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JANE KIM

Managing PARTNER
direct: 415.364.6793
email: jkim@kbkllp.com
EDUCATION:
  • Columbia College, Columbia University (B.A., cum laude, 1999)
  • Harvard Law School (J.D., cum laude, 2002)
ADMISSIONS:
  • California, including all federal districts;
  • New York State; Southern and Eastern Districts of New York (federal)
BIOGRAPHY

Jane Kim is the Firm’s managing partner. She advises debtors in possession, distressed companies, and other parties, in both in-court and out-of-court situations. 

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Jane's recent engagements include representing Trinitas Farming, LLC and 17 almond ranch operators in the Central Valley of California, and Shift Technologies, Inc., an omnichannel automobile retailer, in their chapter 11 cases in the Northern District of California. Jane also serves as bankruptcy co-counsel for Pacific Gas & Electric Company in its chapter 11 case, the largest chapter 11 filing in the Northern District of California in over a decade, which emerged from bankruptcy in July 2020 through a confirmed, largely-consensual plan of reorganization.

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Before moving to California and joining Keller Benvenutti Kim in 2014, Jane practiced in New York at a large international law firm for over a decade. 

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Jane is a fellow in the American College of Bankruptcy and has been recognized as a leading lawyer by numerous publications and organizations, including Chambers USA. She was named Lawyer of the Year in the 2023 edition of Best Lawyers and included on Global M&A Network’s Annual Top 100 Restructuring Professionals in 2022 and the Daily Journal’s list of Top Bankruptcy Lawyers of 2022. She is a frequent speaker on a wide range of bankruptcy-related subjects, including the intersection of bankruptcy and arbitration, mass torts bankruptcy cases, asset sales, and cross-border insolvency issues.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Keller Benvenutti Kim LLP

Partner

(2014 – present)

Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP
Associate
(2002 – 2014)
sPEAKING & WRITING engagements

  • International Association of Korean Lawyers: Commercial Real Estate: Creating Resilience in the Current Market (October 2024) - Toronto, Canada

  • American Bar Association, Business Law Section: An Update on Arbitration in the Bankruptcy Context (September 2024) - San Diego, California

  • American Bankruptcy Institute Journal: Good Faith: What Recent Mass Tort Bankruptcy Decisions Tell Us (March 2024) - cover article [link to article]

  • Bar Associate of San Francisco, Commercial Law and Bankruptcy Section; Bay Area Bankruptcy Forum: Recent Developments in Business Bankruptcy (November 2022-February 2024) –  San Francisco, California 

  • Strafford: Intersection of Bankruptcy and ADR: Issues for Creditors, Counterparties, and Plan Proponents (February 2024) – webinar 

  • National Asian Pacific American Bar Association National Convention: Crypto-Fueled Bank Runs (November 2023) – Indianapolis, Indiana 

  • Thomson Reuters Institute, 2nd Annual West Coast M&A/Private Equity Forum: Considerations & Opportunities in Distressed M&A (September 2023) – Palo Alto, California 

  • National Asian Pacific American Bar Association: When Mass Torts Defendants File for Bankruptcy (June 2023) – webinar 

  • Expert Webcast: Leading Women Dealmakers in Bankruptcy and Restructuring – Outlook for 2023 (May 2023) – virtual program

  • California Bankruptcy Forum, 35th Annual Insolvency Conference: Fold and Live to Fold Again: Perspectives on Mass Torts (May 2023) – Palm Springs, California

  • Top Ranked Legal May Newsletter: Bankruptcy Being Used (or, in the View of Some, Misused) to Resolve Mass Tort Litigation (May 2023) – [link to article]

  • American Bankruptcy Institute, Annual Spring Meeting: Non-Monetary Defaults (April 2023) – Washington D.C.

