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In each of his two seasons on the Korean dating show “Couple Palace,” Derek Kunhee Kim, JD ’21 received the most votes out of 100 contestants (50 men and 50 women). Although he didn’t find love, his appearances on reality TV have unexpectedly helped Kim to establish his reputation in entertainment law.

While he’s made his own luck, Kim credits UNH Franklin Pierce Professor Mike McCann, director of the Sports and Entertainment Law Institute, with encouraging him to take advantage of opportunities rather than waiting for dream clients to materialize. His willingness to listen to that advice boosted Kim’s ability to distinguish himself in Korea’s relatively small legal market.

“Professor McCann would always say, ‘You’re not going to start off representing the New York Yankees, but you have to put yourself out there,’ and for me, it ended up being this dating show,” Kim says. ���t was a great opportunity for me to boost my career.”

Born in South Korea but raised in Michigan, Kim excelled as an athlete and earned a track and field scholarship to Michigan State, where he was a 110m hurdler. He completed his first year of law school at the University of San Diego, before transferring to UNH Franklin Pierce as a 2L. The law school’s reputation for IP and sports and entertainment law were integral to Kim’s decision to transfer. He adds that he views IP and sports as cultural bridges and feels a desire to serve as a legal conduit between “Korea, the United States, and the rest of the world.” 

“Because I got to focus on IP, sports, and entertainment, I hit the ground running,” Kim says. “As a student, it’s hard for you to get experience, but talking to people who do this every day gave me a start I’m thankful for now.”
                                                                                                               -- Derek Kim

Now based in Seoul, Kim represents a broad range of creators, including musicians, filmmakers, influencers, and fashion brands, 

helping them manage transactions from copyright issues to brand deals to publicity rights. 

Most recently, Kim represented a Korean cheerleader hoping to enter the Taiwanese market, using his language skills in Korean and Mandarin to navigate cross-border discussions and successfully negotiate her out of a restrictive contract clause. That was also Kim’s first foray into sports law, which he sees as a potential part of his future. Among his other clients are a Korean beauty YouTuber and a Los Angeles-based actress affiliated with the popular animated film “KPop Demon Hunters” — a connection that came directly from his appearance on “Couple Palace.”

Kim emphasizes that young attorneys and law school students interested in entertainment law must pay attention to the creator industry. “Content is ultimately communication,” he notes, “and the creator world is how our generation communicates. All these big companies who used to laugh at YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram, they’re on these platforms now and they’re investing tons of money.”

In addition to his work with individual clients, Kim works as a copyright advisor for the World Intellectual Property Organization’s (WIPO) Division for Asia Pacific, traveling throughout the region to lead discussions on music copyright and work with government IP officials, collective management organizations, artists, and industry lawyers. That role was made possible through a contact of Professor Stan Kowalski. 

His continued willingness to be proactive in setting himself apart is something Kim takes pride in and, as Professor McCann advised him, he encourages others to “go where the market leads you.”

���’m very proud of Derek, who was a star sports and entertainment law student at UNH Franklin Pierce,” McCann says. ���t’s awesome to see a graduate use their training at our school to excel in both law and business.”