Law Firm Hwa Woo Welcomes Energy Expert Baek Jong-kwan as Senior Foreign Attorney

Law firm Hwa Woo announced on September 17 that it has recruited Baek Jong-kwan as a senior foreign attorney specializing in nuclear power, small modular reactors (SMR), and engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contracts for energy plant exports.

With over 35 years of experience in energy, EPC, foreign investment, mergers and acquisitions (M&A), and international litigation and arbitration, Baek is recognized as an expert in nuclear energy and international transactions. He has accumulated extensive experience in negotiating key contracts and providing legal advice for domestic companies involved in overseas nuclear power export projects.

Baek earned a degree in business administration from Boston College and a Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center. He became a licensed attorney in New York and has been active in South Korea since 1990, offering comprehensive legal advice on nuclear power export projects, domestic business development for foreign SMR companies, cross-border M&A, joint ventures, and international arbitration and litigation.

Notably, he represented Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) in the UAE Barakah nuclear power plant project, overseeing the prime contract negotiations with the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) and managing the entire bidding and contracting process.

Baek also participated in subsequent contract negotiations related to the Barakah project, including the Operating Support Services Agreement (OSSA) with Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power and the Long-Term Maintenance Agreement (LTMA) with KEPCO KPS, gaining valuable advisory experience throughout the project.

He has advised KEPCO and Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power on numerous overseas nuclear projects, including the Olkiluoto 4 project in Finland, the El Dabaa project in Egypt, and various projects in Saudi Arabia.

Recently, he led the EPC prime contract negotiations for the Czech Dukovany nuclear power project, representing Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power in discussions with the Czech Power Company’s subsidiary, EDU II, and has provided legal advice on various issues arising during the project implementation phase.

Baek has also demonstrated significant expertise in international disputes. He represented KEPCO and Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power in a dispute involving Westinghouse related to intellectual property and U.S. export control issues concerning overseas nuclear contracts, responding to arbitration at the Korean Commercial Arbitration Board (KCAB) and litigation in U.S. federal courts. He has participated in developing legal strategies related to U.S. export control laws in collaboration with foreign law firms.

Baek has built early expertise in the next-generation nuclear sector, advising global SMR developers on domestic business development, and possesses extensive practical experience across the nuclear industry, from large-scale nuclear plants to next-generation reactors.

In addition to his work in the nuclear and energy sectors, Baek has rich experience in cross-border transactions. He has advised on overseas M&A for domestic companies, including LG Chem's acquisition of U.S.-based NanoH2O and LG Group's acquisition of U.S.-based Rolls-Royce Fuel Cells, as well as various international transactions involving foreign investments and joint ventures in South Korea. He has also represented domestic and international companies, including Samsung C&T, LS Cable, and Sikorsky, in ICC arbitration and other international disputes.

Recognized for his expertise, Baek was named a Recommended Lawyer in the energy sector by the global legal evaluation organization Lexology Index for 2026.

Through this recruitment, Hwa Woo plans to enhance its advisory capabilities for overseas projects in the nuclear, SMR, and energy plant sectors. The firm aims to provide comprehensive legal services across all stages of overseas nuclear and SMR project bidding, EPC contract negotiations, project implementation, and international disputes, while also expanding synergies in cross-border M&A, joint ventures, and foreign investment.

Lee Myung-soo, managing partner of Hwa Woo, stated, "Baek is an expert who has directly handled key contract negotiations and international disputes in South Korea's major overseas nuclear projects. We expect that this recruitment will further expand Hwa Woo's existing capabilities in energy, infrastructure, and international transactions and disputes into the nuclear and SMR sectors, allowing us to provide more comprehensive legal services for domestic companies in the global energy market."