house counsel creates positive synergies for both companies and their outside law firms." He added, "We will provide practical insights that corporate legal teams can apply immediately so they can proactively respond to the changing regulatory environment in an era of complex regulations."
On the 21st, Barun Law also held the 'ESG and Compliance Subcommittee Seminar' jointly with the Korean In-house Counsel Association at Barun Building in Seoul's Gangnam District.
The seminar was organized to discuss how in-house counsel can turn compliance from a risk-management function into a source of business competitiveness in an era of complex regulations, where multiple rules on trade, the environment, data, labor and corporate governance apply simultaneously. Particular focus was placed on corporate responses to ESG disclosures, which will transition to statutory disclosures under the Financial Investment Services and Capital Markets Act in 2028.
Sang Oh Park, an attorney at Barun Law, gave a presentation titled 'ESG as Statutory Disclosure: Disclosure Systems and Operations for Corporate Value.' Based on the 'Plan to Institutionalize Sustainability (ESG) Disclosure' announced by the Financial Services Commission (FSC) on July 8, Park explained that statutory ESG disclosures would begin in 2028 with KOSPI-listed companies having consolidated assets of at least 10 trillion won, before expanding in stages to companies with at least 5 trillion won in 2029 and at least 2 trillion won in 2030.
He also said that a temporary exemption would apply during the first three years of implementation, excluding intentional greenwashing, while third-party assurance would become mandatory from 2030 and Scope 3 emissions across the value chain would gradually be included in the disclosure requirements.
Park said, "Disclosure information is now a capital-market evaluation tool that leads to investor engagement and financing." He added, "Companies should treat ESG disclosures not as a regulatory compliance cost, but as management information that enhances corporate value."
Lee Jun-hee, head of Barun Law's Corporate Strategy Research Institute, gave a presentation titled 'Compliance Strategies for Business Competitiveness in an Era of Complex Regulations.' Lee explained, "Mandatory due diligence, information disclosure requirements, product information disclosure requirements and import restrictions are redefining corporate conduct." He added, "Domestic and international regulations are operating simultaneously across seven areas: climate change, product liability, human rights, supply chains, corporate governance, occupational safety and health, and disclosure communications."
Lee Eui-gyu, an attorney at Barun Law, compared major international standards, including the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) Guide and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines in the United States, as well as the UK Bribery Act, in a presentation titled 'From Standards to the Field: Measures for Effective Compliance.'
[email protected] Yoo Sun-jun Reporter