Professor of Law
Member of the New York Bar
Member of the New York Bar
Biography
Yong Guk Lee has been a full-time faculty member of HILS since March 2026 (and was an adjunct professor at HILS from 2024 to 2025), where he teaches courses on cross-border M&A, international corporate finance, U.S. securities regulation and international business negotiations. From 2020 to 2025, he taught as a clinical professor and an adjunct professor at the Seoul National University School of Law.
Previously, Mr. Lee was a partner at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP, resident in the firm’s New York, Hong Kong and Seoul offices, and served as the representative of the Seoul office from 2012 to 2015. During his 28 years of law practice at Cleary Gottlieb, he worked on a wide range of corporate and finance matters, including international M&A transactions, securities offerings and restructurings involving Korean and other Asian entities. He was recognized as one of the “20 Lawyers of the Year” by Legal Times (2014), a “Leading Individual for Foreign Firms, South Korea” by Legal 500 Asia Pacific (2008~2020) and a “Band 1, Leading Individual for Capital Markets (International), South Korea” by Chambers Global (2004~2020).
From 2021 to 2025, Mr. Lee was also an independent director on the board of directors of Shinhan Financial Group and chaired the compensation, risk management and ESG management committees of the board. He currently serves as the vice chair of the board of Alpha Korea and the president of the Princeton Club of Korea.
Mr. Lee received an A.B. degree from Princeton University and a J.D. degree from Harvard Law School. He is a member of the Bar in New York and is qualified as a foreign legal consultant in Korea.
Yong Guk Lee has been a full-time faculty member of HILS since March 2026 (and was an adjunct professor at HILS from 2024 to 2025), where he teaches courses on cross-border M&A, international corporate finance, U.S. securities regulation and international business negotiations. From 2020 to 2025, he taught as a clinical professor and an adjunct professor at the Seoul National University School of Law.
Previously, Mr. Lee was a partner at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP, resident in the firm’s New York, Hong Kong and Seoul offices, and served as the representative of the Seoul office from 2012 to 2015. During his 28 years of law practice at Cleary Gottlieb, he worked on a wide range of corporate and finance matters, including international M&A transactions, securities offerings and restructurings involving Korean and other Asian entities. He was recognized as one of the “20 Lawyers of the Year” by Legal Times (2014), a “Leading Individual for Foreign Firms, South Korea” by Legal 500 Asia Pacific (2008~2020) and a “Band 1, Leading Individual for Capital Markets (International), South Korea” by Chambers Global (2004~2020).
From 2021 to 2025, Mr. Lee was also an independent director on the board of directors of Shinhan Financial Group and chaired the compensation, risk management and ESG management committees of the board. He currently serves as the vice chair of the board of Alpha Korea and the president of the Princeton Club of Korea.
Mr. Lee received an A.B. degree from Princeton University and a J.D. degree from Harvard Law School. He is a member of the Bar in New York and is qualified as a foreign legal consultant in Korea.