Approach
A "professional peacemaker" with a foundation in Fortune 500 SaaS negotiations, Ellen Kim transitioned from high-stakes deal making to becoming a neutral facilitator focused on the human element of organizational friction. As a mediator, arbitrator, and executive coach, Ellen helps diverse professionals and organizations navigate complex conflict at every level. Her practice integrates cultural expertise and awareness into every interaction, operating from the belief that most "external" disputes—and intercultural misalignments—are ultimately rooted in unresolved "internal" negotiations with our own values, expectations, and hesitations.
Combining deep listening with strategic rigor, Ellen guides leaders through litigated disputes, conflict systems, workplace team dynamics, and personal career development, ensuring every voice is heard with nuance and respect.
When Ellen is not engaged as a neutral or executive coach, she can be found mediating and arbitrating disputes between her three young children, experimenting with new homemade ice cream flavors, and shopping at Costco. Her current favorite homemade ice cream flavor is cardamom rosewater with pistachio.
Practice areas
- Mediation
- Arbitration
- Conflict System Design
- Executive Coaching
- Negotiation
- Career Design
Honors, memberships & professional activities
Honors and fellowships
- JAMS ADR Fellow, 2024–2025
- Berkeley Law Executive Education “General Counsel University,” inaugural cohort and full scholarship recipient, 2024
Memberships and professional affiliations
- CPR Institute Young Leaders in Alternative Dispute Resolution (Y-ADR) Steering Committee, 2025–2028Secretary, Employment Disputes Committee, 2026–present
- California Arbitration Member, 2026–present
- California Lawyers Association Diversity, Inclusion, and Outreach Committee, 2026
- National Asian Pacific American Bar Association Member, Dispute Resolution Committee, 2024–presentIn-House Counsel Committee, 2022–2025Faculty, Alternative Dispute Resolution Institute, 2025
- Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Silicon Valley Member, 2022–present
- Santa Clara County Bar Association Member, ADR Section, 2025
- National Association of Women Lawyers Member and Leadership Program participant, 2025
Board and advisory roles
- Early Career ADR Network Member and Advisory Board, 2026–present
- Asian Law Alliance Advisory Board member
- Asian Women Coaching Collective Board member
ADR panels
- Alameda Superior Court Mediator
- California Lawyers for the Arts Mediator
- Los Angeles Superior Court MVP Program, Mediator
- San Francisco Department of Police Accountability Mediator
- San Mateo County Superior Court Mediator
- Court of Appeal, Third Appellate District Mediator
- Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Arbitrator
- American Health Law Association Dispute Resolution Service Neutral
Coaching rosters
Selected publications
- SHRM Managing Conflict: The Need for Culture-Conscious AI
- JAMS ADR Insights Boomers to Zoomers: Generational Friction in Litigated Employment Mediations
- CPR Speaks Culture-Conscious AI for Conflict Resolution Coaching
- PLI Chronicle The Quiet Power of Conflict Coaching for Today’s In-House Attorney
- ACC Docket Workplace Conflict Is Inevitable. Here’s How to Architect a Better Response
- JAMS ADR Insights From 1925 to Today: How the FAA Transformed Dispute Resolution
Speaking & panels
- Interview Skills with Ellen Kim, ACC (July 2026)
- Moderator, “The Global Domino Effect: Navigating the Friction Points of Cross-Border RIFs, Governance, and Employment Law,” National Association of Women Lawyers, June 25, 2026
- Speaker, “Building Your Leadership Identity and Personal Brand in Times of Change,” APABA Silicon Valley, April 30, 2026
- Moderator, “Evolving Rules, Smarter Moves: Navigating Trademark Prosecution & Enforcement Strategies Beyond the U.S. Playbook—What Works (and Doesn’t) in China,” WIPR Trademarks & Brand Protection Summit 2025, October 29, 2025
- Moderator, “ADR for Modern Practice,” APABA Silicon Valley, June 26, 2025
- Panelist, “Difficult Conversations in the Workplace,” Labor and Employment Relations Association (LERA) 77th Annual Meeting, June 13, 2025
- Moderator, “Leadership in the Age of AI—Navigating Innovation, Security, and Executive Leadership,” Ascend Norcal, April 11, 2025
Admissions
- State Bar of California
Certifications
- Certified Information Privacy Professional/United States (CIPP/US)
- Certified Information Privacy Professional/Europe (CIPP/E)
- AI Governance Professional (AIGP)
Locations
Home base: San Francisco Bay Area
In person: San Francisco Bay Area · Silicon Valley · San Jose · Oakland
Virtual: Remote worldwide
Languages: English & Cantonese
Find Ellen
- CalARB (California Arbitration)
- NAWL (National Association of Women Lawyers), coaching roster
- CanvasRebel, interview
- Santa Clara University, career coaches (alumni)
- CPR (International Institute for Conflict Prevention & Resolution)
- JAMS, author profile
- ACC Corporate Counsel Now, author archive
- ACC, career coaching profile
Testimonials
我非常感謝Ellen 在我的被撞受傷賠償案件中提供的專業協助…她展現出極高的耐心與同理心，仔細聆聽我的需求，並以清晰且策略性的方式進行調解。 When I first considered working with an executive coach, I questioned whether I truly needed one… Ellen is the catalyst that transformed my vision into measurable outcomes.
Ellen Kim is an extremely effective and highly professional mediator… She managed the emotional dynamics and complex facts with ease.
Work with Ellen
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In person across the San Francisco Bay Area or virtual worldwide. Book a discovery call.