Joo Hee Lee

Registered as a Foreign Legal Consultant (California) in South Korea

Joo Hee advises international investors on their inbound investments into Korea energy and infrastructure sectors and sponsors and Export Credit Agencies (ECAs) on multi-source project finance and project development, both in Korea and internationally with a focus on the energy transition and low/no carbon energy.

Work highlights

Joo Hee has advised on many major projects and project financings. These include advising:

• BlackRock on its US$860m acquisition of a 30% stake in AirFirst Co., Ltd. from, and joint venture arrangements with, the existing sole shareholder IMM Private Equity.
• BlackRock Real Assets on its investment in South Korean solar development and investment company Brite Energy Partners, as well as on its acquisition of a 100% stake in Korea Renewables Energy Development & Operations Holdings, with an over 2GW renewables pipeline in South Korea.
• the lenders on the US$480m (KRW 615bn) financing of the Jeonnam 1 offshore wind farm project located in South Jeolla Province, South Korea – this is the first internationally sponsored and financed offshore wind project in South Korea. This transaction was named “Renewable Energy Deal of the Year – Offshore Wind” IJ Global Awards 2023.
• SK On in relation to the joint venture with Ford Motor Company (Ford Otosan) and Koc Holding for the establishment of an EV battery manufacturing entity in Turkey.
• KEXIM, K-SURE and banks on the financing of the Naphtha Cracker Petrochemical Complex in Indonesia, sponsored by Lotte Chemical. This transaction was named “Oil & Gas Deal of the Year – Petchem” IJ Global Awards 2023.
• the international sponsor on the development of 1.6GW offshore project in Korea (ongoing).
• the lenders (including K-SURE, other international ECAs and commercial banks) on the closed project financings of Greater Changhua 1, Changfang & Xidao, and Formosa 2 offshore wind projects in Taiwan.
• Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan Board on its investment of up to US$1bn in a global offshore wind development joint venture with Corio Generation to support the development of 14 fixed bottom and floating wind projects including in South Korea.
• NH Investment & Securities Co., Ltd. as part of a consortium of buyers on the signing of its investment into Abu Dhabi National Oil Company's natural gas pipelines in the UAE. This transaction was named “Middle East & Africa Infrastructure Deal of the Year” PFI Awards 2020.

Joo Hee regularly speaks at events, including at the “Public Private Partnerships in South East Asia” seminar, May 2015, co-arranged with KEXIM, and “Business Strategy & Investment in the Iranian Market”, February 2016, co-arranged with KEXIM and the International Contractors Association of Korea.

Joo Hee studied law at Yonsei University, Seoul. She was the first ever Korean-qualified lawyer to join an international law firm directly from the Judicial Research & Training Institute in Korea.

Joo Hee is admitted in the UK (England & Wales), US (California) and Republic of Korea.