Dual-qualified Mincheol Kim has joined K&L Gates in Orange County, California, as a partner in the IP procurement and portfolio management practice. Qualified in both the United States and South Korea, Kim joins from Knobbe Martens, and is accompanied in his move by associate Nathan Lee and patent agent Hank Lee.

Kim advises businesses and individuals on the complex legal, technical, commercial and dispute resolution matters involved with intellectual property, with an emphasis on patents and trademarks. With a unique technical background in both chemistry and electronic engineering, he represents global technology leaders, startup companies, and universities in a variety of industries, including biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, material science, mobile devices, internet of things, and automotive, among others. He represents U.S. companies on both domestic and foreign IP matters as well as Asian companies on their U.S. and global intellectual property matters, aided by his past experience practicing IP law in Seoul at Myung-Shin & Partners.

“We are extremely excited to welcome Mincheol and his team to K&L Gates,” said Michael A. Hedge, managing partner of K&L Gates’ Orange County office. “Their hiring builds on an impressive year of growth for our Orange County office, during which we’ve added six people, and brings further depth to our extensive experience in the life science and technology space.”

Kim’s arrival follows the addition of three other intellectual property partners at the firm this year – Chicago partners Patrick Richards and James Shimota, and San Francisco partner Tom Anderton.