SEC’s Finance Chief Counsel Joins Sidley Austin

On Thursday, Sidley Austin LLP announced that Thomas J. Kim was leaving the US Securities and Exchange Commission to join private practice at the law firm. Kim was the Chief Counsel and Associate Director of the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Division of Corporation Finance since 2007.

He is joining the law firm as a partner in Sidley’s Securities & Derivatives Enforcement and Regulatory, Securities, and Corporate Governance and Executive Compensation practice teams. He would be based in the Washington office of Sidley Austin.

During his tenure at the SEC, Kim had led the team of lawyers who updated the Division’s interpretations as Compliance and Disclosure Interpretations. He also led a number of rulemaking and policy initiatives of the SEC including the July 2013 rulemaking under the JOBS Act that removed the prohibition against general solicitation in Rule 506 and Rule 144A offerings, and paved the path towards smoother crowdfunding for small businesses.

Before joining the SEC, Kim had been the Corporate and Securities Counsel for the General Electric Company in Fairfield, CT. As a member of the Committee on Corporate Laws of the ABA, Kim has edited several editions of the ABA’s Corporate Director’s Guidebook.

Mark Hopson, managing partner of Sidley Austin’s Washington DC office welcomed Mr. Kim and said, “Tom is an exceptional addition to our firm … His broad experience in both the private sector and at the SEC will be a great asset to our clients.”

On his part, Kim said, “It has been challenging and rewarding to work on cutting edge issues with the Commission and the Commission’s talented staff. Now, I am excited to launch a new chapter in my career. Sidley provides an exceptional and global platform for building a practice and providing a high-quality legal advice to clients.”