Christian Tong-Song Kim

AVOID AT ALL COSTS!! - Reprehensible, vile, purely self serving with the goal of gas-lighting while maintaining no regard nor remorse for clients. It seems that most fall for the trap unknowingly so. In doing a deep dive AFTER hiring Mr. Kim and based on the divergence of his persona from pre...-to-post retainer, I was certain I’d been fooled. My initial case was open and shut, very simple as instructed by family in law who practice outside of SoCal. Soon after hiring Mr. Kim I was in an unfortunate circumstance where I was in legal cross-hairs for a 2nd crime, false accusation by a one time acquaintance. From the time Mr. Kim was hired his somewhat light demeanor and easy-breezy attitude quickly evolved into an indifferent, callous, money hungry and belligerent clear one-man operation. I was treated like I was a perceived criminal of sorts who went out and: “picked up a case…” in fact his exact words in that interaction: “I didn’t tell you to go out and pick up a case!” Spoke to me with extreme hostility and raised his voice when I asked standard questions about my retainer possibly merging the 1st retainer with the 2nd case. The expectation to be spoken to in a tone of decency and general respect is not on the agenda once your retainer is paid. Up to this point he had done essentially NOTHING. Asking him to send the report of the initial case was an exercise of extreme patience and ongoing emails & calls which only by the 3rd email/call (roughly 1 month) I was finally able to get a copy of the police report; near any attorney sends WITHIN A FEW DAYS. My work experience as a consultant somewhat aligns with Mr. Kim; on the education front I hold two BS degrees and enough work experience that all of my clients always ask where I earned my MBA thanks to 15+ years experience. After finally receiving the report for the initial case on a routine follow-up Mr. Kim made me aware that I had a possible case / an accusation which may be filed by the DA (I was completely unaware of), and he’d read the report and was not willing to send unless I paid up (I asked several times and he would NOT send it). Feeling stuck, I logically inquired about process, my simple questions being how do we resolve this & does this need to go to trial? His response was emphatic and enthusiastic: “We absolutely need to go to trial, it will cost (x) to manage the case up to prelim, then once we get TO TRIAL, then it’s (y) in addition, and I can get started right away!” Therefore my next Q - there is no way around going to trial then? His response a definitive and harsh: “NO! No way.” It seemed thinking I was already “in” for the initial retainer therefore he can gaslight and then admonish and browbeat and give this impression he’s saving the day while in some way playing both sides ie. sandbagging the trial early / playing “hardball” once the 2nd retainer has been paid. At this point the most logical question for you the reviewer, YOU, the person reading this review is to ask: “well, why would this reviewer be saying this / adding this review with this form of a conclusion?” because the case was in fact DISMISSED and did not need to go to trial, after this call I did in fact consult with 10 attorneys on this follow up case and not just 3 like the initial case, which, both cases were honestly open and shut and which both were in fact dismissed. All 10 of the attorneys said all the same thing that the 2nd case will very well be resolved without the need to get past prelim (one actually said it *might* to trial, but yet the accuser's story even in the report did not add up so still very unlikely to get there). Want a massive potential headache? wasted money? (my retainer for the initial case complete sunk cost / completely cut ties) browbeating and treated like a criminal once you’ve already paid your retainer regardless of the circumstances? Go with Mr. Kim and good luck, you're gonna need it