An, Hee Chul

Heechul Ahn majored in physics at Postech and graduated from Seoul National University School of Law. Since then, he has gained work experience in various areas, such as startup, corporate, financial, and real estate advisory, and also with civil and criminal transfers at various law firms. He is currently a partner and head of the Policy Center at DLG.

Leading on from his experience advising a number of startups, venture capitalists (VCs), and startup planners (accelerators), Heechul Ahn published “Startup Law Guide 2. 0” (co-authored by Mr. Ahn and others, Park Young-Sa) in 2018, and “Investment Agreement Guidebook” (co-authored by Mr. Ahn and others, DLG/Startup Alliance) in 2022.

Throughout his career, Mr. Ahn has become a mentor for many associations, which include but are not limited to the following: The Korea Angel Investment Association, Korea Accelerator Association, Korea Startup Promotion Agency, SBA Seoul Economic Promotion Agency, AI Yangjae Hub, Seoul Fintech Lab, Korea Information Security Industry Association Information Security Cluster, Asan Sharing Foundation MARU180, Korea Intellectual Property Information Center, National Science and Technology Workforce Development Institute, and Young Entrepreneurs. At these centers, Mr. Ahn is currently advising, mentoring, and conducting lectures in order to cultivate the next generation of startup-related organizations.

As an advisory member of the Seoul Smart City Leaders Forum, he provides all-encompassing advice on the forum, and for four years, he has been actively involved in the disclosure of information by administrative agencies through taking the role of a judge on the Seoul Information Disclosure Review Board. Additionally, in recognition of his expertise in bioethical policy regulation, he has served as a member of the Institutional Review Board (IRB) at Seoul National University Hospital, Ajou University Hospital,and the National Military Capital Hospital in Bundang.

As the head of the Startup Legal Support Team at DLG, he provides direction on startup policies and works with related organizations to create a healthy startup ecosystem.

He is also actively involved in the management of international film festivals as he is a member of the board of directors for the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival, one of Korea’s three largest international film festivals.

In addition to advising and litigating cases for startups, he is also active within prominent areas of the technology sector, such as blockchain and ICT.

In 2021, he was selected as a finalist for the Korea Law Awards, Young Lawyer Of The Year (9 people) by Asia Legal Business (ALB), Asia’s leading legal publication, and in 2022, he was named a Rising Stars Lawyer by Legal Times. In 2023, he was awarded the Accelerator Industry Specialization Contribution Award by the Korea Accelerator Association and was selected as one of the 100 Next Generation Leaders by the Sisa Journal.