Cooley Expands Financial Services Practice

New York – May 15, 2025 – James Kim has joined Cooley in New York as a partner in the firm’s financial services enforcement and regulatory practice group and global litigation department. Kim is one of the leading US lawyers representing fintechs and other financial institutions in their most challenging situations, including defending federal and state regulatory investigations and enforcement matters.

“Cooley has developed one of the leading financial services practices supporting clients who are developing innovative and technology-enabled solutions to the banking sector. James is widely regarded as one of the top regulatory and enforcement lawyers in the market, and with him on our team, we are confident that Cooley has enhanced its position as one of the best consumer financial services regulatory and enforcement practices in the country,” said Ian Shapiro, chair of Cooley’s global litigation department.

Kim joined the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) shortly after its formation in 2011 and was one of the agency’s early enforcement attorneys in the New York field office. He was lead counsel in the agency’s first enforcement actions involving mobile payments. Since leaving the CFPB more than a decade ago, he has advised fintechs, banks, investors and other clients across a broad range of federal and state consumer financial laws and regulations. James will contribute to the firm’s CooleyREG offering, which provides clients with comprehensive and practical guidance on current and emerging regulations globally.

“Our clients represent some of the most innovative and forward-thinking financial institutions in the market. James’ arrival, with his deep understanding of the regulatory needs and risks our clients face, strengthens our capabilities as we guide them through their most challenging, high-stakes and mission-critical moments,” said Michelle Rogers, chair of Cooley’s global financial services enforcement and regulatory practice.

“I’m delighted to join the talented and collaborative team at Cooley as fintechs and other global financial institutions are increasingly turning to the firm for their bet-the-company matters,” said Kim. “My client base fits seamlessly into Cooley’s existing platform, and I can think of no better team to guide our innovative clients through today’s rapidly evolving regulatory environment at the state and federal level.”

Cooley’s financial services team supports clients throughout the entire business and regulatory lifecycle, from product development and deal support to defending significant supervisory, investigative, enforcement and litigation matters. Widely recognized for their market-leading experience, the team has represented clients before every US state and every major federal financial regulatory agency, including the CFPB, Department of Justice, Federal Trade Commission, Department of the Treasury and the prudential banking regulators.

Kim is the most recent next-generation lawyer to join Cooley’s elite litigation practice, recently described by The Wall Street Journal as a “litigation powerhouse.” Like Kim, many of Cooley’s lawyers represent innovative clients facing significant government investigations. In the last 18 months, Cooley has recruited Rebekah Donaleski (former public corruption unit chief, US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York); John Bostic (former assistant US attorney, US Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California); Susanne Grooms (former chief counsel, US House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform); and Elliot Kaye (former chair, US Consumer Product Safety Commission).

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