Hello, I’m Sohyun. (Founder’s Story)

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Hello, I am Sohyun Park. I have been working as the Representative Patent Attorney of Sarang IP Law Firm for nearly 20 years.

Although I feel a little shy, today I would like to set aside my title as a “professional” for a moment and write honestly, simply as Sohyun Park, the person. I want to share what I think, the spirit in which I started this work, and the kind of attorney I aspire to be.

These are stories I’ve kept in my heart, often using “busyness” as an excuse not to share them. Though my writing may not be eloquent, I hope you’ll read it with an open and easy heart.

Through this letter, I hope you come to know Sohyun Park as a person, and that I can offer a sense of trust—assurance that “this person is reliable”—to those who will work with me in the future.

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To others, I am an “Inefficient Perfectionist.”

Sometimes, people ask me: "Attorney Park, why do you go so far? You should just treat work as work."

I admit it. From the perspective of efficiency, I may seem like someone who chooses the inefficient path.

If I have one great strength, which is also my weakness, it is “Immersion.”

The Story of How I Became Who I am Since I was young, I wanted to be 100% honest with myself. I studied Biology because I wanted to understand the principles of the world objectively, and then I turned to Religious Studies to understand the human heart and the meaning of life. To others, it might have looked like an inefficient, zigzagging path of wandering.

But that entire journey shaped the “Immersion” I have today. My obsession with looking beyond legal documents to see the essence of a company, the market, and the human heart began there.

The Person Who Spends the Most Time on “Review” When a case comes in, I spend the most time on the “Review” phase. This is because a single sentence—even a single line in a claim—can shake the very foundation of a company’s rights.

Sometimes people around me say, “Don’t waste time, just finish the prior art search quickly.” But I call that time “The time to read the brand’s future.”

This habit of embracing a client’s work as my own, without calculating efficiency, is my weakness in a purely business sense, but it is also my greatest strength.

I have worked with the conviction that this “inefficient perfectionism” eventually reaches my potential clients as the feeling that “this is someone who will protect me,” and ultimately returns as “reliable expertise.”

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Challenging Industry Norms by Choosing “Companionship” over Mere Results.

As a patent attorney, I didn’t want to stop at just “doing what others do a little better.” Instead, I chose to do “what others do not do.”

During my time at a large law firm, staying up all night processing paperwork mechanically, I hated the phrase “As long as the result is good, that’s enough.” I often questioned the industry practice of evaluating all efforts solely by winning or losing, regardless of the substance of the work.

Conclusion is Just a Process; Aiming for Growth While securing a registration or winning a suit is a baseline expectation for a patent attorney, I am certain it is not the whole of my job. As a professional providing a “consulting service,” not merely a filing agency, I did not want to conclude matters involving a company’s fate with a simple result.

So, I decided to become a patent attorney who shares in a company’s “Growth.”

Mastering the Client’s Industry Intellectual property is not just an administrative result; it is a record of someone’s life and vision translated into the language of law. Therefore, I strive to go beyond the conventional role of a lawyer and truly understand my client’s industry.

• Becoming a Cosmetic Expert: This is why I obtained a Cosmetic Expert License. As my clients in the K-Beauty market grew in number, I wanted to be a partner who understands the market, not just an attorney handling application papers.
• Field Experience: I attend cosmetics and medical device expos every year to learn the latest trends, and I even set up a booth to promote “MarkWide,” our overseas trademark specialty center.
• Continuous Learning: Conducting regular study sessions twice a week, participating in science book clubs, and attending seminars 3-4 times a month—I do all this out of a firm belief that integrating law and market knowledge lets me provide the detailed, proactive consulting clients haven’t even thought to ask for yet.
• Publishing Books: This is also why I published practical books for the general public, such as Trademark Essentials for Marketers and Surviving on Earth as a Brand.

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Designing a Relationship Called “Companionship”

All these efforts are ultimately for “Companionship,” not just representation. I decided to become a partner who walks the entire journey alongside a company—from its birth to its growth and success—going beyond mere legal assistance.

When I named the firm “Sarang” (Love), people asked if it was too emotional. But I am convinced that the essence of intellectual property is not law, but people. I want to be the person who turns someone’s story into a right, and ensures that right leads to success.

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Trust is Built Through Process.

A good patent attorney is not made overnight. I believe trust is built through a process. To be a good attorney, I believe three elements must come together:

1. Heart & Attitude: A sincere heart and attitude toward the work (this is the absolute foundation).
2. Ability: Solid skills that back up that heart.
3. Method: A way of working that is easier and kinder from the client’s perspective, based on the first two.

In pursuit of these three, Sarang IP and I never stand still.

A Heart That Wants to Be Closer to Clients Out of a genuine desire to grow closer to my clients, I personally take part in expos to hear voices from the field, send heartfelt greetings every holiday, and publish newsletters regularly.

Detailed Review Process When a case comes in, my top priority is to understand the company’s exact products, services, and future direction through a new client study. All documents undergo a triple review—Law, Market Sense, and Human Heart—before we communicate the results and conclusions to the client.

This meticulous process is ultimately what gives clients confidence in the scope of their rights.

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Towards a Greater Mission

My mission is to ensure that my clients hold a clear competitive edge, at least when it comes to intellectual property, under the larger goal of “Securing Our Client’s Competitiveness.”

I have been working for nearly 20 years, but I still feel I have a long way to go.

I want to see a bigger world. Beyond simply following the laws as they stand, I want to become someone who helps create and guide laws in the right direction. And I want to grow into the “most trusted expert” in the patent industry, and a person who exerts a “positive influence.”

Growing together with clients, each of us shaping the other—that is the beautiful picture I dream of. I believe the commendation I received in 2023 is a result of all these efforts.

Sarang IP Law Firm will provide consulting with expertise and meticulous care to contribute to your business growth and success.

I look forward to sharing a wealth of knowledge—my own know-how, beliefs, and philosophy—to help you along the way, from your company’s birth to its success.

Thank you for reading this long letter.

Sincerely,

Sohyun Park Managing Partner/ Patent Attorney Sarang IP Law Firm