Lecturers in Law

Seong Kim is a partner in the Intellectual Property and Litigation Practice Groups at Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP, Los Angeles (Century City) office. He also spends considerable time in the firm’s Seoul office, representing Korean companies in a variety of disputes.

Kim is known for his exceptional winning record at trials and arbitrations, having obtained judgments and settlements totaling hundreds of million dollars. Some of the largest companies around the world turn to Kim to protect their interests.

Chambers and Partners recognized Kim for his “strong track record” and for his “creative legal solutions.” Legal 500 US noted that Kim is “renowned for his skill and effectiveness.” IAM Patent 1000 recognized Kim for “his sharpened trial skills, impressive match stats and ebullient client reviews,” stating: “He is extremely efficient and resolves matters quickly, but always with an eye on quality. He provides a very high level of service.”

Kim also taught Advanced Trial Techniques as an adjunct professor at the University of California, Irvine, School of Law. He has lectured at trial technique seminars for various lawyer/bar associations in the United States, Asia and Latin America.

Kim is a contributing author of the Treatise, Trade Secret Litigation and Protection in California, published by the Intellectual Property Section of the California State Bar. He is also a member of the California State Bar's Continuing Education of the Bar, Real Property Advisory Committee.

Kim has been featured and quoted in various publications including the Daily Journal, the Los Angeles Business Journal, and the Los Angeles Times. He was also featured as a “Minority Power Broker” by Law360.

Prior to joining Sheppard Mullin, Kim was a partner of an Am-Law 100 law firm, where he served as a member of its Executive Committee, as the Head of Korea Commercial Litigation, Co-Head of the Korea Practice Group, and Co-Managing Partner of that firm’s Los Angeles and Century City offices.
 

FACULTY IN THE NEWS

The Undefeated
April 19, 2018
Re: USC Gould School of Law

Thomas Lenz was quoted on how the NFL's refusal to hire quarterback Colin Kaepernick, as well as safety Eric Reid may bolster Kaepernick's case against the NFL for conspiring to keep him out of the league because of his political views. “To the extent that someone else has some parallel activity, some similar involvement, it certainly cast suspicion [on what’s occurring in the NFL]," said Lenz. “It’s the sort of thing that, as the facts bear out, you have to wonder if there’s some sort of pattern going on. … It definitely warrants some inquiry.”

RECENT SCHOLARSHIP

Robert K. Rasmussen
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"Puerto Rico and the Netherworld of Sovereign Debt Restructuring," Workshop, Duke Law School, Durham, NC. 

Edward Kleinbard
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"The Right Tax at the Right Time," Florida Tax Review 21 (2017): 208.

Edward Kleinbard
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“The Perversion of the Tax Policy Process,” Keynote Address at the USC Tax Institute, Los Angeles, CA.