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Jiwon Yhee has represented clients across a wide variety of industries on business, IP, and employment dispute resolution and litigation, and other commercial matters. Jiwon’s strengths lie in her practical approach to problem-solving and her ability to analyze and find solutions to the most complex issues and claims. Notably, she has served on client teams involving claims for damages in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

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In her commercial litigation practice, she represents both plaintiffs and defendants in actions asserting breach of contract, breach of warranty, fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, and other business torts and claims. She often handles matters involving the protection of intellectual property, including trade secrets, copyrights, and trademarks. In her employment litigation practice, Jiwon focuses on the defense of corporations under the FLSA, Title VII, ADEA, ADA and other federal statutes and their state equivalents. Jiwon has also routinely litigated cases involving the enforcement of non-competitive, non-solicitation, and other restrictive covenenats. Jiwon has successfully defended clients with limited English ability or whose documents are primarily in Korean.

Jiwon also assists clients outside of litigation. Her experience includes drafting and reviewing the potential enforceability of confidentiality, non-competition and non-solicitation agreements, as well as sales representative and distribution agreements.

Practice Areas

Education

  • University of Illinois College of Law, J.D., magna cum laude, 2015; Elder Law Journal, 2013-2014, Administrative Editor, 2014-2015; University of Illinois National Trial Team; Phi Delta Alpha Trial Team
  • Princeton University, A.B., 2009; Certificates in East Asian Studies and Creative Writing, 2009; Oxford University, Fall 2007; Princeton in Beijing, Summer 2007; Yonsei University (Korean Language Institute), Summer 2006

Admissions

  • Illinois
  • New York
  • U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of Illinois
  • U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Southern District of New York
  • U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Northern District of Illinois
  • U.S. District Court, Central District of Illinois
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Texas
  • U.S. District Court, Northern District of Ohio
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York
  • Supreme Court of the United States
  • U.S. District Court, Western District of Wisconsin
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin
  • U.S. Court of Appeals: 9th Circuit

Languages

  • Korean
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Experience

Experience

Member of litigation team that successfully defended an international manufacturer of agricultural and livestock nutritional and cleaning products in a federal district court lawsuit involving claims of trademark infringement, false advertising, and domain name cyber squatting. Team obtained settlement on favorable terms for the client.

Obtained complete dismissal of Trademark and Copyright Claims filed in United States District Court against a domestic consumer electronics company by competitor located in Southeast Asia. Client retained all rights to pertinent trademark registrations in the United States, and as a part of a global resolution of worldwide disputes related to the pertinent trademark and copyright, client also maintained trademark registrations in European Union jurisdictions which allowed client to significantly expand distribution footprint into European marketplace (June 2020). 

Achieved complete dismissal of arbitration claims alleging violations of the Federal RICO Statute, common law fraud, and breach of contract, where initial claims requested in excess of $450M in damages stemming from the bankruptcy and liquidation of the Plaintiff company; all claims initially filed in federal district court in the Southern District of New York and arbitration compelled based upon controlling contractual provision in pertinent contract documents (Sep. 2018).

Court granted a motion to dismiss, with prejudice, claims against the former parent company of the Plaintiff based upon the exclusive forum selection clause in the operative contract selecting South Korea as the venue for litigation. DMC Machinery America Corp. v. FFG DMC Co., Ltd., et al, No. 16-cv-269, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 152494 (N.D. Ill. Nov. 2, 2016).

