Contact details

Michael Kim

T: + 82 2 6138 4888 M: + 82 10 2005 1690 Email Michael | vCard Office: Seoul

Awards

Leading individual for Shipping: International Firms - South Korea

Leading individual for Shipping: International Firms - South Korea

Shipping: International firms

Shipping: International firms

Leading individual for Shipping: South Korea

Leading individual for Shipping: South Korea

Michael Kim Seoul office managing partner

Contact details

Michael Kim

Michael Kim
Seoul office managing partner

T: + 82 2 6138 4888 M: + 82 10 2005 1690 Email Michael | vCard Office: Seoul

Michael is the office managing partner of the Seoul office. He is an expert in litigation including alternative dispute resolution. Michael advises on a wide range of shipping, shipbuilding and offshore, international trade and commercial litigation issues including charterparties, memoranda of agreement, shipbuilding and offshore construction contracts, marine and commercial insurance, agency agreements, letters of credit and commercial notes.
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In both contentious and transactional areas, Michael has a strong reputation. He manages proceedings in the London High Court and has conducted numerous international arbitrations. His transactional work includes advising on shipbuilding and offshore contracts, ship finance and outward investment from Korea to Europe and Central Asia.

He was listed by Thomson Reuters in its Super Lawyer rankings 2013. Michael was also ranked as a leading individual in Chambers Global 2015 in the ’Shipping International Firms’ category in South Korea, where Stephenson Harwood was listed in Band 1. 

Michael's clients include major shipowners, shipbuilders, insurers, traders, securities houses, banks and P&I clubs in London and Hong Kong. He writes regularly for the trade, shipping and ship finance media and often speaks on marine issues at seminars for shipowners, shipbuilders, ship finance banks, charterers, traders and insurers.

"He is the go-to lawyer in the Korean shipping and shipbuilding industry for complex and substantial cases, (and) he offers proper compromises dealing with the conflicts between commercial realities and legal principles."

Chambers Asia Pacific 2021
  • Shipowners and operators
  • Shipbuilding and offshore construction
  • Shipping litigation
  • International arbitration
The unstable nature of the shipping industry and global economy have had a serious impact on various interests within the shipping sector. Ever declining profitability and ever increasing cut-throat competition among the players in the market elevate the demand for practical legal advice underpinned by a clear understanding of the sector in which the clients operate.

Michael has the foremost knowledge and expertise combined with an acute commercial awareness of the sector. He has always adopted a hands-on approach and provided practical commercial and legal solutions in the context of both contentious and/or transactional matters to the full spectrum of interests in the sector including shipbuilders, ship owners, charterers, finance banks, traders and insurers, enabling his clients to face the plethora of challenges in today's market with greater confidence.

More: Shipowners and operators

Offshore projects

Advised on the restructuring of a £10 billion LNG FPSO project and the transfer of technology in LNG Carriers to shipyards in CIS countries.

Offshore construction disputes

Advised on issues arising from and related to construction contracts for 4 semi-submersible rigs under constructions at Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering’s Okpo yard including issues concerning of front end engineering design and potential liquidated damages claims. 

Shipbuilding disputes

Advised on the extent of a shipbuilder's liability under a warranty clause. Buyers claimed US$100 million in relation to every possible loss suffered due to an incident which occurred during the vessel's maiden voyage. Achieved a very successful outcome that the builder was liable only for the repair costs of the alleged defect and no more.

Shipbuilding projects

Advised on issues arising from and related to shipbuilding contracts for the construction of six Arc7 LNG carriers to be used as part of the Yamal LNG project. This is a high value matter which required advice on the highly bespoke contractual terms reflecting the state of the art, innovative nature of the Arc7 LNG vessels. 

More: Shipbuilding and offshore construction

Ship finance disputes

Advised various ship finance banks on restructuring their troubled ship finance loan portfolios and finance banks and shipbuilders in relation to the restructuring and refinancing of the vessels which have been subject to cancellations and disputes with buyers.

Charterparties

Acted for leading shipowners, charters and their P&I club regarding various disputes arising out of charterparites and various charterparty chains. 

Memorandum of agreement

Successfully defended a claim made by buyers of a vessel under a memorandum of agreement (Norwegian Saleform 93) by which the clients agreed to sell a single hull bulk carrier to buyers.