  • Federal Bar Association, Orange County Chapter: Civil Practice Seminar: Resolution of Mass Tort Liabilities (April 2023) – Costa Mesa, California  

  • American College of Bankruptcy and Temple University, 2023 Bankruptcy Forum: Mock Oral Arguments Based on the Purdue Pharma Case (January 2023) – Philadelphia, PA

  • Bar Association of San Francisco, Commercial Law and Bankruptcy Section; Bay Area Bankruptcy Forum: Recent Developments in Business Bankruptcy (November 2022) – San Francisco, California

  • National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges: The Role of International Courts and Forums in Insolvency Dispute Resolution – Past, Present, and Future (October 2022) – Orlando, Florida

  • International Association of Korean Lawyers: What Makes the U.S. Bankruptcy Code Such a Powerful Tool, Why Should Korean Companies Care, and How Can You Maximize its Benefits for Your Client? (October 2022) – Los Angeles, California

  • ADR Services, INC.: Navigating Bankruptcy Without Sinking the Ship (July 2022) – virtual program

  • "Fifth Circuit in CJ Holding Declines to Find 'Excusable Neglect'," American Bankruptcy Institute Journal (July 2022) (co-authored)

  • American Bankruptcy Institute, Spring Meeting: So We Own a Plane in Mexico: Asset Recovery and Cross-Border Insolvency (April 2022) – Washing, DC

  • American Bankruptcy Institute, Battleground West: Mass Tort Bankruptcies in Review (March 2022) – Los Angeles, California 

  • National Asian Pacific American Bar Association: No Releases for You! Purdue Pharma, the 'Texas two-step' and other recent developments in managing mass tort liabilities (March 2022) – virtual program

  • National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges: Pickin’ Up the Pieces – The Collision Between Arbitration and Bankruptcy (October 2021) – Indianapolis, Indiana

  • Bar Association of San Francisco, Commercial Law & Bankruptcy Section: The Automatic Stay – Advanced Topics (September 2021) – virtual program

  • AIRA, 37th Annual Bankruptcy & Restructuring Conference: Wildfires and the Future of Winemaking in California (July 2021) – virtual program

  • American Bar Association, Business Law Section Annual Meeting: Buying Assets in a 363 Sale for the M&A Generalist (September 2020) – virtual conference

  • The Bar Association of San Francisco: Rules of Engagement: Conflicts, Ethics and Bankruptcy (January 2020) – San Francisco, California

  • American Bankruptcy Institute, Winter Leadership Conference: The Intersection of the Federal Arbitration Act and Bankruptcy (December 2019) – Rancho Palos Verdes, California

  • National Asian Pacific American Bar Association National Convention: Perspectives on Crisis Management (November 2019) – Austin, Texas

  • Bay Area Bankruptcy Judges’ Conference: Ethical Issues in Chapter 11 (September 2019) – San Francisco, California

  • Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference: Bankruptcy Issues Spawned by the Supreme Court’s Recent Arbitration Decisions (July 2019) – Spokane, Washington

  • Select Counsel CLE Presentation: Standing Guard – Protecting Privilege and Work Product (October 2018) – webinar

  • International Association of Korean Lawyers, 2018 Annual Conference: Comparative Review of Pre-Packaged Restructurings in Korea, US, UK and Canada (September 2018) – Atlanta, Georgia

  • Select Counsel CLE Presentation: What GCs Need to Know About Vendor, Customer and Competitor Bankruptcies (May 2018) – webinar

  • National Asian Pacific American Bar Association National Convention: Wheel of Misfortune: Dealing with Financially Distressed Tech Companies (November 2017) – Washington, D.C.

  • Bar Association of San Francisco: Bankruptcy Basics for Booming Businesses (September 2017) – San Francisco, California

  • “Bankruptcy Basics for Booming Businesses,” California Business Law Practitioner (Summer 2018) (co-author with J. Hayes)

organizations & groups
  • American College of Bankruptcy, DEI Committee, External Subcommittee Chair (present)
  • American College of Bankruptcy, Visibility Committee, Co-Chair (present)
  • National Asian Pacific American Bar Association, Bankruptcy and Restructuring Committee, Co-Chair (present)
  • American Bankruptcy Institute, Asset Sales Committee, Education Director (present) 
  • Bankruptcy Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Consortium, Member Liaisons Committee, Chair (present)
  • Northern District of California, Lawyer Representative (2018-2022)
  • National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges, Education Committee (2020)
  • International Women’s Insolvency & Restructuring Confederation (Northern California Network), Secretary (2018-2020)
  • Minority Bar Exchange, Member (present)
Awards & Honors
REPRESENTATIVE ENGAGEMENTS

