MICHAEL K. CHONG, ESQ. / PRINCIPAL & MANAGING MEMBER
Michael K. Chong, Esq. is the Principal and Managing Member of the firm, responsible for managing a team of highly experienced legal professionals.
Mr. Chong has extensive legal experience representing individuals, corporations and foreign government entities. Over the past 25 years, Mr. Chong has represented clients throughout the United States and overseas on complex legal matters. Mr. Chong serves as general counsel for several privately held corporations. His practice focuses on handling diverse legal matters including litigation, compliance, transactions, contracts, real estate, and employment law matters. Mr. Chong has extensive litigation experience, and has successfully tried cases in both state and federal courts, and has argued matters before state and federal appellate courts.
Mr. Chong also serves as Of Counsel to the YK Law firm, (https://www.yklaw.us/attorneys/michael-k-chong/), an affiliate of the Yingke international law firm, a global alliance of offices located around the world (United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Spain, Poland, Belgium, Hungary, Russia, Israel, Australia, Japan, Korea, China, Thailand, Mexico, Brazil, Dubai/UAE). The primary firm is ranked as the largest law firm in the world with over 16,000 attorneys. It is the largest direct-invested law firm in the Asia-Pacific region, with global revenues exceeding $1.3B (ALM/International Top 50 Ranking). (Yingke Law Firm). The YK Law firm maintains offices in the United States located in New York, New Jersey, Irvine and Los Angeles. Mr. Chong is affiliated with the New York office. His practice areas include: Compliance & Investigations, Corporate/M&A, Litigation & Dispute Resolution, Real Estate, and Greater China Practice.
Mr. Chong is a graduate of the University of Delaware, where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations. He received his Juris Doctorate from Pace University School of Law, where he also received a concentration degree in International Law. He served as an Editor of the Pace International Law Review, Vice President and Co-Chairman of the Moot Court Honor Board, and President of APALSA. Mr. Chong also prevailed in his law school Moot Court Competition, winning First Place in both the written and oral competitions. He was awarded an Appellate Scholarship, and a Teaching Assistant position in legal writing at the law school. Mr. Chong worked his way through law school in the legal department at the world headquarters of International Paper Co., a Fortune 100 company (NYSE: IP), (the largest forest products corporation in the world), while attending law school at night. Prior to entering law school, Mr. Chong worked in the Office of the Senior Staff Counsel at the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Mr. Chong is a Certified Court Mediator, and has mediated diverse legal matters. Mr. Chong completed his concentration in mediation/arbitration (ADR), negotiation and international dispute resolution at Harvard Law School.
Upon graduating, Mr. Chong served as a Congressional Fellow to the Vice Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of South Korea. He subsequently served as a Judicial Law Clerk to a New Jersey State Superior Court Judge. Upon completion of his Judicial Clerkship, he served in the Appellate Section of the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office. Prior to establishing his firm, he worked as an associate with an international law firm as well as two regional law firms. Mr. Chong is a recipient of the Congressional Award from the United States Congress. He currently serves as the President of the Korean-American Bar Association of New Jersey. Mr. Chong is actively involved in community affairs, and has served on various boards of diverse organizations. Mr. Chong has served on the Executive Board and as Chairman of the Minorities-in-the Profession Section of the New Jersey State Bar Association. Mr. Chong has also served as a Board member of the City of Hoboken Rent Control Board, and as a Board member of the KCC organization. Mr. Chong regularly volunteers with other civic organizations and community based groups.
Michael is a graduate of the Newport Sailing School, certified by the American Sailing Association. He is also a graduate of the Outward Bound Schools located in Colorado and Hurricane Island in Maine. Michael completed training in the crew rowing program at BC Rowing Academy, certified by the United States Rowing Association (US Rowing).
Recent Awards:
Bar Admissions:
- New Jersey, U.S. District Court of New Jersey
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York (SDNY)
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York (EDNY)
- U.S. District Court, District of Maryland
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
Education:
Harvard Law School
- Negotiation/Mediation
- Arbitration/ADR
- International dispute resolution
Pace University School of Law
- Juris Doctorate
- Concentration Degree: International Law
- President, APALSA
- Editor, Pace International Law Review
- Vice President & Co-Chairman, Moot Court Honor Board
- Moot Court Competition: Champion - First Place
- Appellate Scholar (Scholarship Award and Teaching position)
University of Delaware
- Bachelor of Arts
- Political Science; International Relations
LinkedIn:
Experience:
- Successfully obtained a unanimous jury verdict for the plaintiff in a high-stakes commercial lawsuit involving a dispute between the sellers of a corporation and the purchasers. The claims involved the transfer of assets and funds pursuant to a multi-tiered financing agreement. The trial lastest two weeks, and at the conclusion of the trial, the jury vote unanimously in favor of plaintiff.
