Medical disputes involve high stakes for life, body, and professional judgment. They include complex issues such as interpretation of medical records, negligence analysis, damage valuation, and causation. These matters affect not only compensation but also professional reputation, institutional trust, and patient rights and recovery.

With attorneys and experts from medical backgrounds, LK PARTNERS understands hospital operations, clinical practice, and the specificity of medical acts. We merge medical analysis with legal arguments across provider defense, malpractice claims, insurance benefit disputes, and internal governance conflicts, and present multidimensional strategies.

We have handled numerous malpractice suits and provider-side defenses. We control the process through medical opinions, expert examinations, and management of court-appointed evaluations on issues such as standard of care, breach of duty, and causation. Before protracted litigation, we actively use mediation, settlements, and proceedings before bodies such as the Korea Medical Dispute Mediation and Arbitration Agency to minimize time and cost while preserving both reputation and patient relations.

• Malpractice damages claims and defense
• Civil litigation on behalf of medical institutions
• Medical record review and negligence assessment
• Operational risk audits and advisory for medical institutions
• Mediation and settlements between institutions and patients
• Advisory and litigation on internal disputes among physicians and management
• Advisory and litigation on insurance benefits and indemnity disputes

• Suits to cancel drug price reduction dispositions and related damages claims
• Suits to cancel decisions on long-term care reimbursement reconciliations
• Claims for medical fees and service fees
• Multiple wins canceling suspension orders against providers
• Numerous wins against MOHW and MFDS
• Advisory on scope issues in the Advance Decisions on Life-Sustaining Treatment pilot
• Advisory on public data disclosure
• Advisory on limitation rules for administrative sanctions against emergency workers
• Advisory on Food Sanitation Act issues in health-food advertising
• Advisory on interpretation of marketing authorization periods
• Advisory on hospital accreditation implementation
• Advisory on New Health Technology assessment procedures and controls
• Advisory on bylaws and election rules for medical associations
• Advisory on rare-disease insurance payouts and policy interpretation
• Advisory on privacy templates for public medical institutions
• Advisory on bidding rules and sole-source contracting for hospitals

Violations of the Medical Service Act or the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act can trigger license suspension, business suspension, and criminal penalties. Criminal and administrative tracks often proceed in parallel, so early strategy determines results and future practice. Without a firm grasp of healthcare practice and detailed rules, providers risk harmful statements, excessive penalties, reputational loss, and operational disruption.

We bring focused experience in healthcare criminal matters. We define the scope of professional judgment and the specifics of clinical acts, and deliver end-to-end strategies from investigative interviews through trial and administrative response. We also provide preventive consulting so institutions avoid unnecessary exposure. In urgent procedures such as detention hearings and bail applications, we prioritize reputation, continuity of care, patient trust, and clinical stability.

• Defense in Medical Service Act and Pharmaceutical Affairs Act cases, including unlicensed practice, rebates, and unlawful distribution
• Strategy and representation for complaints and accusations
• Attendance and support during investigative interviews
• Detention warrant hearings and bail applications
• Representation through trial and appeal
• Integrated response to license and business suspension
• Criminal risk prevention consulting for institutions and providers

• Successful defenses in healthcare criminal cases
• Reduced fines and minimized administrative sanctions in medical advertising cases
• Defense in Propofol cases under the Narcotics Control Act
• Defense in cases on foreign patient recruitment under the Medical Service Act
• Defense in criminal negligence cases arising from medical accidents
• Defense in multiple matters including false accusation, defamation, and Road Traffic Act violations
• Numerous defenses for management in breach of trust and embezzlement

Hospitals and life-science companies face strict oversight by the KFTC and health authorities. Violations in collusion, unfair trade, and unlawful rebates can bring fines, criminal exposure, and serious reputational harm. Industry-specific structures and rebate rules often involve multiple statutes, including the Monopoly Regulation and Fair Trade Act, the Act on Fair Labeling and Advertising, and the Medical Service Act. Early direction and speed of response are decisive.

We provide integrated handling from the opening of KFTC investigations through administrative and criminal proceedings. We understand industry structures and investigative processes, and we support early-stage negotiation and response, fine reductions, no-violation outcomes, and compliance system design for hospitals, pharma companies, and distributors.

• Investigation and litigation in cartel matters
• KFTC response, including document production and on-site inspections
• Defense and advisory in unfair practices and unlawful rebate cases
• Litigation challenging fines and business suspensions
• Development of internal rules and guidance for MRFTA compliance and risk checks
• Tailored compliance programs for hospitals and pharma companies

• Parallel defense across criminal and administrative tracks in pharma rebate cases
• Fine reductions and partial no-violation outcomes in distributor price-fixing matters
• No-referral disposition in an unfair-practice probe of a medical device company
• KFTC investigation defense and negotiated resolutions in hospital and pharma dealing structures
• Compliance frameworks for multiple companies
• Advisory on pharmaceutical advertising regulations
• Advisory on reimbursement issues for non-benefit drugs

Life-science transactions extend beyond equity transfers. They involve R&D, clinical trials, approvals, patents, and distribution networks. Rapid regulatory change and global collaboration increase cross-cutting risks across technology, law, tax, and regulation.

We provide tailored solutions reflecting growth strategy and sector specifics. From early structuring, regulatory analysis, and IP management to negotiations, approvals, antitrust response, and post-merger integration, we deliver stable and practical support. Our advice covers legal certainty, market access, technology transfer, and integration risk so companies achieve sustainable growth and global competitiveness.

