Former ADOR CEO Min Hee Jin and former NewJeans member Danielle have made a sudden shift in legal strategy, parting ways with the same law firm amid an escalating lawsuit filed by HYBE.
According to reporting by SPOTVNEWS, major law firm Yoon & Yang LLC briefly served as counsel for Min before officially withdrawing. Danielle and one member of her family had also retained the firm to respond to HYBE’s damages lawsuit totaling 43.1 billion KRW (roughly 30 million USD).
HYBE announced in December that it had terminated Danielle’s exclusive contract, stating that continuing the relationship was no longer possible. The company added that it would pursue legal responsibility against Danielle, the certain family member, and Min, accusing them of playing key roles in triggering the dispute and delaying NewJeans’ return.
Danielle and her family initially retained Yoon & Yang, with Min following suit—until Danielle later added attorney Jung Jong Chae of Law Firm Jung & Park to her legal team. Shortly afterward, Yoon & Yang filed a notice withdrawing as Min’s counsel. Min has since appointed attorney Kim Sun Woong of Law Firm Jiam.
The split drew attention because Min and Danielle had previously aligned their legal approach, jointly retaining Shin & Kim in related cases involving NewJeans’ exclusive contracts and the termination of Min’s shareholder agreement with HYBE. Their sudden divergence has fueled speculation about differing legal strategies.
Min’s side pushed back on the report, telling SPOTVNEWS that she never formally retained Yoon & Yang and instead received an apology from the firm over what she described as a unilateral representation issue.
Adding another layer to the controversy, Jung Jong Chae—now representing Danielle and her family—had previously expressed skepticism about NewJeans’ chances of winning a contract dispute. On his YouTube channel, he warned that if the standard singer contract clause applies, the group could face enormous penalties tied to average revenue multiplied by remaining contract years, potentially amounting to billions of won. His remarks drew attention for their blunt tone and harsh outlook.
Meanwhile, NewJeans’ activities remain fractured. Full-group promotions collapsed following Danielle’s exit. Haerin, Hyein, and Hanni have since returned to ADOR, while Minji is reportedly still in talks over her status. As the 43.1 billion KRW lawsuit moves forward, the sudden reshuffling of lawyers has only added to the high-stakes drama surrounding one of K-pop’s most closely watched legal battles.
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