Memberships

Memberships

American Bar Association
Professional Activities
Legal Updates/Client Advisories
U.S. Supreme Court Limits the Lanham Act's Extraterritorial Reach
On June 29, 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the decision of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit in Abitron Austria…
U.S. Supreme Court's Van Buren Decision Limits Employer's Ability to Bring CFAA Claims Against Employees
On June 3, 2021, in Van Buren v. United States, No. 1-783, 2021 WL 2229206, the U.S. Supreme Court resolved a long-standing circuit split…
Second Circuit Reverses Tiffany & Co.'s $21 Million Judgment Against Costco Wholesale Corporation
On August 17, 2020, in Tiffany & Co. v. Costco Wholesale Corp., Case No. 17-2798, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit…
OSHA Provides Additional Guidance on Returning to Work
Executive Summary On June 17, 2020, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) published its latest guidance on…
U.S. Supreme Court Issues Decisions Resolving Two Major Copyright Law Issues
Earlier this year, the U.S. Supreme Court issued two unanimous decisions resolving two deceptively simple, but nevertheless significant…
Employers May Not Delay Designating FMLA Leave or Expand FMLA's 12-week Statutory Entitlement, DOL Says
Executive Summary The Wage and Hour Division of the U.S. Department of Labor (“WHD”) recently released an opinion letter addressing…
Ninth Circuit Rules that Requiring Disabled Job Applicant to Pay for Post-Offer MRI Violates the ADA
Executive Summary Consider this scenario: Your team previously interviewed a job applicant for an open position at your company. The…
Employment, Labor & Benefits Update - August 2017
SAVE THE DATE: September 28, 2017 - Annual Seminar On Thursday, September 28, 2017, the Employment, Labor and Benefits group will hold its…
Employment, Labor & Benefits Update - March 2017
IRS Publishes Substantiation Guidance for 401(k) Hardship Distributions By Frank J. Del Barto On February 23, 2017, the Acting Director of…
Litigation Snapshot for 2016
Victory Before the American Arbitration Association in New York City, July 8, 2016 Rein F. Krammer and David J. Stein capped off nearly…
Employment, Labor & Benefits Update - September 2016
Important Developments in Illinois Employment, Labor and Benefits Law By Frank Del Barto Illinois Employee Sick Leave Act Expands Usage…
Employment, Labor & Benefits Update - April 2016
California Supreme Court Delivers Good News for Employers With Respect to Arbitration Agreements By Jiwon Juliana Yhee Plaintiff Maribel…
Employment, Labor & Benefits Update - March 2016
Health Care Reform: Reducing Employee Hours to Avoid the ACA is No Game By Frank Del Barto On February 9, 2016, the U.S. District Court for…
Employment, Labor & Benefits Update - January 2016
Employment – A Limitation on the Enforceability of Forum-Selection Clauses in California By Jiwon Juliana Yhee Executive Summary: In…
Events
2017 Employment, Labor & Benefits Group Complimentary Seminar
9.28.17
EMPLOYMENT, LABOR & BENEFITS GROUP COMPLIMENTARY SEMINAR Continental breakfast will be provided. Topics: The Trump Administration's…
Wage and Hour Webinar: Planning for the Release of the Final Rule
5.12.16
Wage and Hour Webinar: Planning for the Final Rule Join Frank Del Barto and Jiwon Yhee of Masuda Funai's Employment, Labor & Benefits Group…
News
Masuda Funai Hosted the 2022 Intellectual Property Seminar
Masuda, Funai, Eifert & Mitchell, Ltd. hosted the 2022 Intellectual Property seminar on October 20, 2022 in Novi, MI. An English session…
Masuda Funai Hosts 2019 Litigation Practice Group Seminar
On April 18, 2019, Masuda Funai hosted its Litigation Practice Group seminar to assist clients in protecting their company assets, both…
Masuda Funai Showcases Excellence in Obtaining Complete Dismissal Of Arbitration Claims
Masuda Funai demonstrated its ability to resolve complex legal matters involving multiple practice areas and jurisdictions by obtaining the…
Masuda Funai Hosts 2018 Employment Seminar
Masuda, Funai, Eifert & Mitchell, Ltd. hosted its annual Employment Seminar on Thursday, September 27, 2018. Approximately 120 executives…
Litigation Snapshot 2017
Highlighting a Few of our Litigation Practice Group Successes Bankruptcy: Equipment Supplier’s Victory Against Bankrupt Debtor, December…
Publications
Distinctions

Distinctions

  • CALI Excellence for the Future Awards in White Collar Crime, International Law and the Federal Civil Rights Clinic, 2013-2015
  • Fulbright Scholar, research grant from the U.S. Department of State and the Institute of International Education, 2010