Sung H. Choi

Sung H. Choi is a Senior Associate in the New York office of Lee, Hong, Degerman, Kang & Waimey, where he leads the firm’s core corporate and transactional practice in New York. He advises multinational companies, global brands, and strategic investors on mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, and complex commercial transactions in the United States.

His industry experience includes manufacturing, logistics, aviation, maritime, food and beverage, retail, and consumer products. He also advises battery manufacturers, EV suppliers, and automotive platform companies expanding manufacturing operations in the United States. Clients rely on him not only to structure and negotiate sophisticated transactions, but also to guide them through high-stakes negotiations, regulatory challenges, and operational risk management.

Mr. Choi is licensed to practice law in the State of New York.

Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Choi served for 13 years as the first general counsel of H Mart, the largest Asian American supermarket chain in the United States, where he built and led the company’s legal department, managed nationwide legal affairs, and advised senior leadership on strategic expansion, regulatory compliance, complex real estate transactions, and risk management. Following his tenure at H Mart, Mr. Choi founded and operated his own law practice, representing businesses and executives in structuring, negotiating, and executing a wide range of business transactions, real estate developments, and complex commercial arrangements.

In his current role, Mr. Choi advises global brands in the mobility, shipping, aviation, food and beverages and lifestyle industries on cross-border investments, strategic acquisitions, joint ventures, supply-chain restructuring, regulatory compliance, and complex commercial transactions. He also serves as legal counsel to the New York Center of the Korea International Trade Association (KITA), the largest trade association in Korea and one of the country’s oldest trade promotion institutions, providing guidance on U.S. regulatory, transactional, and cross-border legal matters affecting Korean enterprises in the U.S.

His representative matters include the following:

• - Represented a multinational food and beverage company in structuring and negotiating a complex cross-border joint venture involving operations across Asia, Europe, and South America.
• - Advised a strategic investor in connection with its majority equity investment in an emerging technology company specializing in registered and developing water purification technologies, including transaction structuring, due diligence, closing, and post-closing governance arrangements.
• - Advised a major international airline in connection with the sale of its U.S. cargo division to another aviation operator, managing asset carve-outs, multi-jurisdictional regulatory compliance, and operational transition planning.
• - Advised an emerging Korean consumer brand on the launch of its U.S. operations, including corporate structuring, governance framework design, investor onboarding, regulatory compliance, and intellectual property protection.
• - Represented an international strategic buyer in the acquisition of a controlling interest in a rapidly growing U.S.-based restaurant franchise brand. Advised on transaction structuring, comprehensive due diligence review, franchise regulatory compliance, intellectual property analysis, and post-closing governance arrangements to support U.S. market expansion.
• - Advised a global industrial manufacturer on the formation of a multinational joint venture involving cross-border manufacturing operations. Representation includes negotiation of joint venture and governance agreements, cross-border entity structuring and capitalization, technology control and supply-chain considerations, and regulatory analysis.