SEOUL, South Korea, April 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Leading global professional services firm Alvarez & Marsal (A&M) today launched a dedicated restructuring practice in Korea, expanding its Asia-Pacific restructuring platform and deepening its commitment to the market.
The launch builds on A&M’s decade-long presence in Korea, during which headcount has tripled to more than 100 professionals over the past three years. It brings the firm’s globally recognized restructuring capabilities to the local market. The practice integrates operational turnaround, financial restructuring, and corporate finance solutions, with a strong emphasis on early, hands-on engagement to deliver practical, result-driven solutions.
"When we founded A&M, we built the firm around a simple principle — Leadership, Action, and Results," Bryan Marsal, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Alvarez & Marsal, said. "We step into complex situations, take responsibility, and execute. Bringing that model to Korea is an important milestone for us. Korea is a dynamic, globally connected economy undergoing structural transition. We are committed to investing behind local leadership and delivering the senior-led execution that defines our firm."
Supporting the Evolution of Korea’s Corporate Landscape
As one of Asia’s most dynamic and globally integrated economies, Korea continues to evolve its corporate and capital market framework through strengthened governance standards, market reforms, and initiatives to promote transparency and long-term value creation.
At the same time, global interest-rate normalization and sector-specific pressures have increased balance sheet strain across parts of the economy. Higher financing costs, ongoing industrial adjustment, and evolving macroeconomic conditions, including trade dynamics and tariffs, are placing greater emphasis on capital discipline and operational resilience, particularly among small- and mid-sized enterprises.
The ongoing review of the Corporate Restructuring Promotion Act (CRPA), set to expire at the end of 2026, further underscores the opportunity for Korea to review its restructuring framework to ensure it remains responsive and aligned with evolving market conditions.
Against this backdrop, A&M’s Korea Restructuring Practice aims to support preemptive restructuring, value preservation, and execution-led transformation, in collaboration with stakeholders across the ecosystem.
"Across Asia-Pacific, we are seeing increasing demand for senior-led, execution-focused restructuring solutions," James Dubow, Managing Director and Head of A&M North Asia, said. "With the right leadership and sustained investment, we believe this practice can become a meaningful contributor to the continued development of Korea’s restructuring ecosystem and to A&M’s regional growth."
Experienced Leadership for an Evolving Market
JJ Lim, Managing Director and Head of Korea Restructuring, and Dee Chung, Managing Director and Deputy Head of Korea Restructuring, will lead the Korea Restructuring Practice, combining deep institutional restructuring experience with cross-border execution capability.
Mr. Lim brings more than three decades of experience from Korea Development Bank, where he led complex restructurings and creditor workouts across key industries. Mr. Chung, a long-standing leader within A&M Korea, has advised on numerous multi-jurisdictional turnarounds and special situations. Their complementary backgrounds, spanning policy-bank leadership and global advisory execution, provide strong local credibility and international connectivity.
"Korea’s restructuring framework has evolved significantly over the past decades and continues to advance alongside broader corporate governance and capital market reforms," Mr. Lim said. "The direction of travel is clear: greater transparency, stronger market discipline, and more proactive engagement. A senior-led, execution-focused platform can support that progress by helping companies and stakeholders navigate change with discipline and confidence, contributing to the resilience and long-term strength of the Korean economy."
"Over the past decade, we have supported global clients on complex cross-border restructurings and turnaround situations," Mr. Chung said. "Establishing a dedicated restructuring practice in Korea allows us to deepen that work and bring more of A&M’s distinctive strengths to Korean corporates and market participants. I am confident in the long-term prospects for this platform and excited about building a practice that combines global connectivity with local leadership."
Regional Investment and Cross-Border Capability
The expansion follows A&M’s recent growth in Japan and Australia, reflecting the firm’s continued investment in Asia-Pacific. The addition of Korea deepens A&M’s senior leadership presence in the region and enhances its ability to connect local engagements with global sector expertise and capital solutions. In total, A&M’s Asia-Pacific offices comprise approximately 2,200 professionals.
About Alvarez & Marsal
Founded in 1983, Alvarez & Marsal is a leading global professional services firm. Renowned for its leadership, action and results, Alvarez & Marsal provides advisory, business performance improvement and turnaround management services, delivering practical solutions to address clients’ unique challenges. With a worldwide network of experienced operators, world-class consultants, former regulators and industry authorities, Alvarez & Marsal helps corporates, boards, private equity firms, law firms and government agencies drive transformation, mitigate risk and unlock value at every stage of growth. To learn more, visit: AlvarezandMarsal.com.