Restructuring and cross border insolvency

Successfully made an application to the Chancery Court in London under Cross Border Insolvency Regulations 2006 for an order recognising Korean Chapter 11 Order made by the Korean and Japan courts for restructuring of ship owning companies. This effectively prevented any possible claims and suspended all the existing claims made against the clients. 

Bunker disputes 

Advising various shipowners in relation to potential claims and risk of arrest arising from the collapse of OW Bunkers, including arrests and proceedings in Belgium and the Netherlands. 

Managed local counsels in multiple jurisdictions including Belgium, Netherlands, Singapore, China and South Africa as well as advising the clients on strategy in avoiding payment to both traders and physical bunker suppliers for the same deliveries.

More: Shipping litigation
 

Construction disputes

Michael is an expert in litigation and international arbitration. He has been involved in numerous international arbitrations including one involving the nuclear power plant projects in the Middle East.  

Banking disputes

Advised a party in a banking dispute over payment of interest coupons in bearer forms. 

Trade and letter of credit

Advised on a wide range of international trade, internal sales contract, insurance & reinsurance, agency agreements, letters of credit and commercial notes.

More: International arbitration
 
  • Marine
  • Shipbuilders
The unstable nature of the shipping industry and global economy have had a serious impact on various interests within the shipping sector. Ever declining profitability and ever increasing cut-throat competition among the players in the market elevate the demand for practical legal advice underpinned by a clear understanding of the sector in which the clients operate.

Michael has the foremost knowledge and expertise combined with an acute commercial awareness of the sector. He has always adopted a hands-on approach and provided practical commercial and legal solutions in the context of both contentious and/or transactional matters to the full spectrum of interests in the sector including shipbuilders, ship owners, charterers, finance banks, traders and insurers, enabling his clients to face the plethora of challenges in today's market with greater confidence.

More: Marine
 

The unstable nature of the shipping industry and global economy have had a serious impact on various interests within the shipping sector. Ever declining profitability and ever increasing cut-throat competition among the players in the market elevate the demand for practical legal advice underpinned by a clear understanding of the sector in which the clients operate.

Michael has the foremost knowledge and expertise combined with an acute commercial awareness of the sector. He has always adopted a hands-on approach and provided practical commercial and legal solutions in the context of both contentious and/or transactional matters to the full spectrum of interests in the sector including shipbuilders, ship owners, charterers, finance banks, traders and insurers, enabling his clients to face the plethora of challenges in today's market with greater confidence. 

 
  • Korea
Michael is the office managing partner of the Seoul office.  The members of the Seoul office and he have an unrivalled knowledge of the Korean market and culture which are essential for the efficient progress of cases and transactions.

Michael has been acting for Korean clients for all of his career.  The Seoul office and he have developed the practice considerably in both professional and social contexts, the key to which has been the provision of commercial and pragmatic legal advice to clients and a unique understanding of their situation and the industry in which they operate.

More: Korea

Awards

Leading individual for Shipping: International Firms - South Korea

Leading individual for Shipping: International Firms - South Korea

Shipping: International firms

Shipping: International firms

Leading individual for Shipping: South Korea

Leading individual for Shipping: South Korea

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Stephenson Harwood and Virtus Law advise HJSC in Singapore High Court success

Law firms Stephenson Harwood LLP and Virtus Law LLP, its Singapore Alliance firm, have successfully defended Hanjin Shipbuilding and Construction (HJSC), against claim..

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12 Dec 2022

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Michael Kim named among top ten maritime lawyers

​Seoul office managing partner, Michael Kim, has been named among the top ten maritime lawyers 2022 by leading shipping publication Lloyd's List.​

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11 Nov 2021

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Coronavirus guidance

With our strong presence in Asia, Stephenson Harwood has been involved in addressing the issues surrounding coronavirus (COVID-19) right from the very start.

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12 Dec 2019

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Chambers success for the Seoul office

We are delighted to announce that for the sixth consecutive year since its foundation the Seoul office has been ranked as Band 1 by Chambers Asia Pacific 2020 for Ship..

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© Stephenson Harwood LLP 2016. Any reference to Stephenson Harwood in this document means Stephenson Harwood LLP and/or its affiliated undertakings. Any reference to a partner is used to refer to a member of Stephenson Harwood LLP.