On October 5, 2017, Michael S. Kim, the co-founder of Kobre & Kim, a global Am Law 200 litigation firm, visited Berkeley Law and shared his thoughts on entrepreneurship and what drove him to establish his own firm. He spoke to students and young professionals to share his experience as both a lawyer and entrepreneur. He delved into his perspectives on the legal field, business approaches to the law, the challenges and rewards of operating a global law firm, and how he and co-founder Steven Kobre ensure the firm stays ahead in an increasingly competitive market. The discussion covered Mr. Kim’s early experiences with legal institutions in childhood, his original motivation to become a lawyer, the injustices he saw in the legal system, insights into navigating international disputes, and his perspectives on the future of the legal field.
Mr. Kim is the only former U.S. Department of Justice prosecutor based in Korea and serves as counsel in high-stakes financial disputes, with a particular focus on international enforcement of judgments and arbitration awards, as well as cross-border government enforcement defense and investigation matters. Michael Kim’s practice lies at the intersection of fraud and insolvency in situations involving government investigations and asset forfeiture and confiscation, recovery of hidden assets, and insolvency disputes — often in simultaneous legal proceedings in multiple countries. In the area of government investigations and asset forfeiture and confiscation, he has been recognized as one of the most highly regarded individuals in international business crime defense by the publishers of the Global Competition Review (UK) and Benchmark Litigation.
