An Extraordinary Lawyer’s Subspace - Chapter 190



Only Noblemtl

【Episode 190 – Eating New York】

New York, Manhattan,

11th floor, 1300 America’s Avenue.

“Mr. Han, do you know where the Yukon Trading case files are?”

“It’ll be in the file room, shelf B, at the end of the third drawer.”

“Oh, thank you.”

The Parks Clean Laundry case has become, in many ways, a symbolic case for Kim & Kang’s New York office.

In addition to the huge sales of five million dollars,

Kim & Kang’s first lawsuit in the US, first pro bono case,

It was the first case in the United States to win the title of ‘Law Firm of the Year’.

This was the first time the New York Legal Journal had asked me to do an interview.

“Dear lawyer, Caleb Branson, the CEO of Mission Ridge, sent me a contract. Did you see it? It says 51 to 53 trillion…”

“Isn’t that weird? Pages 51 to 53 were scanned incorrectly. They’re from a previous version of that page. So, send them again.”

“Ah! I see! Thank you.”

Thanks to this, the name Kim & Kang became known in the New York legal community, and many resumes and internship applications came in afterward.

It was also known in Korea. Even among lawyers at Kim & Kang, there were malicious rumors that it might disappear in a year or two.

It was a heart-warming event to see the faces of the Kim & Kang partners featured prominently in the New York Legal Journal.

The number of applicants to the Korean office has also increased significantly.

By the end of summer, the once spacious office was starting to feel crowded.

“Dear Attorney, do you also handle cross-border bankruptcy cases? We are a seafood shipping company in Brooklyn and we would like to consult on a rehabilitation process in New York.”

“Yes, I will take it.”

“Then, can I tell the client that a certain lawyer is in charge of the case?”

“yes.”

The number of lawyers has increased to 14, and with the addition of staff and interns, it has become a fairly large small office with over 30 people.

···

“But, Attorney Han Beom-sang, aren’t you a genius? You have something like a photographic memory? When you go into a meeting with him, he really knows everything. He knows where documents that even his secretary can’t find are. I heard he’s also very knowledgeable about maritime law and patent law.”

“That’s right. He’s a genius.”

“Right! Right?”

“He was famous even in the Seoul office. He was a legend among the associates.”

“Oh, I see! Somehow···.”

“You’re really good at golf too.”

“Are you a lawyer? And golf?”

“I heard this too, but you’re good at fishing and hunting.”

“wow-”

“You know that the lawyer speaks five or six languages, right?”

“No?! This is the first time I’ve heard of it. You speak six languages?!”

“Korean, Vietnamese, Japanese, English and Arabic.”

Among the new lawyers and staff, there were some who did not know much about him.

Then, people from Korea proudly explained.

“You speak Arabic?”

“You’re an Aramco lawyer.”

Han Beom-sang was becoming a symbol of Kim & Kang without even realizing it.

···

Tiring- Tiring-

“Hello. This is Beom Sang Han.”

-How are you?

“Andy.”

It was Andy Nasser of Saudi Aramco.

-I saw your interview in the New York Legal Journal. It was great.

“thank you.”

-I always thought this day would come, but it’s not happening so soon. If this continues, I’ll be the ‘Law Firm of the Year’ and ‘Lawyer of the Year’ in a few years.

He obviously had no way of knowing what would happen a few months later.

“So you’re not satisfied?”

-Yeah! If things go too well, I’m afraid they’ll raise the hourly rate to the level of Big Law (a large New York law firm).

New York, the city with the highest hourly rates for lawyers in the world.

According to Big Law, the rate for a new lawyer is around $700 to $800 per hour.

Among senior partners, there were lawyers who received between $2,000 and $3,000.

In comparison, Kim & Kang New York’s April rate was highly competitive.

“Hahaha – Don’t worry. You will always receive the standard from the Seoul office.”

-Just kidding, kidding. The vice president scouted you from Kim & Kang. He won’t complain even if you pay him by the standards of the New York big bosses, so please take good care of him.

“I’m the one who needs to take good care of you. Our Kim & Kang New York is just getting started.”

-I can feel the fighting spirit in your voice.

“But what’s going on? You didn’t call me because you saw the article, did you?”

-What do you mean? Are we really that close? I was just calling to congratulate you after reading the article.

“Oh, really?”

-Well, after congratulating you, I thought I’d talk about work too…haha.

“LA? Torrance refinery work?”

-No. A new business. Saudi Arabian sovereign wealth fund will participate.

I think we need to expand our office.

-*-

“So, when are you going to buy us a meal together?”

“Do you have time this evening? Should we go today?”

“Call! Where to?”

“Where? It’s the best salad in New York.”

Delmonico’s, arguably America’s first fine dining restaurant, is located at 56 Beaver Street, in the heart of Wall Street.

A restaurant where Wall Street partners take their favorite subordinates.

What started out as a small pastry shop in 1827 moved to its current location ten years later and transformed into a fine dining restaurant.

