Lee Kun-hee
Samsung chairman Lee Kun-hee announced six lawyers who will represent him in the ongoing inheritance battle with his older siblings as soon as he returned from an overseas trip last week.
On Friday, Samsung Group unveiled the chairman’s team of lawyers from three different law firms ― Bae, Kim and Lee LLC, Shin and Kim and The ONE ― on the same day its chairman returned to Seoul from his trip to Hawaii.
Many observers believe that chairman Lee met with his older sister Lee In-hee, who is the Hansol Group adviser, during his stay in Hawaii. Lee In-hee is the only person in the Lee family who is openly against the inheritance suits.
“Six lawyers, who were deemed to be a most appropriate fit for the positions in field expertise and capabilities were picked without considering the law firms,” said Samsung officials. “They will form an independent panel to go forward with the legal proceedings.”
The formation of a legal team came after Lee Kun-hee’s elder brother Lee Maeng-hee and older sister Lee Sook-hee filed inheritance suits against the chief of the country’s largest conglomerate last month.
Lee Maeng-hee asked the court to order the Samsung chairman to return 8.24 million shares in Samsung Life Insurance and 20 stocks in Samsung Electronics as well as 100 million won ($89,000). Lee Sook-hee also wants to get back her share in Samsung Life Insurance and Samsung Electronics left behind by their father and group founder Lee Byung-chull.
The two are both represented by law firm Yoon and Yang LLC, better known as Hwawoo.
On another front, the police summoned another employee from Samsung C&T last week for allegedly shadowing CJ chairman Lee Jay-hyun for days.
Police plan to summon an additional Samsung C&T employee next week. This indicates that at least three officials may be involved in the trailing of the CJ chief, considering that one Samsung C&T official was previously questioned by police about the case.
CJ chief Lee Jay-hyun is the eldest son of Lee Maeng-hee, who was first to raise the inheritance suit.
By Cho Ji-hyun (sharon@heraldcorp.com)