Candidates for the 2022 HSBA Board
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Biographies of the candidates in the election for the 2022 HSBA Board follow. Ballots will be distributed in early-mid September, and election results will be announced at the Annual Meeting at the virtual Bar Convention
on October 15, 2021.
VICE PRESIDENT CANDIDATE
Jessie Souki
Dear Members of the Hawaii State Bar Association:
“The Mission of the Hawaii State Bar Association is to unite and inspire Hawaii’s lawyers
to promote justice, serve the public and improve the legal profession.” I am honored to be
the Hawaii State Bar Association (“HSBA”) Nominating Committee’s pick for vice-president, and with your vote, allowed the honor to help advance HSBA’s mission.
A strong candidate has a working knowledge of HSBA operations and governance. I have been
active in HSBA for 17 years. I served in various leadership positions, including the Natural Resources
Section (now the “Environment, Energy, and Resources Section”) as its program chair, treasurer, and then
chair; the Continuing Legal Education Committee as a co-chair; and the Nominating Committee. I have
also enjoyed participating in various HSBA activities that reach out to the community, such as legal clinics
and legal outreach to underrepresented communities.
Leadership with experience leading an organization is an asset to HSBA. Having served as a director
of agencies and programs, I have hands-on experience running an organization, from collaborating on
vision and direction to strategic planning, budgeting, and deploying resources to accomplish goals and
objectives. My work involved collaborating with private sector and non-profit decision-makers, government
leaders, and the community.
Private and public sector experience counts. Effective leadership in any organization operating in
Hawaii must navigate both the public and private sectors. I have had the opportunity to see both sides of
the practice. I advised government leaders and decision-makers of county and state governments, and I
advised clients in private practice.
Strengthening the communities we serve leads to an equitable and efficient judicial system. HSBA’s
work with the community can have lasting impacts on building community capacity and increasing civic
engagement. I still have the handwritten thank you notes from Kauluwela Elementary School students after
volunteering for the Junior Judges program. HSBA’s Junior Judges program, facilitated by the Young
Lawyers Division, helps students make ethical decisions in response to challenges they face. Their notes
are thoughtful and well-received—it gives one hope for the future. Like when young attorneys visited my
classroom at Iao Intermediate School on Maui, these interactions broaden the horizon for young minds so
that they too can someday help their families and serve their communities.
I look forward to working with the leadership team you elect, HSBA’s office, and you, to advance HSBA’s
mission. As a Hawaii public school and University of Hawaii graduate, and a first-generation lawyer, I
particularly look forward to advancing HSBA’s goals related to increasing the availability of quality legal
services to all who need them; recognizing and addressing the needs and problems of lawyers on each
island; and educating the public about its legal rights and responsibilities, the legal process, and the role
and responsibility of lawyers.
With your support, I will bring my desire to serve, experience, and dedication to the position. Take care and
be well, Jesse K. Souki.
SECRETARY CANDIDATE
Lanson Kupau
Admitted to HSBA 1992. Served as Family and District Court judge and witnessed first-hand the dedication
and compassion that the Judiciary staff and judges place in each matter before them. Previously worked
with the most talented attorneys and staff at the Public Defender’s Office, Reinwald O’Connor & Playdon,
Kobayashi Sugita & Goda, Rush Moore. Currently, board of director of Hale Kipa and Damien Memorial
School; continue to volunteer at non-profit organizations. Presently, a partner of Bronster Fujichaku Robbins.
If elected, I will do my very best to uphold the standards of the HSBA and the honored members who have served before me.
TREASURER CANDIDATE
Michael Cashman
As a third-generation lawyer, my family
has a proud tradition of community
service. My father and grandfather
were state court judges, and I attended
West Point and served in the military
for a decade before law school. Prior
bar and community service includes: two-term delegate;
chair, international law committee; general counsel,
consumer law section; a combined 15 years on ethics,
professional responsibility and practice and procedures
committees; chair of three non-profits, and officer of two
alumni organizations, presently serving the WPS-HI and
HIANG. I practice business law and estate planning and will
work to expand HSBA active membership and networking
opportunities.
Alika Piper
I am a founding member and partner of
Klevansky Piper, LLP, with a practice
focusing on bankruptcy and business
litigation. I graduated from the University of
Hawaii with a BBA in Accounting (1994) and
a Juris Doctor from the William S.
Richardson School of Law (1997). I am listed in Chambers and
Partners as a leading lawyer in Bankruptcy/Restructuring in
Hawaii. I am the current Treasurer and Chair of the Finance
Committee, and a past Director of the HSBA. I would be honored
to serve again as Treasurer and would work diligently for Hawaii’s
legal community in these challenging times.
DIRECTOR CANDIDATE: WEST HAWAII
Carol Kitaoka
I am the HSBA Director for West Hawaii (2006-present); West Hawaii Bar Association Member (1995-
present; President 2003-2005); HSBA Civic Education Committee member (2011-present); Hawaii State Bar
Foundation Director (2017-present). Currently the issue for the many solo practitioners in West Hawaii is
succession planning for your practice. There are plans for CLE classes, an eviction crisis and housing
stability project, and community outreach with Civic Education programs highlighting the fiftieth anniversary
of Title IX. I will continue to bring these CLE classes and ethics trainings to West Hawaii attorneys, and to
promote civic education. Thank you for your continued support.
