MICHAEL KIM
Michael Kim is the principal of MK Law Barristers and Solicitors, which he has managed since 2015.
Before becoming a lawyer, Michael worked as an immigration officer at Immigration New Zealand. He assessed resident visa applications, interviewed applicants, and conducted workplace site visits. That experience gave him something most immigration lawyers don’t have: a firsthand understanding of how decisions are actually made on the other side of the desk. He saw how applications were assessed, what raised concerns, and what set effective representatives apart from the rest — the ability to present a client’s full circumstances honestly and persuasively.
That perspective led him to law. He completed his LLB at the University of Auckland in 2008 with a focus on administrative law, including immigration, employment, and judicial review. He was admitted to the bar in 2011.
In 2008, Michael completed LLB from the University of Auckland with the sole aim of helping migrants and their families. He focused on administrative law, including immigration, employment, and judicial review. He graduated and was admitted to the bar in 2011.
Since then, Michael has represented clients across immigration, employment, and criminal law. He has conducted deportation proceedings before the Immigration and Protection Tribunal and judicial review proceedings in the High Court. He regularly appears at the Employment Relations Authority and the Employment Court. In criminal matters, he has acted as counsel in cases including domestic violence charges, securing discharges without conviction.
Michael has been a member of the Immigration and Refugee Committee at the Auckland Law Association since 2017, and has been invited to speak at and chair professional seminars since 2019. He is a qualified legal aid lawyer in immigration and employment law.
Michael speaks fluent Korean and Japanese alongside English, and regularly advises clients in all three languages.
Originally from South Korea, Michael lives in Auckland with his wife and three children. He holds a second-dan black belt in Taekwondo and enjoys reading the Bible. If you can’t find Michael in the office, you’ll likely find him running the trails and hills around Auckland — he regularly logs over 75 kilometres a week. The discipline carries over—whether it’s preparing for a marathon or a hearing, he doesn’t cut corners.
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