Helen Kim is an aggressive trial lawyer who has dedicated her career to representing plaintiffs, particularly in the area of employment law.
Since 2016, Ms. Kim has been selected every year by SuperLawyers as a Rising Star. Every year since 2018, Ms. Kim was recognized as one of the Up-and-Coming 50 Women Lawyers, an accolade designated among the female lawyers who ranked at the top of the list in the Southern California Rising Stars nomination, research and Blue Ribbon review process.
Ms. Kim is selective with the cases she pursues, as she devotes herself completely to her cases and only chooses cases she firmly believes in taking to trial.
Select Cases Currently in Litigation:
Delfin v. Whittier College, Los Angeles Superior Court Case No. 19STCV17427 (jury trial date is TBD). This is a whistleblower retaliation and defamation lawsuit on behalf of a former professor who was retaliated against and wrongfully terminated for protecting students from widely-known sexual predator professor David Iyam. This case has recently been in the news: https://www.whittierdailynews.com/2021/08/27/professor-can-continue-with-lawsuit-against-whittier-college-over-firing/.
Select case victories in recent years:
In 2023, Ms. Kim obtained a 7-figure settlement in a sexual harassment case.
In 2022, Ms. Kim obtained a $2.75 million settlement on behalf of aggrieved employees in a Private Attorney General Act case that is currently pending court approval.
In 2021, Ms. Kim obtained a $1.4 million settlement on behalf of a terminated manager alleging retaliation and whistleblower claims in Orange County Superior Court.
In 2020, Ms. Kim obtained a $1.65 million settlement on behalf of misclassified individuals against a national audit company in a class action lawsuit involving claims for intentional misclassification.
In 2019, Ms. Kim obtained a $1.55 million settlement on behalf of an individual employee against a technology start-up in Santa Monica in an arbitration involving claims for unpaid commissions, violation of Labor Code section 1102.5, race discrimination, retaliation, and wrongful termination.
In 2018, Ms. Kim obtained a $1.06 million settlement (inclusive of fees, costs, class representative enhancement payment and PAGA payment) on behalf of a class of non-exempt former and current employees of Wolfgang Puck Catering and Events, LLC.
In 2017, Ms. Kim secured a $1.02 million total judgment ($307,762.00 verdict + $709,431.90 fee award) plus finding of malice, oppression or fraud against 3 managing agents in a failure to accommodate disability and wrongful termination jury trial against Kaiser Foundation Hospitals and Southern California Permanente Medical Group, Inc. (Case No. 30-2015-00768685-CU-WT-CJC (Orange County Superior Court Jan. 2015)). Ms. Kim litigated this case from its inception through the end of the seven-week jury trial in one of the most conservative jurisdictions in the State of California for plaintiffs.
In 2015, Ms. Kim secured a 6-figure confidential pre-lawsuit settlement of individual employee's pregnancy discrimination and wrongful termination claims.
Education
Stanford University, B.A. (2004)
* Phi Beta Kappa, Distinction, Ranked 1st in the Department of Communication, Gates Millennium Scholar, News Editor for The Stanford Daily
University of California, Hastings College of the Law, J.D. (2008)
* Civil Litigation Concentration, Editor of the Hastings Business Law Journal
Previous Work Experience
Associate at The deRubertis Law Firm, APC - plaintiffs' employment law (individual FEHA cases and wage & hour class actions), personal injury
Associate at Arias, Ozzello & Gignac LLP - plaintiffs' consumer class actions, plaintiffs' employment litigation (individual FEHA cases and wage & hour class actions), toxic torts, products liability, intellectual property litigation, business litigation
Certified law clerk at the San Mateo District Attorneys' Office
Certified law clerk at the Unites States Attorneys' Office, Criminal Division, in the Northern District of California
Freelance columnist for the Los Angeles Times (Voices column)
Accolades
Up-and-Coming 50 Women Lawyers for each year since 2018 (Top female lawyers in the Southern California Rising Stars nomination, research and Blue Ribbon review process)
Southern California Rising Star (top 2.5% of attorneys in Southern California) for each year since 2016
Publications
Interviewed by the Los Angeles Times re: sexual harassment in the workplace: http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-fi-how-to-report-sexual-harassment-workplace-20171219-story.html
Writer for the California Employment Lawyers Association VOICE blog (celavoice.org)
"Tips for Lawyers Advertising in California," Juriste International, April 2012
"Concepcion Severely Limits Consumer Class Actions In The United States," Juriste International, March 2011
Multiple articles (written and edited by Ms. Kim) in The Stanford Daily from 2001-2004
Multiple feature columns in the Los Angeles Times (Voices column) from 1999-2000
Professional Affiliations
California Employment Lawyers Association, Member
Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles, Member
Korean American Bar Association of Southern California, Member
National Asian Pacific American Bar Association, Member
Bar Admissions
California, 2008
United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, 2010
United States District Court, Central District of California, 2009
Resources
Department of Fair Housing and Employment: www.dfeh.ca.gov
California Employment Lawyers Association VOICE blog: celavoice.org
Languages
Korean
Interests
In her free time, Ms. Kim enjoys hot yoga with weights, scuba diving, hiking, and traveling. She has traveled extensively to Iceland, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Greece, Peru, Belize, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, England, the Maldives, and at least a dozen other countries.