Denise H. Kim is a civil trial lawyer and former prosecutor with a track record of trial wins in both criminal and civil courts. She focuses primarily on commercial litigation, with an emphasis on complex business disputes. Her extensive litigation work includes cases involving construction defects, professional responsibility for financial professionals, products and premises liability, insurance coverage and defense, derivative shareholder claims, legal malpractice, DTPA, breach-of-contract actions, trade-secret claims, and oil & gas matters.

In addition to her work at several civil law firms, Ms. Kim tried a variety of juvenile and welfare fraud cases when she was an Assistant Harris County District Attorney. She also has experience in products liability and toxic tort litigation, including successfully defending more than 20 State Bar of Texas grievances for many prominent Texas attorneys, earning a 100 percent dismissal rate.

Ms. Kim was selected to the 2014 and 2015 Texas Rising Stars lists, which honor the best Texas lawyers who are under age 40 and those who have practiced less than 10 years. The Texas Rising Stars list appears in the Texas Monthly and Texas Rising Stars magazines.  Fewer than 2.5 percent of eligible Texas attorneys earn this selection each year. In 2021, she earned placement on the list of Texas Super Lawyers where she was recognized for civil litigation.

Born in Glasgow, Scotland, Ms. Kim was raised in Houston after her family moved to the United States when she was in the second grade. She earned her psychology degree from Baylor University and received her law degree from South Texas College of Law in Houston. During law school, Ms. Kim clerked for U.S. Congressman Ted Poe and helped write the Shame Punishment legislation, which allows the use of public humiliation during sentencing so offenders can appreciate their wrongs and be less likely to commit another crime.

After her work for Congressman Poe, Ms. Kim was hired as a prosecutor in the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, where she focused on juvenile and welfare fraud cases. She has practiced in state and federal courts throughout Texas.

+Areas of Practice
Civil Trial Litigation

Commercial Litigation

Complex Business-Related Litigation

Construction Defects

Breach of Contract

Trade-Secret Litigation

Oil & Gas Litigation

Products Liability

Premises Liability

Insurance Coverage

Insurance Defense

Derivative Shareholder Claims

Professional Responsibility for Financial Professionals

Legal Malpractice

State Bar Grievance

DTPA

+Bar Admissions
Texas, 2001
U.S. District Court Southern District of Texas
+Education
South Texas College of Law, Houston, Texas, 2000
Major: J.D.

Baylor University, Waco, Texas, 1996
B.A.
Major: Psychology

+Representative Cases
Successfully represented national insurance brokerage firm in litigation involving publicly traded company with alleged damages in excess of $40 million relating to alleged Insurance Code violations and professional malpractice.

Successfully represented renowned Houston and Dallas personal injury firm in Dallas Federal Court relating to alleged professional malpractice.

Successfully represented well-known Houston personal injury attorney in multimillion-dollar litigation involving claims of breach of contract, professional malpractice, gross negligence, and DPTA violations.

National trial co-counsel for products manufacturer in asbestos litigation.

Successful representation of engineering firm in business dispute with the City of Angleton involving the city annex, courthouse and fire station.

Representation of major British company in dispute over ownership in divorce proceeding in Harris County.

Successful representation of a major refinery in more than 100 depositions.

+Classes/Seminars Taught
Author and presenter of “Judicial Estoppel,” Houston Claims Association, 2007

Author and presenter of “Tax Preparer Penalties,” CPA Professional Education Program, Houston, 2009

+Honors and Awards

Best Lawyer in America, Commercial Litigation, 2020- 2024

Texas Super Lawyers since 2021

+Professional Associations and Memberships
State Bar of Texas

Houston Bar Association, Volunteer for HBA Legal Lines

Houston Bar Association, Volunteer for HBA Veteran’s Legal work

Texas Young Lawyers Association