Seong H. Kim

Partner

• skim@steptoe.com
• vCard
• Century City Office

Seong H. Kim is a partner in the Century City office of Steptoe & Johnson LLP, where he is a member of the Litigation and International Departments and the Intellectual Property group. Prior to joining Steptoe, Mr. Kim was a partner at a prominent Los Angeles law firm.

Mr. Kim's practice includes the representation of motion picture studios and television companies, producers, agents, and entertainers; banks and other financial institutions; venture capitalists and start-up companies; high-technology companies; commercial and residential real estate developers; construction companies, hotels, resorts, and casinos; and officers and directors, accountants, and attorneys. 

Mr. Kim also represents Korean and other Asian investors in a variety of commercial and corporate litigation matters. He has experience representing Latin American and US Spanish language television and media companies in entertainment and copyright litigation. 

Mr. Kim has obtained a multi-million dollar judgment for the producer of Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, obtained a multi-million dollar judgment against the inventors of the Ab-Roller® exercise product, secured a multi-million dollar settlement on behalf of several investment banks, secured a favorable settlement for a Latin American multi-media company, secured summary judgment for the City of Monterey Park and its former mayor, and obtained a multi-million dollar settlement in a bad faith case brought against one of the world's largest insurers.

Mr. Kim is also involved in appellate work. Most recently, he preserved the summary judgments that he obtained for the City of Monterey Park and its former mayor, preserved the favorable judgment that he obtained in favor of an investment bank, and secured a landmark victory on a writ petition to determine the rights of minority shareholders to dissolve and liquidate the corporation, in the reported case of Kline Hawkes California SBIC, L.P. v. Superior Court, 117 Cal. App. 4th 183 (2004).

Mr. Kim has lectured at various seminars, including the Orange County Bar Association's trial technique seminar, which is taught by judges and other prominent attorneys and attended by practicing attorneys. He also has been featured in various publications including the Los Angeles Daily Journal and the Los Angeles Business Journal. In addition, Mr. Kim was listed as a Super Lawyer in the Los Angeles magazine.

Representative Matters

• Dream Line v. Acetech  - involved in the successful defense of a general contractor's claim against Dream Line Enterprises for over $1 million in unpaid contractor's fees and for foreclosure of mechanic's lien.
• Sorensen Research & Development Trust v. Alltrade Tools (S.D. Ca) – assisted in defending Alltrade Tools in a patent suit concerning injection molding method involving a common mold part with separate complementary mold parts.
• United Commercial Development v. Peter Rahimi - successfully defended Peter Rahimi against claims of misrepresentations in the sale of a building near LAX.
  

Noteworthy

• Listed in Southern California Super Lawyers 2008 for Business Litigation

Select News & Events

• Steptoe Delivers Victory for LAX Enterprises in Breach of Contract Counterclaim Against United Commercial Development Corporation
• Steptoe Launches Subprime Lending Litigation Team
• Seong Kim Speaks on Litigation Strategy and Closing Argument at 2006 NAPABA Convention, November 2006

Publications

• California's Unfair Competition Act: Will it Give Rise to Yet Another 'Wave' in Smoking and Health Litigation?
  1995, 35 Santa Clara Law Review 193