Naeun Rim

Partner

Litigation

Contact

nrim@manatt.com
Phone: 310.312.4380

Services

Naeun Rim is the leader of Manatt’s Trial, White Collar and Investigations practice. She is a seasoned trial lawyer based in Manatt’s Los Angeles office who specializes in complex commercial litigation and white collar disputes. She has represented companies, executives, and high net-worth individuals in a broad range of matters, including those involving civil contract and business torts, healthcare fraud, securities fraud, class actions, False Claims Act, trade secret misappropriation, consumer protection claims, tax evasion, real estate disputes, customs violations, environmental crimes, cybercrimes, and more. Her trial skills and business-oriented approach are sought by clients across a variety of industries—including health care, financial services, banking, entertainment and technology. She has secured numerous jury acquittals, dismissals and favorable sentencing results in criminal matters and multimillion-dollar judgments in civil cases. She has also guided companies through sensitive internal investigations during times of crisis.

A significant portion of Naeun’s practice is dedicated to trial work. Widely recognized as a rising star throughout the trial bar, she has already first-chaired multiple trials in high-stakes cases. As one of the few Asian American women who have served as trial counsel for a Fortune 150 company, Naeun played a decisive role in defending a large pipeline owner-operator in one of the biggest environmental trials in California’s history. Her work has been featured by notable news outlets, including CNN, The Washington Post, Reuters UK and the Los Angeles Times. Her representative matters include:

Successfully defended a bank in a civil fraud case alleging $100 million in damages, securing a complete defense verdict after a multiweek arbitration.
Lead counsel in a two-week jury trial, securing acquittals on and dismissals of all 19 counts of felony wire and mail fraud charges against the CEO of a movie financing and production company.
Lead counsel in a securities fraud class action case pending against a publicly traded bank.
Co-lead counsel representing dozens of corporate claimants in 15 of the 1MDB civil forfeiture matters, the largest federal civil forfeiture action ever brought by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative.
Successfully represented a health care provider in a Medicare risk adjustment internal investigation.
Secured a declination of prosecution agreement on behalf of a high-net-worth CEO facing felony public corruption charges.
Trial counsel in a multimillion-dollar federal civil jury trial alleging trade secret misappropriation.

Prior to joining Manatt, Naeun served as a trial deputy at the Federal Defender’s Office in Los Angeles, where she first-chaired numerous felony jury trials and represented defendants in matters involving complex wire and mail fraud, money laundering, health care fraud, access device fraud, environmental crimes, computer crimes, tax evasion, and more. She appeared in hundreds of federal criminal cases and developed a reputation among federal judges and prosecutors alike as a skilled and credible advocate.

In addition to her client work, Naeun is active in the community, serving as a mentor for young women lawyers and attorneys of color, and is involved with various legal organizations—including serving as a board member of the Korean American Bar Association of Southern California and as a member of the Women’s White Collar Defense Association. She is one of the original Fellows of NAPABA’s 2018 Leadership Advancement Program. Naeun also continues to remain dedicated to pro bono work. Among other cases, Naeun is lead class counsel in two class action lawsuits brought against federal prisons in Southern California for Eighth Amendment violations after hundreds of justice-involved persons tested positive for COVID-19.

Naeun clerked in the Central District of California for the Honorable A. Howard Matz.

Naeun is conversationally fluent in Korean.

Acted as lead trial counsel in a two-week jury trial, securing acquittals on and dismissals of all 19 counts of felony wire and mail fraud charges against the CEO of a movie financing and production company.

Served as trial counsel for a Fortune 150 company in a four-month state criminal jury trial alleging environmental crimes, during which Naeun cross-examined multiple witnesses and successfully argued evidentiary motions.

Secured a preliminary injunction in a pro bono class action against a federal prison over the inefficient measures taken by prison officials to prevent the spread of COVID-19, in violation of the prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment. Naeun successfully convinced the court to require prison officials to consider all medically vulnerable, nonviolent, justice-involved persons and those over the age of 50 for home confinement.

Defended multiple corporate claimants in the largest federal civil forfeiture action ever brought by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative (involving nearly $2 billion of assets that were allegedly misappropriated from a Malaysian sovereign wealth fund). Naeun won key procedural motions that ultimately paved the way to a favorable settlement.

Represented a high-net-worth individual against felony public corruption charges following the execution of numerous search warrants at his home and offices. Naeun successfully secured a letter from the prosecutor declining prosecution on all charges after an extensive negotiation process.

Served as trial counsel in a multimillion-dollar federal civil jury trial alleging trade secret misappropriation claims, during which Naeun direct-examined a high-level executive and helped shape trial strategy.

Secured a multimillion-dollar settlement for clients in an employment case after deposing a key witness.

