Kim frequently litigates in areas including code enforcement, torts, civil rights defense, inverse condemnation, takings and other land use litigation. He is experienced in dangerous condition of public property, design immunity and other personal injury matters. He handles issues under the First, Fourth, Eighth, and 14th Amendments, as well as under Title II, VI and VII. Kim also provides risk management advice to public sector clients. In addition, he represents a number of private clients in various litigation matters.
Before joining the firm, Kim spent 11 years at the City Attorney's Office for the City and County of San Francisco. He served as managing attorney and chief counsel at that 200-lawyer office, gaining a wealth of experience working with city officials, departments, and public safety agencies. During his tenure, Kim represented the city and county both as a plaintiff and as a defendant. He retooled and managed the city's code enforcement team with a focus on housing, building, planning, zoning, environmental health, drug abatement and consumer protection issues. On the defense side, Kim became a specialist in many areas that confront public agencies including tort defense, civil rights defense, police misconduct, consent decree, employment, class action, and medical malpractice issues.
Kim also possesses considerable skills as a negotiator and mediator. He handled hundreds of settlement conferences for the city and county. He has served as a pro tem settlement judge for the San Francisco Superior Court and an early settlement panelist for the Bar Association of San Francisco.
Prior to earning his law degree, Kim was closely involved in the 1988 Dukakis for President campaign. He served as director of administration and finance and assistant treasurer for the $54 million general election campaign, as well as the Massachusetts state director for the primary campaign.
Kim teaches legal research and writing at Hastings College of the Law, as well as intensive advocacy at both Stanford and the University of San Francisco law schools.
Representative Work
Darensburg v. Metropolitan Transportation Commission. Kim recently litigated, tried, and won this case for our client, MTC. The case was a precedent-setting federal district court class action in the area of the rules governing state and federal transit funding. That victory recently was argued in and affirmed by the Ninth Circuit in a published opinion.
Publications
"Going to Mediation? Play Nice.," San Francisco Attorney (December 2009)
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Presentations
"California Government Code Section 11135 and Title VI," Title VI Workshop (May 2013)
"Considerations for Public Entities Entering Multi-Party, Large Scale Class Action and Other Complex Litigation," County Counsels' Association (September 2012)
"Keeping Abreast of Civil Rights Developments Affecting Public Transit Agencies," American Public Transportation Association (February 2010)
"Lessons Learned from Darensburg v. MTC," Transportation Research Board (July 2009)
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Honors
Moot Court Professor of the Year, University of California, Hastings College of the Law (2011-2012)