- Successfully represented a multi-brand auto group in a multimillion dollar aquisition of a commercial property site in the Greater New York area for dealership operations. The aquisition involved extensive contract negotiations, due diligence, financing, and site approvals.
- Successfully represented an international corporation, headquartered in San Francisco, California in a class based lawsuit. The corporation operates a global online marketplace specializing in the sale of merchandise for recording artists, record labels and media distributors. After extensive litigation the lawsuit was dismissed with prejudice. (Merchbar).
- Successfully represented an engery/fuel corporation in a collective class action lawsuit. The plaintiffs has asserted diverse employment law claims against the corporation and its management team. After approximately two years of litigation, and substantive motion practice, obtained a dismissal with prejudice of the lawsuit.
- Successfully represented an international design and marketing corporation headquarted in Illinois, in multiple lawsuits filed across the United States in New York and California. After extensive litigation, succeeded in obtaining dismissals with prejudice of both lawsuits in New York and in California. (Ginkgo International, Ltd.).
- Successfully represented a foreign government and its development agency in negotiating and completing an advertising media purchase agreement to support their foreign relations and international development initiatives in the United States.
- Successfully represented a New York based transporation corporation in a class action lawsuit, where plaintiffs were seeking multi-million dollar damages and penalties. Plaintiffs were employees of the corporation and asserted multiple employment based claims. After over a year of extensive litigation, the lawsuit was dismissed with prejudice.
- Successfully represented a Texas based internet logistics corporation in a class action lawsuit. The representative plaintiff had asserted diverse discrimination claims against the corporation. After extensive litigation, the lawsuit was dismissed with prejudice.
- Successfully represented a Canadian based transportation corporation in a lawsuit. The Plaintiff had asserted numerous claims against the corporation and management. After extensive litigation, the lawsuit was dismissed with prejudice.
- Successfully represented a foreign government and its development agency in contract negotiations with vendors based in the United States for a multimillion dollar project and event to promote cultural exchange and international business development initiatives in the United States.
- Successfully represented Sunrun, Inc. (NASDAQ: RUN) (Enterprise Value: $14.64B; Market Cap: $1.57B), a national solar energy company headquartered in San Francisco, California in a lawsuit filed by a competing regional solar energy corporation seeking to enforce restrictive non-compete agreements. Working in conjunction with Sunrun's corporate counsel, MKC Law Group was successful in obtaining a dismissal with prejudice of the lawsuit.
- Successfully prevailed on appeal at the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Appealed a specific portion of the U.S. District Court's decision made during the underlying trial, which involved a complex partnership dispute. After extensive briefing and oral argument by Managing Partner Michael K. Chong, Esq., the Second Circuit agreed with Mr. Chong, and found that the District Court had erred in its application of the law, and remanded the matter back to the lower court. Managing Partner Michael K. Chong, Esq. served as appellate counsel for the defendant corporation in this appeal. (The statistical probability of prevailing on appeal at the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit is less than 10-15% - Administrative Offices of the U.S. Courts).
- Successfully represented a national private equity real estate firm, with assets across the United States valued in excess of $150M, in a complex discrimination lawsuit. After extensive litigation the lawsuit was dismissed with prejudice. (Aspen Real Estate).
- Successfully represented a Florida based medical technology corporation and its management team in a complex lawsuit, involving multi-state parties and employment based claims. After extensive litigation, successfully obtained a dismissal with prejudice. (Medsign International).
- Successfully provided legal counsel and guidance to senior diplomats from the Peruvian consulate concerning compliance with state and federal laws for embassy operations in the United States.
- Successfully represented numerous corporate employers before the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (U.S. EEOC) concerning allegations of age, race and or gender discrimination by employees against the corporate employer. '
- Successfully represented a hazardous materials corporation based in New York over several years in multiple construction related matters, including employment, litigation and compliance. Serve as the corporate external General Counsel handling all legal matters for the corporation. (Celtic).
