By Casey Sullivan
NEW YORK, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Joon Kim, a white collar defense
partner with Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, is leaving the
New York law firm to join the United States Attorney's office in
Manhattan.
Kim, who served as an assistant United States attorney in
the Southern District of New York between 2000 and 2006, returns
to the office as chief counsel, according to a memo sent to
staff by Preet Bharara and posted on The New York Times
DealBook.
Kim spent four years as a prosecutor in the Organized Crime
and Terrorism Unit, trying a variety of organized crime groups,
including Asian gangs and the Mafia, said the memo, and one of
his convictions was Peter Gotti, the then boss of the Gambino
family.
Kim's move was confirmed to Reuters on Friday by a U.S.
Attorney's office spokeswoman, who declined to comment further
and directed questions to the office's chief public information
officer. The officer did not immediately respond to requests for
comment.
Kim's first day of employment at the U.S. Attorney's office
is still unclear.
He did not return a message requesting comment. Nor did Mark
Leddy, Cleary Gottlieb's managing partner or a Cleary Gottlieb
spokeswoman.
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