John H. Kim is a seasoned, respected civil trial lawyer who handles high-stakes litigation for international corporations and the most important case of their lives for individuals who have been injured by others. He practices in Texas, nationwide and internationally.
He has been named a Best Lawyer in America in the Commercial Litigation category by his peers. Recent past president of the Houston chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), elected nationally to be a trustee of the ABOTA Foundation and he was named 2018 Trial Lawyer of the Year by Texas ABOTA. He is Board Certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization – Personal Injury and he has the highest rating of AV Preeminent in the national Martindale–Hubbell legal directory. He also has been named to the Texas Super Lawyers list since it was first published in 2003 and named by that group as one of the Top 100 attorneys in Houston since 2013 and a Top 100 lawyer in Texas in 2015. And he was named a Benchmark Litigation Litigation Star 2013-2022 for accomplishments in general commercial litigation cases, as well as personal injury and product liability claims.
The firm Mr. Kim has created has been honored as a 2022 Best Law Firm by U.S. News & World Report and The Best Lawyers in America. That honor was for Tier 1 in business litigation in the Houston metropolitan area. The firm also has been on a list of recommended national law firms for several years by Benchmark Litigation, a peer-review guide to leading U.S. lawyers and law firms.
Mr. Kim has handled complex business and civil cases for businesses and individuals, including energy-sector litigation, antitrust, breach of contract and trademark cases. He also has handled many product liability, pharmaceutical and catastrophic injury/death trials, in addition to being appointed to MDL committees and as Class Action Counsel.
He received his J.D. from South Texas College of Law, where he was an ABA National Moot Court Champion, a member of the law review and received multiple honors, including Phi Delta Phi, Order of Lytae and Order of Barristers. He earned his B.B.A. in International Marketing from the University of Texas.
Mr. Kim is a member of the Planning Committee of the Center for Legal Responsibility, Texas Bar Foundation – Life Fellow, Texas Trial Lawyers Association Board of Directors, Houston Trial Lawyers – Board of Directors, Asian-American Bar Association – Board of Directors, and State Bar Grievance Committee. In 2021, he was appointed to the Texas Supreme Court Advisory Committee and also elected by Members of the American Board of Trial Advocates Foundation (ABOTA) to serve as its 2021 national vice president. He also is a Moot Court Adviser for South Texas College of Law and a member in the Million Dollar Advocates Forum and a Platinum Member of The Verdict Club. He earned selection to the “Who’s Who in Energy” list of energy industry leaders in seven major U.S. cities in 2012-2014.
He is a member of the State Bar of Texas and admitted to practice before the U.S. Federal Courts of Appeal for the 5th and 7th circuits, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, and the Supreme Court of the United States.
Mr. Kim has been active in causes he cares about. He participated in the tort reform fight in the Texas Legislature and testified for the Autism Society of Texas on the impact of proposed legislation regarding autistic children. He has also been involved in the proposed federal legislation surrounding the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program.
- E-mail: jhk@thekimlawfirm.com
- Lawyer Page: https://www.thekimlawfirm.com/attorneys/john-kim/
- 4309 Yoakum Boulevard, Suite 2000
Houston, TX 77006
- South Texas College of Law Houston, J.D., graduated 1992
- The University of Texas, B.B.A., graduated 1983
- Texas, State Bar of Texas
- American Association for Justice - Member
- American Bar Association - Member
- American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) Foundation - National Trustee
- American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), Houston Chapter, - Past president
- Center for Hearing and Speech - Board of directors
- Petitioner’s Steering Committee for the Autism Omnibus Proceedings - Co-chair
- State Bar of Texas, State Bar Grievance Committee - Member
- Texas Trial Lawyers Association - Former board member
- Texas Young Lawyers Association, Star Mentor Program - Mentor
- United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas
- United States Court of Federal Claims
- United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
- United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas
- United States District Court for the Western District of Texas
- United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
- United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
- United States Supreme Court
2 The Best Lawyers in America® awards
- Commercial Litigation
- Best Lawyers in America, 2016-2025
- Texas Super Lawyers since 2003
- Benchmark Litigation Star, 2013-2022
- Martindale–Hubbell AV Rated
- Texas Super Lawyers Top 100 lawyers in Houston since 2012
- Texas Super Lawyers Top 100 lawyers in Texas 2015
- International Who’s Who of Professionals
- “Who’s Who in Energy” list of energy industry leaders in seven major U.S. cities in 2012-2014
- Life Fellow, Texas Bar Foundation
- Life Fellow, Houston Bar Association
- 2018 TEX-ABOTA Trial Lawyer of The Year
- Energy Law
- Product Liability Litigation - Plaintiffs
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