Rapid growth through innovation instead of custom... “It will become a law firm that anyone can easily knock on.”

Recently, the legal market is demanding close services and advanced expertise beyond simple legal dispute representation. Daeryun Law Firm continues to grow unwavering even in these turbulent times, showing its potential as a major law firm. Daeryun recorded sales of approximately 130 billion won last year and ranked 9th in the law firm industry for two consecutive years. This is an increase of approximately 15.4% compared to the previous year (KRW 112.6 billion), and is the second highest growth rate among large domestic law firms after Shin Sejong (18.0%).

The background to this rapid growth lies in bold innovation and practice. Daeryun proactively implemented LegalTech (legal technology (data and algorithm-based legal service)) through its self-developed ‘AI Daeryun’ and ‘MY Daeryun’ applications. In addition, it was the first in the industry to introduce a ‘litigation (legal advice and litigation) quality assurance system’ that refunds fees in case of service dissatisfaction, and also led a class action lawsuit in the New York Federal Court together with SJKP, an American partner law firm. Based on this, we are creating new standards not only in Korea but also in the global market.

Daeryun Management CEO Kim Kook-il said, “The continued growth is the result of customer satisfaction and trust in the high-quality legal services that Daeryun has pursued.”

- Maintained the ‘9th largest law firm’ position for two consecutive years. The secret behind the growth rate is particularly notable.

"From the beginning of its establishment, Daeryun did not stop at simple expansion, but focused on catching two birds with one stone: profitability and efficiency. A particularly noteworthy indicator is 'sales per lawyer,' which is called a measure of substantial management. Daeryun's sales per lawyer are approximately 540 million won, ranking 7th among large domestic law firms. It is two levels higher than the overall sales ranking. This is a visible indicator of how high-density services Daeryun members provide."

-The synergy with SJKP, an American law firm, is noticeable. I heard that you put a lot of thought into the performance announcement process.

"We discussed in-depth internally whether to announce the performance of SJKP, an American partner law firm, in connection with domestic sales. After much deliberation, we decided to disclose only the Korean law firm's sales separately this year. We were cautious because it could be seen as external display. However, we chose a transparent disclosure method because unnecessary suspicions surrounding non-disclosure of performance could be engulfed. Starting next year, we are actively considering ways to disclose Daeryun and SJKP together even though they are separate corporations."

-In particular, the class action lawsuit filed against Coupang's U.S. headquarters at the end of last year attracted attention. Daeryun and SJKP are the only law firms handling local litigation in the U.S. What prompted you to take an active role?

"The starting point was the desperation I felt as a person who experienced personal information leakage from the e-commerce platform Coupang before becoming a manager. To overcome the limitations of domestic litigation, we strategically utilized the U.S. class action and punitive damages system. In Korea, only lawsuit participants receive relief, but in the U.S., the rights and interests of all victims can be protected. Through our response in the U.S. federal court, we have substantially proven Daeryun's cross border (transaction across border) capabilities, moving without borders. There is."

-As companies enter and exit and respond to tariffs more frequently, risk management capabilities in the cross-border field are emerging as a key task for law firms. What is Daeryun’s competitiveness in this field?

"The core of cross-border risk management is the 'two-way one-stop collaboration system' that combines the expertise of Daeryun and New York partner law firm SJKP. When a domestic company enters the U.S., we support corporate establishment and check tax risks. Conversely, when a U.S. company lands in the Korean market, we provide a customized package to help it settle down stably and manage legal and management risks in both countries. In order to respond to the growing global uncertainty, we work with SJKP to 'response to global complex crises.' Daeryun's greatest competitiveness is that it is also operating a 'Task Force' and is focusing on maintaining existing businesses and managing risks rather than new investments. Accordingly, local experts are working directly to provide close-knit strategies beyond simple advice."

-We are also leading the legal tech market through our self-developed AI Daeryun and MY Daeryun. What changes are being made to the actual legal service field through artificial intelligence (AI)?

"The global legal market is already being reorganized around technology. Daeryun has also continuously advanced AI Daeryun in line with this trend. We have trained it to go beyond simple information retrieval and closely analyze the vast amount of precedents and winning cases accumulated every year. As AI supports precedent search, data analysis, and writing, lawyers are able to focus more on establishing legal strategies and communicating with customers. Through this, we have been able to improve the high cost structure of legal services and further increase consumer accessibility."

-In the second half of last year, we were the first domestic law firm to introduce a litigation quality assurance system. What is the background to the unconventional refund policy?

"I wanted to correct the wrong practice of some legal professions that promise to solve all problems before accepting a case, but then fail to communicate and provide insincere defense after the contract is signed. The Litigation Quality Assurance System is a promise to take full responsibility for the quality of legal services provided by Daeryun. If you are not satisfied with the service, we have stipulated a system to refund fees according to established standards. This is also Daeryun's firm management philosophy that places customer trust as its top priority. Refunds are necessary, not just a simple refund guarantee. “It is an expression of our strong will to provide a high-quality service that has never been available before.”

-What is the secret to high customer satisfaction while handling a huge amount of cases?

"The vast amount of practical data accumulated by handling more than 15,000 cases per year is Daeryun's core competitiveness. We established the Litigation Management Headquarters last year based on the judgment that customer management may be neglected as the scale of case handling increases. The headquarters is in charge of the role of a control tower that prevents poor defense and missed communication in advance. As a result of a survey of over 3,800 customers who actually entrusted cases to Daeryun, more than 98% responded that they were 'satisfied.' Negative feedback is also strictly reflected when evaluating lawyers, making every effort to prevent recurrence and manage quality.”

-What is Daeryun’s future law firm model and global strategy?

"Daeryun's global strategy has already gone beyond a declarative slogan and is on a practical track. We plan to complete a global network connecting Asia and Europe with visible results and know-how achieved in the U.S. market. We plan to implement high-quality legal services without borders by entering major cities such as Tokyo, Japan, Shanghai, China, and London, England. We will go beyond simple ranking competition and protect customer rights and interests with Daeryun's accumulated practical data and innovative system anywhere in the world."

-What I want to say is.

"Daeryun's rapid growth is the result of continuing innovation only from the customer's perspective, without being bound by the outdated practices of the existing legal profession. Rather than simply being a large law firm, we aim to become a reliable legal partner that anyone can easily knock on and trust. We will grow into a global standard law firm that thinks from the customer's perspective and takes the lead in protecting practical rights and interests."

[View full article]
Rapid growth through innovation instead of convention... “We will become a law firm that anyone can easily knock on” (Shortcut)