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Regulation, data, and cross-border operations push legal teams to move beyond traditional risk management. Companies now expect legal leaders to interpret rules, drive growth, and unite teams across functions and regions. At LG Chem, this shift shapes the work of Lawrence‘ Larry’ Kim, Senior Legal Counsel, who works at the intersection of business strategy, compliance, and execution.
Larry stepped into a role that shows how legal functions evolve alongside business needs. He manages major contracts, project development, and day-to-day legal matters for a small team. His responsibilities cover plant construction, employment, immigration, and litigation- often all at once.“ With a lean team of five here in the US, you end up taking on a bit of everything,” he observes.
The scope connects directly to LG Chem’ s US operations, as the company invests in advanced materials and manufacturing capacity. Larry’ s current focus centers on a large construction project for battery materials that supply electric vehicle chains.“ We’ re building a billion-dollar plant in Tennessee for a battery cathode material facility,” he shares.
LG Chem growth engine
LG Chem’ s reach spans petrochemicals, plastics, life sciences, and advanced materials. That variety shapes the legal challenges Larry faces.“ LG Chem is a very diverse business,” he points out. The company’ s history of petrochemicals continues to influence its operations, even as new investments expand into other sectors.“ We’ re expanding into life sciences and investing in cancer medications and treatments,” he adds.
At the same time, LG Chem develops materials that help advance energy transition priorities.“ We invest in advanced materials, including battery components,” Larry remarks. That work ties directly to manufacturing operations and end markets that rely on steady supply chains. His portfolio includes materials found in everyday products.“ We produce plastics used in products like Lego, cars, and sealants. It’ s a wide and varied manufacturing scope,” he observes.
The mix of sectors means legal work must address environmental regulations, commercial agreements, and product liability issues across regions. Larry focuses on aligning headquarters and local teams. He collaborates with colleagues in the US and stays connected with teams in Korea.
From courtroom to counsel
Larry didn’ t take a linear path to this role. He started his career in public service after law school, working as a prosecutor.“ I spent about a year building trust with the community, working with defendants, public defenders, and judges,” he remembers. That experience gave him a solid foundation in litigation and communication, which continues to shape his approach today.
He moved into in-house counsel early in his career.“ A year into prosecution, I got a call from Hyundai Heavy Industries,” he shares. The company needed help with an environmental investigation.“ We paid around $ 47 million in penalties, and I managed the post-settlement compliance period,” he explains.
The transition exposed him to litigation in a corporate setting. He worked on a products liability case that tested how organizations prepare for legal risk in US courts.“ The plaintiffs were seeking $ 1.1 billion in damages,” he recalls. The case ended in the company’ s favor.“ We ultimately reached a complete defense verdict,” he shares.
After that, Larry joined Novelis, where he expanded his work across transactions, litigation, and sustainability projects. He took on corporate responsibilities that brought together legal, finance, and operations.“ We were preparing to report on 1,200 different data points,” he mentions, describing ESG reporting.“ I led that initiative at Novelis.”
Part of the mandate was to support a venture capital team that invested in manufacturing and recycling technologies. This experience added another dimension to his legal practice, linking contracts, strategy, and new tools.
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