Christopher Jumin Lee is a trial lawyer who specializes in courtroom advocacy for complex international disputes. Chris has advocated for clients in federal jury trials, international arbitration hearings, extradition hearings, and regulatory proceedings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Department of Justice (DOJ).
Chris specializes in cross-border disputes connected to the cryptocurrency industry, having been a longtime advocate and advisor for prominent international players such as Huobi and GOPAX. Chris has brought multiple lawsuits in the U.S. on behalf of clients looking to recover cryptocurrency assets lost to fraudulent ICOs, investment schemes, rug-pull schemes, and security exploits.
Chris has also worked with clients – both Fortune 500 companies and major conglomerates in Asia and South America – from a variety of industries, such as alcoholic beverages, apparel, defense, sports, entertainment, healthcare, and finance. In 2022, Chris was selected as a Southern California Rising Star by Super Lawyers Magazine.
Chris is a native of South Korea and is one of very few Korean nationals with stand-up advocacy experience in complex matters in U.S. Court. Before practicing the law, Chris was an officer in the Republic of Korea Air Force, and served on the staff at the Ministry of National Defense, where he received a commendation for meritorious service.Chris has an active pro bono practice and is an outspoken advocate for a variety of causes, both in the U.S. and in his native Korea. Working with the ACLU, Chris has represented clients in discriminatory policing and prisoner rights class actions. He has advocated in immigration court for multiple clients in asylum proceedings. In 2021, Chris received the ACLU’s Humanitarian Award for his work on class action matters pertaining to federal prisons with COVID-19 outbreaks. Chris has published a widely-read book on anti-discrimination legislation in South Korea, which has been cited by the author of the comprehensive anti-discrimination bill pending in South Korea’s National Assembly.
Chris earned his J.D. from Harvard Law School. While in law school, he was a judicial intern for the Hon. James E. Boasberg in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. Prior to joining Bird Marella, Chris was an associate at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP.
Southern California Rising Stars, Super Lawyers Magazine, 2022
Humanitarian Award, American Civil Liberties Union, 2021
Achieved a significant and favorable outcome on behalf of apparel company owner who faced criminal charges of underpayment of tax and duty by $35 million and money laundering over $80 million. Convinced Judge to decrease sentence to twelve months and one day in custody, rather than the five years recommended by the Sentencing Guidelines and demanded by the government.
Obtained preliminary injunction in a pro bono class action lawsuit against federal prison over the inefficient measures taken by prison officials to prevent the spread of COVID-19, in violation of the Eighth Amendment prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment. Successfully convinced the court to require prison officials to consider all medically vulnerable, non-violent prisoners and those over the age of 50 for home confinement.
Six Bird Marella attorneys have been selected for inclusion in the 2022 Super Lawyers Rising Stars list. This year includes the addition of four new attorneys, reflecting the firm’s stand-out talent, and more than doubling the number of honorees in the category. The following attorneys are regarded as “Top Rated ...
Principal Benjamin N. Gluck, along with attorneys Naomi Solomon and Christopher Lee, achieved a significant and favorable outcome on behalf of their client in a criminal case. The client is the owner of one of the country’s largest “fast fashion” wholesalers, and faced criminal charges of underpayment of tax and duty by $35 million and money laundering over $80 million. Bird Marella previously reached a resolution with the government that allows the company to ...
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Southern California has awarded Bird Marella with the 2021 Humanitarian Award, in recognition of its pro bono partnership on two COVID-19 class action lawsuits against the administrators at Terminal Island and Lompoc federal prisons. Filed on behalf of several prisoners, the lawsuits detailed how insufficient measures ...
Bird Marella and co-counsel the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) partnered with the Prison Law Office (PLO) to achieve victories in two class action lawsuits filed against Terminal Island and Lompoc federal prisons over the inefficient measures taken by prison officials to prevent the spread of COVID-19. In the Lompoc class action, the Court issued a preliminary injunction and ordered the Bureau of ...
Bird Marella and co-counsel the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Prison Law Office (PLO) filed two class-action lawsuits against Terminal Island and Lompoc federal prisons in connection with the inefficient measures of prison officials to prevent the spread of coronavirus and provide adequate medical care in both facilities, ...
Principals Ekwan Rhow and Naeun Rim, along with associate Christopher Lee, obtained the release on bail of a pro bono client charged in a high-profile internationally-publicized extradition case. The client, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, had been detained pending extradition to Spain based on allegations relating to an incident at the North Korean embassy in ...