DIRECTOR CANDIDATE: KAUAI
Emiko Meyers
Admitted in 2005. I worked at the Legal Aid Society of Hawaii - Kauai Office from 2003-2013 as an
Americorps Attorney and then as Managing Attorney (2006-2013). In 2014 I became a solo practitioner
in Family Law. I participated in the HSBA Leadership Institute in 2010-2011. I was the KBA President in
2014 and again in 2019. I served on the Delivery of Legal Services to the Public committee. I helped
found the Self-Help Center on Kauai. My intent as the Kauai Director would be to ensure that Kauai’s
interests are represented at the HSBA.
DIRECTOR CANDIDATES: OAHU
Tristan Andres
I am a partner at Deeley King Pang &
Van Etten, where my practice focuses
on insurance recovery and bad faith
litigation. I am the Chair of the HSBA
Insurance Coverage Litigation Section
and a fellow at the 2021 HSBA
Leadership Institute. Currently, I am serving on the HSBA
Board after being selected to fill a vacancy earlier this year.
If given the opportunity to serve you and the HSBA again, I
aim to be a positive and creative contributor to the HSBA’s
mission, particularly in addressing the issues of access to
justice, professionalism, and community outreach programs.
Jocelyn Chong
I have been a government attorney since my
2010 admission to the bar, currently working
for U.S. District Judge Jill Otake and teaching
legal writing at Richardson. Since 2017, I
have served on the Appellate Section board,
which provides CLE programming, suggests legislative testimony,
and assists with Bar Convention planning; I hope to further
contribute on the HSBA Board. Previously, I was a Deputy
Attorney General and clerked for Associate Justice Sabrina
McKenna in addition to federal judges in Missouri and Florida.
Before the law, I taught at Oʻahu public and private schools and
worked at a statewide educational not-for-profit.
Jessica Domingo
I am a Deputy Public Defender with the
Office of the Public Defender. I currently
serve as an Oahu Director on the HSBA
Board and Immediate Past President of
Hawaii Filipino Lawyers Association.
My time on the HSBA Board has
strengthened my commitment to give back to the legal
profession and provide access to legal services for the
community during these difficult and unprecedented times.
I hope to serve another term as an Oahu Director so that I
may continue to bring a government attorney’s perspective
to help the HSBA and the attorneys and community it serves.
Kristin Izumi-Nitao
I am the Executive Director of the Campaign
Spending Commission. Previously, I worked
at the Attorney General’s Office in the
Administration Division advising the
Employees’ Retirement System, and the
Criminal Justice Division as the administrator
for the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. I was also a
deputy prosecutor and a law clerk for the Supreme Court Chief
Justice and a circuit court judge. I am a graduate of Punahou
School, Wellesley College, and Santa Clara University School of
Law. I am active in the community and would like the opportunity
to serve another term on the HSBA Board.
Simeona Mariano
I’m a Deputy Attorney General in the
Family Law Division, with prior
experience in Criminal Justice. I first
got involved with HSBA when I was a
Deputy Prosecuting Attorney on
Kauai and became the Kauai YLD
representative. I serve on the HSBA Judicial Administration
Committee, and since my bar admission in 2004, I have
volunteered with Courts in the Community, Family Court’s
Teen Day, and mentorship programs. I know I can help
further HSBA’s commitment to improving the legal
profession, fulfilling members’ needs and encouraging
involvement with community projects and events. I humbly
ask for your vote for Oahu Director!
Casey Miyashiro
Aloha! I look forward to serving as your
Oʻahu Board member, listening to your
needs and advocating on your behalf. If
elected, I will come in with an open mind,
keeping what works while brainstorming
innovative solutions to fix things that could
be improved. I will work tirelessly with our colleagues to deal with
the issues that our profession must tackle, from old ones, such as
whether today’s law students are prepared for practice, to novel
ones, such as whether members are prepared to deal with
cyberattacks and ransomware. I am presently an associate at
Damon Key Leong Kupchak Hastert.
Mark K. Murakami
I am Mark K. Murakami, admitted to
HSBA in 1987. I practice real estate at
Carlsmith Ball LLP. I was elected to the
Board in 2015 and am serving in my
third term. The HSBA is at an important
crossroads, as many of our members
are retiring. I continue to work to strengthen the HSBA, and in
the areas of member recruitment and retention. I would like to
see these efforts through, by seeking election to a fourth term
as an Oahu Director of the HSBA. Please vote in this important
election, and when you do, I hope you vote for me.
Mark Valencia
I have been licensed in Hawaii since
1996 and worked with Case Lombardi
& Pettit for the last sixteen years; the
last fourteen as a director. I have
been ranked by Chambers & Partners
as one of Hawaii's top litigators since
from 2014. I served six years as a
Commissioner of the HCRC, two decades as a volunteer reader
primarily in Waianae elementary schools, and I currently serve
as a Major in the U.S. Army Reserve. I was part of the inaugural
HSBA Leadership Institute class, served as Vice-President of
the Litigation Section, and currently serve on the Nominating
Committee.
HSBA/ABA Delegate Candidate
Leslie Hayashi
I started with the ABA in the 1980s, beginning with the ABA-YLD, then Judicial Division and now the
Standing Committee on Public Education and Law Library of Congress Advisory Commission. I also serve
on the National Judicial College’s Executive Committee and Treasurer. Through my involvement, I have
met many ABA officers, Board of Governors and leaders of sections and divisions. Having been a judge,
hearing officer, non-profit organization executive director, in-house counsel, and partner in a large law firm,
I understand and will work hard to meet Hawai`i practitioners’ needs.