Legal Fees Payment

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KBS has uncovered a new lead in the corruption scandal surrounding former President Lee Myung-bak and his family’s ties to auto parts maker DAS. Samsung has been accused of paying for the company’s legal fees in what amounted to a bribe. Here’s what we know about the U.S. law firm DAS hired.

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In March 2009, DAS chose the U.S. lawfirm Akin Gump to represent the company in a 14 billion won lawsuit related to BBK investment. Last year, Akin Gump ranked 36th in the world among lawfirms in terms of sales. Did DAS choose Akin Gump in order to raise the odds of winning the lawsuit? KBS TV found that former presidential secretary for administrative affairs Kim Baek-jun first contacted not Samsung, but an attorney surnamed Kim from Akin Gump to discuss the payment of DAS's legal fees. Kim Baek-jun knew the attorney personally and called him first to discuss Samsung's payment issue. The lawyer, for his part, notified former Samsung Vice Chair Lee Hak-soo of the matter and the tech giant went on to pay DAS's legal fees. This was possible because Akin Gump is Samsung's American business partner that had represented the firm since 1998 to lobby the U.S. government. Prosecutors believe that Akin Gump was chosen deliberately so that Samsung could pay for the lawsuit. Meanwhile, ex-President Lee Myung-bak issued a press release to clarify he has nothing to do with DAS's lawsuit in America.