Seong Hwan Kim and Rebecca Edelson have joined the Century City office of Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP as partners in the firm’s Intellectual Property practice groups. Kim and Edelson join from Steptoe & Johnson, where Kim was head of the firm’s Korea Commercial Litigation practice, co-head of the Korea practice group, and a member of the firm’s executive committee; and Edelson led the firm’s Trade Secrets practice. Special counsel James Wald and Jason Zelin also join Sheppard Mullin from Steptoe & Johnson.
Kim handles all types of commercial litigation, but specializes in intellectual property matters, including patent and trade secret litigation. His client base is focused on Asia, Latin American and U.S. clients.
Edelson’s practice emphasizes intellectual property, with a particular focus on trade secrets and unfair competition. She has broad experience in all phases of state and federal litigation, including trials, writs, and appeals. As a recognized leader in trade secret litigation, Edelson is co-editor and author of the treatise Trade Secret Litigation and Protection in California, published by the State Bar of California. She is a past chair of the Executive Committee of the Intellectual Property Section of the State Bar of California and recently served on the Board of Directors for the Century City Chamber of Commerce and is also on the advisory board to the Shriver Project, which provides legal assistance to thousands of unrepresented low-income litigants.
“We are thrilled to welcome Seong and Bec to the firm. In addition to the continued growth of our IP practice, they expand and deepen our litigation and trade secrets capabilities. Their capabilities fit nicely with our already strong presence in Korea, and their cross-border experience further augments our Latin America practice,” said Guy N. Halgren, chairman of Sheppard Mullin.
“I am excited to join Sheppard Mullin. I have been impressed by the firm’s consistent growth year-over-year. I was especially attracted to the firm’s successful Korea office, burgeoning Mexico practice, robust IP practice group, and substantial California footprint, which are all key to growing my practice further. I also greatly look forward to continuing to practice with Bec,” Kim commented.
“Seong is a highly respected trial lawyer. Some of the largest companies around the world turn to Seong to protect their intellectual property interests. His knowledge and experience are synergistic with our capabilities in Korea and Mexico. Bec is especially expert in trade secrets work. We’ve had tremendous growth in our IP practice, and the addition of Seong and Bec further strengthens our formidable IP capabilities,” commented Daniel N. Yannuzzi, co-chair of Sheppard Mullin’s Intellectual Property practice group.
Kim received a J.D. from University of California, Los Angeles in 1993 and a B.S. from University of California, Berkeley, Walter A. Haas School of Business in 1990. He has received recognition from Chambers USA, Legal 500 U.S., IAM Patent 1000, among others.
Edelson received a J.D. from University of California, Los Angeles in 1990 and a B.A. from University of Pennsylvania in 1983.
The arrival of Kim and Edelson is another milestone in the growth of the firm’s internationally recognized Intellectual Property practice group. In the past 12 months, IP partner Weiguo (Will) Chen joined the Palo Alto office of Sheppard Mullin from Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner; IP partner Lisa Martens joined the Del Mar office from Fish and Richardson; IP partners Jim Gatto, Ben Esplin & Brad Blaise joined the Del Mar and Washington DC offices from Pillsbury Winthrop; IP Partner Manish Mehta joined the Chicago office; and IP partner William Lambert joined the firm’s Palo Alto office from Kilpatrick Townsend.
Sheppard Mullin has 240 attorneys based in its Los Angeles and Century City offices. The firm’s Intellectual Property practice group includes 125 attorneys firmwide.
Source: www.sheppardmullin.com