At the time, restaurants served a dish called ‘Delmonico’s Steak’, which was made by slicing the sirloin end of the beef long and grilling it, with mashed potatoes. This was the beginning of today’s New York Strip Steak.

“Is this the place where the salad that Do-byeon mentioned is delicious? Delmonico’s is delicious.”

At Choi Jae-min’s remark, Ha-young glared at Beom-sang.

-It’s all your fault, Mr. Beomsang!

-sorry.

Now, a man and a woman can understand each other just by looking at each other.

-If you keep doing this, I won’t be able to stay still either, right?

-What are you going to do?

-We’re going to make it public that we’re dating. Right here, right now.

-I don’t care.

-Really? Really?

-huh.

-Is this a proposal, then?

Hayoung feels excited as if she really received a proposal.

“Wow- the steak here is really good. Come on, let’s have a drink. I can’t drink enough to get drunk because I have to work again tomorrow, but let’s console myself with this expensive drink. Congratulations.”

“Congratulations.”

“congratulation.”

The three partners in New York raised their champagne glasses.

“The New York Legal Journal interview is definitely working. Local cases are pouring in.”

“It was such a wonderful victory.”

“Yes, Do-byeon is right. It was a really great victory. Thank you, Han-byeon. Thanks to Han-byeon, I was able to give myself some strength when I went to Seoul this time. There are a lot of people who want to come now. There are associates, and there are quite a few junior partners.”

“Even at school, professors and students come up to me and ask questions like, ‘What kind of law firm is Kim & Kang in Korea?’ and ‘Do you intend to hire new lawyers every year?’”

Beomsang graduated with a Master’s degree (LL.M.).

Hayoung, who was working on her PhD (JSD), was still commuting to Boston to work. Fortunately, she had already taken all the courses she needed to take, so she only had to meet with her professor in Boston once every couple of months.

“Yes, yes. Of course, we select every year. In fact, we are still short on personnel compared to the number of cases. The current plan is to select two or three people here every year. What do you two think?”

Managing Partner Jaemin asked partners Beomsang and Hayoung for their opinions.

“I’m a bit worried about the office space, but I can just move. I’m all for it.”

Hayoung answered.

The two now looked at the ordinary.

To be honest, his opinion was the most important. This year, Han Beom-sang was responsible for 70% of Kim & Kang New York’s sales.

“I think it would be good to be a little more aggressive.”

He’s making bigger plans.

“Aggressive?”

“I got a call from Andy this afternoon.”

“Aramco?”

“Yes, I haven’t received the details yet, but I think they are going to ask us for a new business. It seems like the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) is also participating in this business.”

Jaemin and Hayoung’s eyes sparkled wide at the news that Beomsang delivered.

It’s the Saudi sovereign wealth fund. It accounts for a quarter of the world’s sovereign wealth fund investments.

“PIF doesn’t directly take on cases, but you never know where or how opportunities might come.”

“of course!”

“that’s right!”

Adults can’t help but cheer like children when they hear such exciting news.

Just a year ago, Kim & Kang’s New York office was housed in a small building next to Koreatown.

There were times when he worked alone there. Jaemin almost shed tears. It was partly because of the alcohol in his empty stomach, but he felt excited.

It’s that overwhelming.

“So, here’s what I have to say.”

“Just tell me. Don’t throw it. Just throw it. One of our partners said, if you throw it, I’ll catch it with both hands. What is it?”

A bit of free time after a long time.

Choi Jae-min’s playfulness, which could often be seen during his junior partner days, was triggered.

Beomsang and Hayoung laugh out loud.

This combination,

good night.

“They said that the 17th floor of our building just collapsed.”

Currently, Kim & Kang is using 1/12 of the 11th floor.

The typical proposal is to increase the size of the office by twelve times.

Jaemin’s eyes, which seemed as if they would never get any bigger, opened to a hidden 1mm.

“One side’s opinion is that···.”

“I will invest the success fee income that came in this time.”

But then···

“Are you sure you’re okay with it? It’s a really big investment. One side will have to sacrifice the most.”

“I want to do it right.”

Jaemin looked at Beomsang.

Two eyes shining like the eyes of a tiger in the dark night.

More sincere than ever.

Han Beom-sang was bigger than when he left Korea.

The scale has changed.

At that moment, Choi Jae-min became certain.

I guarantee you that within the next ten years, there will come a day when Han Beom-sang will chew up New York.

then,

As a senior,

As a colleague,

And as a man···

“Okay! I’ll sign the contract tomorrow. You said it was the 17th floor, right? Don’t bother. One side said to do it, right? Do-byeon?”

“Me too, Cole!”

“Come on, this won’t work. Tomorrow is tomorrow, and I have to drink one more bottle today.”

I just want to go together until that day.

“Oh, and there’s one more thing I’d like to ask you.”

“I told you to throw it instead of giving it to me. What do you want to request?”

Now is the time when the office really needs a .

“I would like to reserve one room in my name.”