Saemee Kim is a partner at Peter & Kim and is dual qualified in Korea and California. She handles a broad range of international arbitration and cross-border litigation matters, including disputes arising from energy, M&A, life sciences, telecommunications, shipping, and IP. She has represented clients in numerous arbitrations under the rules of the ICC, LCIA, HKIAC, ICDR, AAA and KCAB, as well as ad hoc arbitrations, and in cross-border litigation before courts in the U.S., France, Italy, Colombia, Cambodia, and Malaysia. She also has extensive experience acting as counsel in domestic court proceedings for both domestic and international clients. She also sits as an arbitrator.
Saemee is actively engaged in the international arbitration community. She served as Young ICCA Events Coordinator for the North Asia region (2018–2022), Young ICCA Events Co-director (2022–2024) and the Chair of the CIArb (EAB) YMG Korea Chapter (2022-2025). She currently serves as the Delegate of the ICC Commission on Arbitration and ADR, the ICC YAAF Representative for South Korea (2024–2026 mandate), and Vice-Chair of the Women Interest Committee (KCAB
International).
She is native in Korean and fluent in English.
- Partner, Peter & Kim (2026 – present)
- Partner, Lee & Ko (2021 – 2026)
- Secondee, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer (Singapore) (2021)
- Associate and Senior Associate, Lee & Ko (2013 – 2020)
- Stanford Law School (LL.M., 2020)
- Judicial Research & Training Institute, Supreme Court of the Republic of Korea (2013)
- Korea University (LL.B., 2011)
- Represented Korean energy companies agaisnt a US nuclear company in relation to a license agreement in a KCAB arbitration
- Represented a major Korean electronics company against an Austrian company in relation to a license agreement in an ICC arbitration
- Represented a major Polish manufacturing company against a Korean company in relation to a distribution agreement in a KCAB arbitration
- Represented a major Korean telecommunications company against a German company in relation to a license agreement in an ICC arbitration
- Represented a Korean pharmaceutical company against a Russian company in relation to a supply agreement in an LCIA arbitration
- Represented a major Korean biometric device manufacturer against an Indian company in an ad-hoc arbitration seated in Singapore
- Represented a major Korean cosmetic company against a US company in an AAA
arbitration - Represented a major Japanese pharmaceutical company against a Korean
pharmaceutical company in an ICC arbitration - Represented a major Korean insurance company against a Canadian company in relation to an insurance agreement in a Korea-seated ad-hoc arbitration
- Represented a major Korean power generation company against a German company in relation to a license agreement in an ICC arbitration
- Represented a major Korean power generation company against a Japanese
manufacturer in relation to a supply agreement in a KCAB arbitration - Represented a Korean trading company against a U.S. company in relation to a supply agreement in an ICDR arbitration
- Korean and Seoul Bar Associations
- Vice-Chair of the Women Interest Committee (WIC), KCAB International (2026 –
Present) - Delegate, ICC Commission on Arbitration and ADR (2024 – Present)
- ICC Young Arbitration and ADR Forum (YAAF) Representative for South Korea
(2024 – Present) - Arbitrator for KCAB International (2022 – Present)
- Chair of the CIArb (EAB) YMG Korea Chapter (2022-2025)
- Young ICCA Events Co-director (2022 – 2024)
- Young ICCA Events Coordinator (2018 – 2022)
- Co-author of ‘Recent Case Law Trends on the Interpretation of Pathological Arbitration Agreements’, Lexology (2025)
- Co-author of ‘Recent Developments Regarding Attorney-Client Privilege in Korea’, Lexology (2024)
- Co-author of ‘Another Imaginary Arbitration Institution’, Lexology (2021)
- Co-author of ‘International Encyclopedia of Agency & Distribution Agreements, South Korea’ (Augustín Jausas ed., supp. 32, Kluwer Law International) (2016)
- Co-author of ‘Arbitration World International Series 5th Ed., South Korea Chapter’, Thomson Reuters (2015)
- Co-author of ‘The Baker & McKenzie International Arbitration Yearbook, Korea Chapter’, Juris Publishing (2014-2018)
- Co-author of ‘Default on Costs: A Review Under the ICC Rules’, The Korean Commercial Arbitration Board, Korean Arbitration Review 3rd Ed. (Year not specified)
- Ranked as ‘Recommended’ in Lexology Index (2026)
- Ranked as ‘Band 3’ in Chambers Global / Chambers Asia Pacific (2025–2026)
- Ranked as ‘Next generation Partners’ in Legal 500 Asia Pacific (2024–2026)
- Ranked as ‘Future Star’ in Benchmark Litigation Asia Pacific (2023–2025)
- Ranked as ‘Rising Star’ in Asialaw Leading Lawyers (2023–2025)
- Ranked as ‘Band 4’ in Chambers Global / Chambers Asia Pacific (2024)
- Ranked as ‘Future Leaders ‒ Partners’ in Who’s Who Legal Arbitration (2022–2024)
- Ranked as ‘Up and Coming’ in Chambers Global / Chambers Asia Pacific (2023)
- Ranked as ‘Rising Star’ in JoongAng Ilbo & Korea In-house Counsel Association (2023)
- Ranked as ‘Rising Stars’ in Legal 500 Asia Pacific (2020–2023)
- Named ‘Leading Lawyers’ by Legal Times (2020)
- Ranked as ‘Future Leaders ‒ Non-Partners’ in Who’s Who Legal Arbitration (2019–2021)