[Interview] "Wake Up at 3 AM" "Like It's My Own Work" "I Take Responsibility"

Law Firm Consumer Report 'Top Lawyer'
Kim Sang-min, Taepyungyang Lawyer
Voted 'Best' by 10 Corporate Legal Officers
'Best of the Best'

How can one become the best lawyer?

In the ‘2024 Law Firm Consumer Report’ by Legal Times, Kim Sang-min (45, Judicial Research and Training Institute class 37), a lawyer at Bae, Kim & Lee LLC, was chosen as the ‘best lawyer’ by 10 different legal officers from the top 10 conglomerates including Samsung Electronics, Hyundai Motor, LG Electronics, and POSCO. The evaluation covered a total of 103 law firms and thousands of lawyers. Among them, 303 lawyers received at least one vote as the ‘best lawyer.’ Being recognized as the ‘best’ by such strict and demanding corporate legal officers is a significant achievement, and Kim was selected as the ‘best lawyer’ by all 10 officers.

[Image source=Beomryul Newspaper]

When asked about the ‘secret to being the best,’ Kim answered, “I work like an employee of the client company.” He also said, “I start my workday at 3 a.m. and provide answers before the client’s morning meeting at 6 a.m.”

Kim’s answer matched the reasons clients chose him as the best. Corporate legal officers evaluated him as “treating company matters as his own,” “providing accurate opinions quickly,” and “working closely with passion and proactiveness.”

[Image source=Beomryul Newspaper]

We met Kim at the Bae, Kim & Lee office on the 25th to hear more details.

- What is the secret to receiving the most votes as the best lawyer from corporate lawyers?

“I work like an employee of the client company. I tried to get close to the company employees both professionally and personally, and made sure they could reach out to me immediately when the company faced difficulties or had questions. I think they appreciated that.”

- What does working like a company employee mean?

“Not as an external lawyer, but truly caring like family. I fully understand the client’s difficulties and think hard about how we can overcome them together. When working on documents, I sometimes open one computer with the client and make revisions while talking. It was literally co-working and collaboration.”

- Many opinions cited ‘expertise’ as the reason for selecting you as the best lawyer.

“Law firm lawyers probably differ by just a sheet of paper in terms of expertise. Sometimes I’ve seen lawyers write opinions that hedge their responsibility, like ‘this could be this way or that way,’ to avoid accountability if the outcome changes later. But I tend to write confidently. I think, ‘If I’m wrong, I take responsibility.’ Clients have told me that this helps a lot in decision-making. Honestly, saying ‘this could be this or that’ means you don’t really know.”

“It’s like going to the hospital because you’re in pain, and they say it might be cancer or might not be... that doesn’t make sense. I try harder than others to give clear answers.”

- You are also praised for good communication with clients.

“It’s almost a trade secret (laughs). Even if I drink with clients, I go to bed around 10 p.m. and wake up around 3 a.m. to review drafts written by junior lawyers overnight. In the morning, my senior reviews them again, so our team operates 24 hours. We can respond to client inquiries at any time. I sometimes send emails at 3 or 5 a.m., and clients know I’m awake then, so they call me. Especially on Mondays, clients have meetings at 8 a.m., and executives come in early to prepare. Most law firm lawyers start work around 9 or 10 a.m. at the earliest, but I’m ready to respond whenever executives arrive. Some clients say, ‘Kim Sang-min always answers the phone, so it’s convenient.’”

- What was impressive about this law firm evaluation?

“The section on ‘law firms and lawyers that did not meet expectations’ was impressive. We sometimes receive complaints too. It would be good if they could provide more feedback in that area so we can reflect and improve.”

- There were various evaluations regarding ‘partner’s actual involvement in work’ among the law firm evaluation items.

“At the beginning of a case, there might be a flashy cast, but once the work starts, they become less visible or don’t know much even when called. Some clients feel disappointed or express dissatisfaction directly about this, which can affect future case assignments. It’s a very important aspect.”

- Any final words?

“It’s a personal honor, and I would like to thank those who evaluated me.”

Sujeong Hong, Legal Times Reporter

※This article is based on content supplied by Law Times.