Joon Kim
Joon H. Kim is an American attorney specializing in high-stakes litigation, white-collar criminal defense, internal investigations, and regulatory enforcement. He served as Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York from March 2017 to January 2018, leading an office of over 220 Assistant U.S. Attorneys responsible for prosecuting federal crimes in the nation's financial and media capital.[1][2] A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Stanford University and cum laude graduate of Harvard Law School, Kim clerked for U.S. District Judge Miriam Goldman Cedarbaum before beginning his career as a litigation associate at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP in 1997.[2][1] Kim's prosecutorial experience includes serving as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of New York from 2000 to 2006, where he tried over 12 federal jury trials and supervised dozens more.[1] He returned to the U.S. Attorney's Office in 2013 as Chief Counsel to the Criminal Division, advancing to Chief of the Criminal Division and Deputy U.S. Attorney before assuming the acting role amid the abrupt dismissal of Preet Bharara by President Trump.[1][2] During his tenure, the office pursued notable cases including the investigation into New York City Hall fundraising practices and charges against Fyre Festival founder Billy McFarland for fraud.[3][4] Following his government service, Kim rejoined Cleary Gottlieb as a partner in 2018, where he now serves on the firm's Executive Committee and advises clients on crisis management and arbitration.[1] In 2021, he was appointed by New York Attorney General Letitia James to co-lead an investigation into sexual harassment allegations against Governor Andrew Cuomo, contributing to the findings that prompted Cuomo's resignation.[5] Kim's career reflects a commitment to enforcing complex financial and public corruption laws, bridging public prosecution and private practice without evident partisan alignment in his professional roles.[6]