Speaking Engagements

Speaker, “Significant Legal Developments in the Western Region,” American Bar Association’s 37th Annual National Institute on White Collar Crime, March 2, 2022.

Moderator, “Fundamentals of Trial Practice II: Game-Changing Strategy Calls,” American Bar Association’s 37th Annual National Institute on White Collar Crime, March 2, 2022.

Speaker, “Practicing White Collar Criminal Law in the Age of Pandemics – Impact on Investigations, Grand Juries, Trial Preparation, Trials, Sentencing,” American Bar Association’s 36th Annual National Institute on White Collar Crime, October 28, 2021.

Moderator, “Significant Legal Developments in the Western Region,” American Bar Association’s 36th Annual National Institute on White Collar Crime, October 27, 2021.

Panelist, “Internal Investigations: Optimizing In-House and Outside Counsel Collaboration to Best Protect Your Company,” Association of Corporate Counsel, January 2021.

Speaker, “Federal Courts in the Time of COVID,” Women’s White Collar Defense Association, October 2020.

Presenter, “Tips and Trends: The Impact of COVID-19 on White Collar Litigation and Investigations,” CLE, Women’s White Collar Defense Association, April 2020.

Speaker, “Presenting Yourself with Power and Projecting Authority: Using Improv to Elevate Your Presence,” 2019 NAPABA Convention, Austin, TX, November 2019.

Speaker, “Female Lawyers with Government Backgrounds: How They’ve Utilized and Leveraged that Experience and Found Success on the Bench, Private Practice, and In-house,” Daily Journal, Women Leadership in Law Conference, October 2019.

Speaker, “Out of the Public Sector: From Private Practice to the Bench” CLE, Korean American Bar Association, September 2019.

Speaker, “Cross-Border Litigation” CLE, Southern California Chinese Lawyers Association, June 2019.

Speaker, “Significant Legal Developments in the Western Region,” American Bar Association’s 32nd Annual National Institute on White Collar Crime, March 2017.

Speaker, “The Art of the Cross: Developing Your Own Style,” 2016 NAPABA Convention, San Diego, CA, November 2016.

Honors & Awards

Southern California Super Lawyers, 2022–2023

500 Leading Litigators in America, Lawdragon, 2022

Top Women Lawyers, Daily Journal, 2022

“Best Under 40” Honorees, National Asian Pacific American Bar Association, 2021

“Up and Coming” leading lawyer, Chambers USA, 2021–22

Rising Star, Law360, 2021

Humanitarian Award, American Civil Liberties Union, 2021

Minority Leaders of Influence: Attorneys, Los Angeles Business Journal, 2021

Nominee, Women’s Leadership Series: Rising Star of the Year, Los Angeles Business Journal, 2020

Top 40 Under 40, Daily Journal, 2020

Top Women Attorneys, Los Angeles Business Journal, 2020

Criminal Law Trailblazer, National Law Journal, 2020

Impact Case of the Year: People v. Plains All American Pipeline, Benchmark Litigation, 2020

Southern California Rising Stars, Los Angeles Magazine, 2019–21

Admitted to practice in the state of California

Fellow, Leadership Council on Legal Diversity

Fellow, American Bar Foundation

Member, Korean American Bar Association Board of Governors, Southern California

Los Angeles Chapter Liaison, Branding and Marketing Subcommittee, Women’s White Collar Defense Association

Fellow, National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) Leadership Advancement Program, 2018

Executive Committee, Barristers Section, Los Angeles County Bar Association, 2009–12

Quoted, “Attorneys split on impact of DOJ body-worn camera directive,” Daily Journal, September 7, 2021.

Interviewed, “Kim Jong-un wants this marine dead; the US can save him,” Fox News Live, June 6, 2021.

Quoted, “Manatt Adds Ex-Bird Marella Litigator In Los Angeles,” Law360, June 4, 2021.

Quoted, “Manatt deepens California bench with rising trial pro,” Reuters, June 3, 2021.

Quoted, “Court order, federal inspection agree with class-action lawsuit’s claims that Lompoc penitentiary could have better stopped the spread of COVID-19 with more home confinement,” Santa Maria Sun, July 2020.

Quoted, “Judge Rules Prisons Must Take Action in COVID-19 Response,” NBC Los Angeles, July 2020.

Quoted, “Officials mishandled coronavirus outbreaks at Lompoc and Terminal Island prisons, lawsuits claim,” Los Angeles Times, May 2020.

Author, “Ruling Preserves Pitchess Statute Constitutionality, For Now,” Daily Journal, September 2019.

Author, “Brady v. Pitchess: A Constitutional Crisis 40 Years in the Making,” Daily Journal, May 2019.