Joonhak Choi is a partner at Peter & Kim and is dual-qualified in Korea and New York. He focuses his practice on international commercial and investment treaty arbitration. He has extensive experience representing domestic and international clients in high-stakes disputes, with a particular emphasis on M&A, joint ventures, and shareholder agreements involving put/call options. His practice covers disputes across a wide range of sectors, including energy and power generation, large-scale infrastructure, life sciences, and insurance. Drawing on his expertise in international investment law, he also advises clients on Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) matters.
Joonhak has represented clients in arbitrations administered under the rules of the ICC, SIAC, ICDR, CAM-CCBC, and KCAB, as well as in ad hoc proceedings. He also actively represents clients in arbitration-related court proceedings, including jurisdictional challenges, as well as the recognition, enforcement, and setting aside of arbitral awards.
He is an active contributor to the international arbitration community and has published on a broad range of arbitration topics, including in The Investment Treaty Arbitration Review and Arbitration International.
Joonhak earned his J.D., cum laude, from Seoul National University School of Law and his LL.M. from Columbia Law School, where he graduated with Highest Honors. He is fluent in Korean, English, and Japanese.
- Partner, Peter & Kim (2026 – present)
- Kim & Chang (2017 – 2026)
- Freshfields US LLP, New York (2025)
- Columbia Law School (LL.M., Highest Honors, 2025)
- Seoul National University School of Law (Completed J.S.D. coursework, International Investment Law, 2023)
- Seoul National University School of Law (J.D., cum laude, 2017)
- Seoul National University (B.A., Economics, summa cum laude, 2014)
M&A / JV
- Represented a major private equity fund in a pre-closing M&A dispute arising from wrongful termination and breach of regulatory approval covenants.
- Represented a Korean conglomerate in a cross-border dispute involving put/call option rights arising from a cosmetics sector M&A transaction.
- Represented a leading biopharmaceutical company in a joint venture dispute concerning right-of-first-offer (ROFO) for new biosimilar products.
- Represented a multinational financial group in a post-M&A dispute involving complex financial regulations, breaches of R&W and covenants, and fraud claims.
Energy, Infrastructure and Consutrction
- Represented a global power systems manufacturer in a dispute arising from the supply of core equipment to a thermal power plant in Northeast Asia, involving complex technical and delay liquidated damages (LD) claims.
- Represented a consortium of investors in a dispute arising from a delayed integrated resort development project.
- Represented a leading construction and engineering firm in a large-scale city development project in the Middle East, involving disputes over demand guarantees (performance bonds).
- Represented a leading energy company in a dispute over licensing fees and the operational obligations arising from a fuel cell technology and power generation partnership.
Insurance and Commercial Disputes
- Represented major insurers and insureds in Erection All Risks (EAR) and aviation insurance disputes involving jurisdictional issues and coverage claims.
- Represented a global construction materials manufacturer in a dispute relating to
the termination of a distributorship agreement.
- Korean and Seoul Bar Associations
- “Legal Defences to Claims,” The Investment Treaty Arbitration Review, (6th, 7th, and 8th Editions) (Co-author, June 2023)
- “The Anti-Arbitration Injunction under Korean law: the Korean Supreme Court Decision of 2018,” Arbitration International, Vol. 39, Issue 2 (Co-author, June 2023)
- “Mediation in South Korea,” Revista Brasileira de Alternative Dispute Resolution (RBADR; Brazilian Journal for Alternative Dispute Resolution), Issue 9 (Co-author, June 2023)
- Book Review: ASEAN and the Reform of Investor-State Dispute Settlement: Global Challenges and Regional Options, Asian Dispute Review, Vol. 25, Issue 2 (April 2023)
- “An Overview of the Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) System and Recent Cases,” BFL, Vol. 118, Seoul National University Center for Financial Law (Co-author, March 2023)
- Winner (Oral Submissions), Delos Dispute Resolution Remote Oral Advocacy Programme (ROAP) Asia (2022)
- First Prize (Junior Practitioner Entry), Korean Council for International Arbitration (KOCIA) Essay Competition (2021)