Hoejae Ryu is a distinguished intellectual property attorney specializing in trademark law. He has nearly a decade of experience managing high-profile cases across diverse industries. As a partner at NKL Law, Hoejae oversees trademark prosecution, enforcement, and litigation strategies tailored to protect and enhance brand value for clients. He excels at providing legal opinions on trademark registrability, managing infringement disputes, and navigating complex USPTO processes, including overcoming office actions and resolving TTAB proceedings.

Before joining NKL Law, Hoejae served as Senior Legal Counsel at Hyundai Motor Company, leading the company’s global trademark management efforts.  He oversaw a portfolio of over 10,000 trademarks worldwide, ensuring compliance and renewal across multiple jurisdictions.  His notable achievements include resolving trademark disputes involving globally recognized brands such as the “Hyundai,” “H” logo, “N” high performance brand, Smartsense, Stinger, “i” Series and Bluelink, and managing litigations in jurisdictions as varied as US, Korea, China, Russia, Germany, Spain, Iran, and Hong Kong.  Hoejae’s expertise extended to successfully negotiating high-stakes settlements and coordinating with global IP offices to cancel/invalidate infringing marks.

Hoejae’s trademark litigation accomplishments also include securing favorable outcomes against formidable opponents such as Allstate Insurance in the United States.  His leadership in international trademark disputes demonstrates a rare combination of strategic foresight and an in-depth understanding of regional legal frameworks.

A strong advocate for clients in trademark protection and dispute resolution, Hoejae holds a Master of Laws in Intellectual Property Law from The George Washington University Law School and a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Korea University, enabling a sophisticated approach to IP matters in technical industries.

Hoejae’s multilingual capabilities in Korean, English, and conversational Amharic further complement his global practice, allowing him to address the nuanced needs of clients across cultures and markets.