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JIPYONG-DUROO Executed MOU for “Contactless Legal Support for Social Ventures Entering Developing Countries” with KOICA

2020.10.15

On October 15, JIPYONG LLC and DUROO executed an MOU with KOICA at the KOICA Development and Cooperation History Center located in Sungnam-si, Gyeonggi-do to provide legal education for social ventures entering overseas markets under the KOICA’s Creative Technology Solution (CTS) Program. The program is designed to address challenges in development and cooperation by applying breakthrough ideas and technologies of innovators such as entrepreneurs and startups, etc. to official development assistance (ODA). 
 
Based on the firm’s commitment to create a community of legal experts who contribute to society, JIPYONG has engaged in various pro bono activities to promote social values and established DUROO in 2014 to expand its pro bono activities. DUROO is Korea’s largest non-profit pro bono organization consisting of full-time attorneys which aims at ‘thoroughly studying the world and working for the benefit of all mankind.” DUROO aims to protect human rights and to make a democratic, transparent, fair and inclusive society through its various activities including litigation for social justice and public interest, legal consultation, and legislation support. It has conducted pro bono activities in various fields such as disability rights, children and adolescent rights, social economy, international human rights, and environment. In particular, JIPYONG and DUROO has engaged in legal support for social enterprises through various projects including “one attorney for each social venture”. 
 
Since 2015, the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), the governmental organization for official development assistance, has supported social ventures at their initial stages so that they can develop technologies tailored to developing countries and commercialize such technologies based on local market environments through the CTS program. It is required to collect lots of information about markets and legislation to help cost-efficient or new methods take root in developing countries. 
* Phases of Support under the CTS Program: In the social venture nurturing phase (SEED 0), the program supports entrepreneurs to enhance their capacity to plan projects for cooperation and development. In the product development phase (SEED 1), the program supports companies to develop innovative products that can be applied to developing countries. In the pilot project phase (SEED 2), the program supports companies so that they can verify their innovative products in the developing countries. 
 
For the period for monitoring of the developments of the CTS program (CT-days), JIPYONG-DUROO are planning to provide legal education and advice in accordance with the MOU. Although it is difficult to facilitate cross-border exchange between countries due to the COVID-19 pandemic, JIPYONG will provide the companies participating in KOICA’s CTS program with a series of contactless lectures from attorneys at JIPYONG’s overseas branch offices in developing countries which cover an array of topics including establishment of a local corporation, creating local jobs, and issues that may arise in the process of patent application, etc. 
 
Currently, JIPYONG is operating eight branch offices in seven different countries (Vietnam, Indonesia, Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, China, and Russia). As JIPYONG’s five overseas branch offices (Vietnam, Indonesia, Cambodia, Myanmar, and Laos) will provide legal education to the social ventures participating in the CTS program through this MOU, the firm’s overseas branch offices will actively engage in the pro bono activities. 
 
“KOICA is supporting remote education and networking for social ventures amid the COVID-19 pandemic when everyone is suffering,” KOICA’s president Mikyung LEE said at the MOU ceremony, “it is important to provide legal education and advice necessary for social ventures so that they can develop technologies and create business models which generate sustainable benefits in developing countries.” 
 
“JIPYONG has been a community of legal experts who contribute to society, and now DUROO is following in the footsteps of JIPYONG,” said DUROO’s Managing Director Ji Hyung KIM. “The commitment to promote social values shared by JIPYONG and DUROO is reflected in their new efforts to provide social enterprises with legal education and consultation in connection with entering Southeast Asian markets.”

[Press Coverage]

<ul>
	<li style="text-align: justify; margin-bottom: 11px;"><a href="https://www.lawtimes.co.kr/Legal-News/Legal-News-View?serial=164968">Legal Times – JIPYONG-DUROO Signs MOU with KOICA (Oct. 15, 2020)</a></li>
	<li style="text-align: justify; margin-bottom: 11px;"><a href="https://news.naver.com/main/read.nhn?mode=LSD&mid=sec&sid1=104&oid=001&aid=0011946553">Yonhap News – KOICA Provides Legal Education As Part of its Effort to Support Social Ventures Entering Developing Markets (Oct. 15, 2020)</a></li>
	<li style="text-align: justify; margin-bottom: 11px;"><a href="https://news.naver.com/main/read.nhn?mode=LSD&mid=sec&sid1=101&oid=123&aid=0002232433">Jose Ilbo – JIPYONG LLC Provides Contactless Legal Assistance to Social Ventures Entering Developing Countries (Oct. 15, 2020)</a></li>
	<li style="text-align: justify; margin-bottom: 11px;"><a href="https://news.naver.com/main/read.nhn?mode=LSD&mid=sec&sid1=100&oid=277&aid=0004773043">Asia Business Daily – KOICA Provides Social Ventures with Legal Education on Entering Developing Markets (Oct. 15, 2020)</a></li>
</ul>

[Photos] 
<img alt="" height="290" src="http://www.jipyong.com/uploads/editor/image/2021/01/20210111144739_201015_mou-1_hp.jpg" width="580" />

Awards & Commissions Jipyong and Duroo awarded the ‘Public Service Award’ at the ‘5th Korea Legal Awards’ 2022.12.12

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