Joseph Koo

Joseph Koo is a senior associate in the firm’s Los Angeles office, a former prosecutor, and an experienced trial attorney. His practice focuses on privacy and data governance, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, commercial litigation, maritime and transportation law, and franchise law. Fluent in English and Korean, Mr. Koo regularly advises U.S. and international companies, including Korean businesses entering, expanding, or restructuring their operations in the United States.

Mr. Koo advises clients on U.S. and international privacy requirements, including the CCPA, CPRA, and CIPA. His experience includes privacy policies and notices, data mapping, consumer-rights procedures, website tracking technologies, incident and data-breach response, and internal compliance programs and training.

Mr. Koo represents clients in domestic and cross-border acquisitions, mergers, reorganizations, strategic investments, and joint ventures. He assists with transaction structuring, legal due diligence, definitive agreements, governance arrangements, closing, and post-closing matters, frequently coordinating with foreign headquarters and advisors in multiple jurisdictions.

Mr. Koo also represents clients in business, contract, corporate, franchise, employment, and other commercial disputes. Before entering private practice, he served as a Deputy District Attorney with the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office, where he prosecuted criminal cases and conducted jury trials. He later served as an Associate County Counsel with the Los Angeles County Counsel’s Office, where he conducted more than one hundred trials and motion hearings. His extensive courtroom experience informs his practical approach to litigation strategy, witness preparation, evidentiary issues, and dispute resolution.

Mr. Koo advises ocean carriers, shipping agencies, logistics providers, and other transportation-related businesses on commercial agreements, regulatory compliance, government inquiries, investigations, and disputes, including matters involving the Federal Maritime Commission.

His franchise practice includes representing franchisors, franchisees, and investors in the development, expansion, acquisition, and restructuring of franchise businesses. He assists with franchise disclosure and registration matters, franchise agreements, regulatory inquiries, transactions, and franchise relationship disputes, with particular experience assisting international brands entering and expanding in the United States.

Mr. Koo is also a Certified Public Accountant. His accounting background enables him to evaluate the financial and operational aspects of transactions, joint ventures, franchise systems, damages claims, and commercial disputes.

Mr. Koo is admitted to practice in California and before the United States District Court for the Central District of California.