  • Trinitas Advantaged Agriculture Partners, USBC, N.D. Cal. (2024) – lead chapter 11 counsel for investment company and 17 almond ranch operators in Central Valley of California.

  • Shift Technologies, Inc., USBC, N.D. Cal. (2023-present) – chapter 11 counsel for de-SPAC omnichannel automobile retailer. 

  • Speedboat JV Partners, LLC, USBC, N.D. Cal. (2022) – represented debtor in refinancing debt on Lake Tahoe property worth over $12 million, successfully opposing chapter 7 foreclosure sale, and obtaining dismissal of chapter 7 case.

  • Confidential Technology Company, Out of Court (2022) – counsel to technology company in acquisition of business in friendly foreclosure.

  • Confidential E-Commerce Company, Out of Court (2022) – counsel to assignee in assignment for the benefit of creditors in negotiating sale of business, intellectual property, and other assets.

  • In-Shape Holdings, LLC, et al., USBC, D. Del. (2020-present) – lead debtors’ counsel for premium regional fitness club chain in California, with debtor-in-possession filing and asset purchase agreement with purchase price of over $45 million plus assumption of liabilities.

  • Ravn Air Group, Inc., USBC, D. Del. (2020) – debtors’ counsel for Alaska’s largest commuter airline in its chapter 11 case, resulting in a confirmed liquidating plan and the sale of different business lines and assets in over a dozen transactions, resulting in anticipated aggregate proceeds of over $60 million.

  • Imperial Toy LLC, USBC, N.D. Cal. (2020) – represented DIP lender/stalking horse bidder in negotiating debtor-in-possession financing.

  • Pacific Gas & Electric Company, USBC, N.D. Cal. (2019-present) – co-counsel for debtors in chapter 11 case of $71 billion public utility employing over 24,000 employees and servicing 16 million customers.

  • JadooTV, Inc., USBC, N.D. Cal. (2019-2023) – lead debtor’s counsel for internet protocol TV provider focused on South Asian and Middle Eastern content.

  • Confidential Vehicle Manufacturer, Out of Court (2018-2020) – lead counsel to assignee in assignment for the benefit of creditors in negotiating sale of intellectual property and other assets.

  • Confidential Nutritional Supplement Manufacturer, Out of Court (2018-2019) – lead counsel to nutritional supplement manufacturer in negotiating and closing sale of business.

  • Confidential Software Company, Out of Court (2017-2018) – counsel to venture-backed software company in negotiating its wind-down budget, wind-down financing package, and terms of a “friendly foreclosure” to first lien lender.

  • New Cal-Neva Lodge, LLC, USBC, D. Nev. (2016-2018) – debtor’s counsel for historic casino and resort in chapter 11 case involving sale of resort and confirmation of plan.

  • Delivery Agent, Inc. et al., USBC, D. Del. (2016-2017) – debtor’s counsel for e-commerce company chapter 11 case involving divestiture of one business and sale of the core business to venture lender after auction.

  • Stemcells, Inc., Out of Court (2016) – represented publicly-traded biotechnology company in wind-down negotiations and coordination of reverse merger (securities work performed by associated firm).

  • In re Fisker Automotive, USBC, D. Del. (2014-2020) – represent Hybrid Technologies, LLC as senior secured lender in post-confirmation claims resolution and class action litigation brought by former employees.

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* Other representations available upon request.

Speaking & Writing
Professional Experience
Organizations & Groups
Awards & Honors
Representative Engagements

425 Market Street, 26th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105      admin@kbkllp.com  |  415.496.6723 

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