
HABBINE ESTELLE KIM
Avocat à la Cour l Attorney-at-law

HABBINE ESTELLE KIM
INTERNATIONAL LAWYER l Paris & New York
French of South Korean origin, Habbine is a dual-qualified lawyer admitted to the Paris and New York Bars.
She worked in the Legal & Compliance (European HQ) Department of Samsung Electronics UK on EU competition and commercial law matters. She worked as a Korean Document Reviewer at Morae Global Corporation (previously Clutch Group) in connection with a complex global investigation involving a financial services company. Her experience further includes dispute resolution and corporate M&A at Bird & Bird ATMD (Singapore), Yulchon (South Korea) and Alerion (France).
She is a graduate of University College London (LLB) and Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne (Masters in Law, Economics and Management - EU Law).
EXPERIENCE
Habbine advises multinational corporations, SMEs and startups on contentious and non-contentious matters arising from cross-border projects and business operations across Europe, Asia and the US.
She represents clients in domestic and cross-border disputes, including commercial, civil, employment, and intellectual property litigation before French courts (Tribunal judiciaire, Tribunal de commerce, Conseil de prud’hommes, and Cour d’appel), as well as in international arbitration under the rules of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the Korean Commercial Arbitration Board (KCAB), and the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
She also advises on international business expansion, investments and market entry, with a particular focus on corporate, contractual and regulatory matters, including corporate governance, restructuring, EU compliance, employment, distribution, commercial contracts, consumer law, and data protection.
Industries : Construction, Food & Beverage, Distribution & Retail, Automotive, Technology & AI, E-commerce & Digital, Art, Fashion & Luxury, Beauty & Cosmetics, Healthcare & Life Sciences, and Medical Devices.
➡️ CONTRACT
Drafting, translation and analysis of legal risks (employment contracts, international commercial contracts, partnership/JV contracts for international projects, wind contracts, commercial leases)
➡️ LITIGATION (civil, commercial, IP, labour)
Drafting of court documents, representation before the courts
➡️ ARBITRATION
Advice, drafting of statement of claim/defence and representation at the hearings on contractual and commercial matters before the ICC, as well as on sports law matters for professional athletes (TUE, ADRV, DSD, qualification) before the CAS (Ad Hoc, Appeal and Anti-Doping Divisions).
➡️ COMPLIANCE
Representation, defence, and negotiation during investigation and control processes with the competent authorities in matters relating to licencing and sustainable solutions in regulated sectors (F&B, alternative energy, construction, airport, transport).
➡️ COMPETITION, DISTRIBUTION, CONSUMER
Unfair competition, parasitism, distribution contracts
➡️ EMPLOYMENT
Drafting employment and service contracts, restructuring, dismissal and redundancy procedures, harassment, discrimination, settlement agreements.
➡️ CORPORATE
Corporate structuring, company registration, approval of annual accounts, modification and transfer of business, dissolution, liquidation and restructuring.
➡️ LEGAL ADVICE
Provision of legal assistance to start-ups, SMEs and multinational companies on a wide range of legal issues
EDUCATION
Assistance Publique – Hôpitaux de Paris & EFB (France)
Health & Medical Law - Qualifying Training Programme (2025-2026)
- Governance & Challenges of Public and Private Healthcare Institutions
- Medical Liability before Administrative, Civil, and Criminal Courts
- ADR: Regional Conciliation and Compensation Commissions (CCI)
- Expert Reports in Medical Liability Litigation
- Disciplinary Proceedings before Professional Medical Bodies
- Involuntary Treatment and End-of-Life Care
- Internship and trainings at AP-HP hospitals
(Saint-Antoine, Hôtel-Dieu, Paul Brousse, Lariboisière, Necker)
Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne - Paris (France)
Masters in EU and International Law (2020 graduate)
University College London - London (United Kingdom)
LLB (2016 graduate)
HONOUR
Universitat Pompeu Fabra
Submission Paper - Shortlisted for the International Conference (2022)
ELI Young Lawyers Award
Joint Submission Paper - Shortlisted (2022)
Shearman & Sterling - UCL
Negotiation Competition Quarterfinalist (2015)
Simmons & Simmons - UCL
Negotiation Competition Judge (2014)
NOMINATION
France-Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCICF)
General Secretary (2025)
Korea Deposit Insurance Corporation (KDIC)
International Legal Advisor for Foreign Asset Recovery (since 2026)
HEC Incubateur - KSC - Station F
"Expert juridique" - Legal expert for over 20 startups (since 2024)
International Association of Korean Lawyers (IAKL)
Regional Governor (EU - France) (since 2021)
Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA)
Content Business Advisory Board (since 2025)
Paris 2024 Olympic & Paralympic Games
Paris Bar lawyer in Sports Law
Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) Ad Hoc/Anti-doping/Appeal Divisions
ASSOCIATION
European Law Institute (ELI)
Consultative Committee Member (since 2022)
French Association for Competition Law Studies (AFEC)
Member (since 2024)
France Esports
Member - Law & Legislation Working Group (since 2021)
Mensa
Member (since 2022)
PRO BONO
Paris Bar Hotline for the Paris 2024 Olympic & Paralympic Games
Pro Bono lawyer for Litigation, Labour, Civil and Commercial Law
UCLU Volunteering Society
President (2016)
Lawyers Without Borders
Project leader (2015)
Clifford Chance - Stratford Legal Advice Center
Freelaw Shadowing Scheme
Grassroots Human Rights Project
Mind the Justice Gap
Crime and Citizenship

























