Kim Kuk-il, CEO of Daeryun Law Firm, which introduced Korea’s first litigation quality assurance system [Interview]

“Investment for the next relationship with customers”
Pay attention to whether there will be a change in industry practices that were left solely in the hands of law firms.

On the 20th, Daeryun Law Firm declared the introduction of the ‘Litigation Quality Assurance System’, the first domestic law firm to do so. They also added that they are implementing the 'Daeryun Member Guarantee System', which allows refunds at any time if you are not satisfied with the membership service.

Attention is being paid to whether Daeryun's move will bring about a change in the industry's practice of leaving cases to law firms until the results are reached.

Daeryun Management CEO Kim Kook-il emphasized in an interview with Newsis that day, “The emphasis of this system is on guarantees, not refunds.” CEO Kim commented, “This means that we have not simply left open the possibility of a refund, but have established a system that objectively inspects the quality of legal services and institutionalizes this.”

Next Q&A with CEO Kim Kuk-il.

-Please briefly explain the litigation quality assurance system.

"Literally, we will take responsibility for the legal services provided by Daeryun. This means that we have designed a structure that promises professional case performance, transparent procedures, and faithful communication, and takes responsibility in a reasonable manner if these standards are not met. If the client expresses dissatisfaction with the legal service, immediate action is taken to ensure satisfaction. If the client is still dissatisfied, the fee is refunded. If the necessary procedures for performing the work, such as establishing a response strategy and writing an opinion, have been carried out after acceptance, the client will be satisfied according to the degree. “Minimum deductions will be made.”

-Why was it introduced in the industry for the first time?

"So far, legal services have always been provided unilaterally in the domestic law firm market. When a client entrusts a case, the structure was such that everything had to be left in the law firm's hands until the results were obtained. Even if the client did not like the execution process, there was virtually nothing the client could do. Therefore, we know of many cases where some clients who actually entrusted the case to another law firm complained of damages, saying, "I lost contact after accepting the case," and "I was unilaterally denied a refund." This is irresponsible. “The reality is that Daeryun wanted to restore trust in the entire domestic legal market. The fact that they can request a refund at any time simultaneously gives clients confidence in the quality of legal services and psychological stability.”

-Recently, controversy over the refund issue continues in the legal world. Lawyer groups also took issue with some law firms' refund policies and hinted at sanctions. Can it be seen as a system that takes this atmosphere into consideration?

"That's not true. Daeryun has been conscious of issues related to refunds for a long time and has been looking for ways to respond. Until now, the industry has considered the issue of refunds between law firms and clients as a 'conflict between private individuals'. It was viewed as a civil matter. There were also no guidelines at the bar association level related to refund regulations. Daeryun also went through trial and error. In the end, it thought that the 'customer' should be the center, and this time, it set its own principles and stipulated a responsibility structure. That’s it.”

-How can I specifically request a refund?

"We have set up a team dedicated to refunds. When a request for a refund is received from a client, the team in charge first checks the progress of the case. For tasks that have already been prepared, such as case review or writing, the deductible is calculated according to pre-established standards. The review process has been designed to simplify the process as much as possible so that the client does not experience additional inconvenience, and we plan to continuously make modifications through various feedback processes. In addition, after the refund process is completed, we begin detailed analysis. “This is to look back overall to see if you were dissatisfied with the part and what led to the refund, so as not to repeat the same mistake.”

-I think it would be a burden on management.

"Some costs may be incurred in the short term. However, in the long term, I see it as an investment for the next relationship with the customer. As customer trust builds, a virtuous cycle is created that leads to re-requests and recommendations. Above all, the goal is to achieve systematic quality control to the extent that refunds rarely occur."

-What is your goal with the litigation quality assurance system?

“The purpose of this system is not refunds. Refunds are just a device to provide high-quality legal services. Daeryun’s ultimate goal is to tightly establish a ‘structure that does not require refunds.’ Law firms provide high-level legal services without any doubt, and clients can entrust cases with that trust. This is the goal of the Litigation Quality Assurance System.”

Reporter Baek Jae-hyeon (itbrian@newsis.com)

[View full article]
Daeryun Kim Kuk-il, CEO of Daeryun Law Firm, which introduced Korea's first litigation quality assurance system [Interview] (Shortcut)