Christopher Jumin Lee is a trial lawyer who specializes in courtroom advocacy for complex international disputes. Chris has advocated for clients in federal jury trials, international arbitration hearings, extradition hearings, and regulatory proceedings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Department of Justice (DOJ).
Chris specializes in cross-border disputes connected to the cryptocurrency industry, having been a longtime advocate and advisor for prominent international players such as Huobi and GOPAX. Chris has brought multiple lawsuits in the U.S. on behalf of clients looking to recover cryptocurrency assets lost to fraudulent ICOs, investment schemes, rug-pull schemes, and security exploits.
Chris has also worked with clients – both Fortune 500 companies and major conglomerates in Asia and South America – from a variety of industries, such as alcoholic beverages, apparel, defense, sports, entertainment, healthcare, and finance. In 2022, Chris was selected as a Southern California Rising Star by Super Lawyers Magazine.
Chris is a native of South Korea and is one of very few Korean nationals with stand-up advocacy experience in complex matters in U.S. Court. Before practicing the law, Chris was an officer in the Republic of Korea Air Force, and served on the staff at the Ministry of National Defense, where he received a commendation for meritorious service.Chris has an active pro bono practice and is an outspoken advocate for a variety of causes, both in the U.S. and in his native Korea. Working with the ACLU, Chris has represented clients in discriminatory policing and prisoner rights class actions. He has advocated in immigration court for multiple clients in asylum proceedings. In 2021, Chris received the ACLU’s Humanitarian Award for his work on class action matters pertaining to federal prisons with COVID-19 outbreaks. Chris has published a widely-read book on anti-discrimination legislation in South Korea, which has been cited by the author of the comprehensive anti-discrimination bill pending in South Korea’s National Assembly.
Chris earned his J.D. from Harvard Law School. While in law school, he was a judicial intern for the Hon. James E. Boasberg in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. Prior to joining Bird Marella, Chris was an associate at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP.
Achieved a significant and favorable outcome on behalf of apparel company owner who faced criminal charges of underpayment of tax and duty by $35 million and money laundering over $80 million. Convinced Judge to decrease sentence to twelve months and one day in custody, rather than the five years recommended by the Sentencing Guidelines and demanded by the government.
Obtained preliminary injunction in a pro bono class action lawsuit against federal prison over the inefficient measures taken by prison officials to prevent the spread of COVID-19, in violation of the Eighth Amendment prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment. Successfully convinced the court to require prison officials to consider all medically vulnerable, non-violent prisoners and those over the age of 50 for home confinement.
Six Bird Marella attorneys have been selected for inclusion in the 2022 Super Lawyers Rising Stars list. This year includes the addition of four new attorneys, reflecting the firm’s stand-out talent, and more than doubling the number of honorees in the category. The following attorneys are regarded as “Top Rated ...
Principal Benjamin N. Gluck, along with attorneys Naomi Solomon and Christopher Lee, achieved a significant and favorable outcome on behalf of their client in a criminal case. The client is the owner of one of the country’s largest “fast fashion” wholesalers, and faced criminal charges of underpayment of tax and duty by $35 million and money laundering over $80 million. Bird Marella previously reached a resolution with the government that allows the company to ...
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Southern California has awarded Bird Marella with the 2021 Humanitarian Award, in recognition of its pro bono partnership on two COVID-19 class action lawsuits against the administrators at Terminal Island and Lompoc federal prisons. Filed on behalf of several prisoners, the lawsuits detailed how insufficient measures ...
Bird Marella and co-counsel the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) partnered with the Prison Law Office (PLO) to achieve victories in two class action lawsuits filed against Terminal Island and Lompoc federal prisons over the inefficient measures taken by prison officials to prevent the spread of COVID-19. In the Lompoc class action, the Court issued a preliminary injunction and ordered the Bureau of ...
Bird Marella and co-counsel the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Prison Law Office (PLO) filed two class-action lawsuits against Terminal Island and Lompoc federal prisons in connection with the inefficient measures of prison officials to prevent the spread of coronavirus and provide adequate medical care in both facilities, ...
Principals Ekwan Rhow and Naeun Rim, along with associate Christopher Lee, obtained the release on bail of a pro bono client charged in a high-profile internationally-publicized extradition case. The client, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, had been detained pending extradition to Spain based on allegations relating to an incident at the North Korean embassy in ...