• Legal advisory on healthcare and life-science M&A
• Equity acquisitions, investment structures, and contract support
• Valuation support and risk due diligence
• Regulatory responses and filings for M&A
• Cross-border M&A for foreign and Korean life-science companies
• JV structuring and contract execution support
• Venture and startup financing structures and shareholder agreements
• PMI advisory on organization and contracts

• Structure and contract advisory for overseas equity investments by a pharma company
• Due diligence and contract review in a biotech acquisition
• Structuring of investments and shareholder agreements for a domestic medical-device company

Healthcare and life-science companies operate under multilayered regimes in health law, pharmacy law, and R&D, with high responsibility linked to patient safety. Risks arise across contracts, employment, governance, tax, and IP.

We deliver end-to-end solutions from contract review and decision support to compliance frameworks. We design tailored risk management and compliance systems that reflect industry-specific rules, including the Medical Service Act, Pharmaceutical Affairs Act, MRFTA, and data-protection statutes, so clients secure sustainable growth and a stable environment.

• General corporate advisory, including contract review, governance, and shareholder and board meetings
• Advisory on employment and tax risks
• IP protection and technology transfer agreements
• Regulatory reviews on hospital operations
• Privacy and medical data compliance
• Contracts and regulatory reviews for clinical trials and R&D
• Design of internal controls and audit systems, risk management
• Investment and equity-structure advisory for startups and ventures
• Management advisory linked with domestic and cross-border tax and accounting rules

• Employment risk reviews and response for a major hospital
• R&D contract review and dispute prevention for pharma and biotech companies
• Compliance frameworks for multiple hospitals
• Privacy policy overhauls and security risk responses for medical institutions
• IRB operations advisory for clinical hospitals
• Bylaws and election rules advisory for medical associations
• Advisory on bidding and sole-source procedures for hospitals

Healthcare faces composite supervision by MOHW, MFDS, and NHIS. Violations such as Medical Service Act or Pharmaceutical Affairs Act breaches, false claims, unlawful advertising, or accreditation failures can bring suspensions, fines, clawbacks, and often proceed alongside criminal tracks.

We respond systematically from the earliest stage, blocking adverse results where possible and seeking fine reductions and cancellations when needed. We also design preventive systems, compliance frameworks, and training that reflect sector specifics to reduce long-term risk.

• Suits and appeals against suspensions and other sanctions
• Responses to MOHW, MFDS, and NHIS
• Participation in and advisory on administrative and on-site investigations
• Preventive consulting on regulatory risk
• Advisory on accreditation and New Health Technology assessment
• Responses to advertising regulations and labeling and advertising violations
• Defense in false claims for medical and insurance benefits
• Preventive audits and compliance system consulting

• Multiple wins canceling suspension orders for providers
• Suits canceling license suspensions under the Medical Service Act and the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act
• Fine reductions in pharma administrative investigations
• Minimization of sanctions in medical advertising cases
• Suits canceling denials in New Health Technology assessment
• Wins canceling NHIS clawback dispositions
• Early-stage responses and document-production advisory during on-site reviews
• Advisory on hospital accreditation processes
• Advisory on public data disclosure and privacy compliance

Hospitals and life-science companies must meet high standards for patient safety, research ethics, financial transparency, and data protection. Gaps in rules, controls, and training often lead to investigations, sanctions, or criminal exposure.

We design and implement compliance systems matched to each organization’s size, structure, and business. We overhaul internal policies, draft codes of conduct, train personnel, and build risk monitoring. We prioritize high-risk areas such as data protection, medical information security, and research ethics to reduce investigations and dispute risk at the root.

• Compliance consulting for medical institutions
• Development of internal rules and risk reviews
• Employee training and compliance manuals
• Ethics and integrity programs for hospitals and pharma
• Privacy and medical information compliance
• IRB operations and clinical-trial compliance
• Anti-corruption and anti-rebate program design

• Internal policy overhauls and compliance frameworks for major hospitals
• Risk manuals and enterprise training for pharma companies
• Internal control advisory for multiple medical institutions
• Privacy program upgrades and security risk assessments for large hospitals
• IRB rules and risk management for biotech companies
• Alignment with global compliance standards for pharma

Global markets are critical for growth, yet health authorities impose strict rules. Approvals, technology transfer, local partnerships, and investment structures vary by country. Without precise legal planning and strategy, companies face delays, denials, non-performance, and failed entries.

We have experience with foreign entity formation, approvals, cross-border M&A, joint ventures, and overseas real-estate and financial investments. Using a global network and local partnerships, we help Korean companies establish abroad and also support foreign investment into Korea, including technology transfer and inbound capital.

• Strategies for entry into overseas healthcare and life-science markets
• Foreign entity formation and approvals
• JV structuring and cross-border M&A
• Advisory on overseas real-estate and financial investments
• Negotiation and review of international investment and partnership contracts
• Advisory on foreign investment controls and international trade law

• Incorporation and approvals for a Southeast Asian subsidiary of a Korean pharma company
• JV agreement support for a biotech company in the United States
• Strategy consulting for multiple hospitals entering overseas markets
• Advisory on partnership contracts and technology transfer agreements
• Reviews of foreign approvals and advertising rules