| |
Biographies:
Barry W. Marr
Barry W. Marr graduated from Hobart College (B.A.), Albany Law School of Union University (J.D.) and Georgetown University Law Center (L.L.M.). Following law school, he was counsel to the Chair of the National Labor Relations Board. He has broad experience in both traditional labor law and employment law. In addition to representing employers in more than 250 cases before arbitrators and administrative agencies, he has served as both spokesperson and as counsel in collective bargaining negotiations. He also has litigated employment disputes in federal and state courts involving breach of contract, wrongful discharge, employment discrimination, defamation, fraud, and sexual harassment. He has served as an adjunct professor and has lectured on labor and employment law matters both in Hawaii and on the mainland. He has been selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America.
Kenneth B. Hipp
Kenneth B. Hipp was appointed by President Clinton to the National Mediation Board in Washington, D.C., where he served from 1995-1998. Previously he was a partner and chairman of the labor and employment section of Goodsill Anderson Quinn & Stifel in Honolulu. He was formerly employed by the National Labor Relations Board in the Enforcement Litigation Division in Washington, D.C. He has taught labor and employment law courses on the faculties of several universities. He received his undergraduate degree from Duke University (B.A.) and his law degree from the University of North Carolina School of Law (J.D. with high honors). As a labor lawyer for more than 25 years, he has extensive experience in client counseling, collective bargaining, arbitration, mediation, administrative agency practice, and litigation in federal and state courts. He has served as lead negotiator, attorney, or mediator in collective bargaining in numerous industries. He has been selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America and Who's Who in America.
Patrick H. Jones
Patrick H. Jones graduated from Georgetown University (B.S., magna cum laude) and Georgetown University Law Center (J.D., cum laude). He has spent his entire professional career representing management in various employment-related matters, including discrimination and harassment claims in the courts and before the Hawaii Civil Rights Commission and the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. He has also represented clients in compliance reviews and complaint investigations conducted by the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs. He has significant "traditional" labor law experience, including arbitrations under collective bargaining agreements and claims before federal and state administrative agencies.
Steven M. Nakashima
Steven M. Nakashima graduated from the University of Hawaii (B.A.) and the Willamette University College of Law (J.D.). After law school, he served as a law clerk with the late judge J. Blaine Anderson of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit from 1979-1981. Prior to joining the firm, he served as a judge on the Hawaii State District Court and was the Lead Civil Judge from 1997 to 1999. Before becoming a Judge, he was a partner in the labor and employment section of Goodsill Anderson Quinn & Stifel where he represented employers in a wide range of federal and state litigation, including employment discrimination, wrongful discharge, disability accommodation and wage and hour issues.
Sarah O. Wang
Sarah O. Wang graduated from Whitman College (B.A., summa cum laude with distinction) and the University of Virginia School of Law (J.D.), where she was a member of the Order of the Coif and Notes Editor for the Virginia Law Review. Following law school, she clerked for the late Judge Charles E. Wiggins of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. She represents employers in a wide range of labor and employment law matters, including federal and state court litigation, administrative audits and hearings, labor arbitrations, and federal and state appellate cases. She also devotes a substantial amount of her practice to providing training and guidance for employers and their supervisory employees to assist them in managing personnel issues and in complying with various employment laws.
Cynthia M. Surrisi
Cynthia M. Surrisi joined Marr Hipp Jones & Wang as a partner on June 1, 2004. She represents employers in matters arising under federal, state and local labor and employment laws, with a particular emphasis on airlines, the Railway Labor Act, and the Federal Aviation Administration Regulations. She represents airlines before federal and state courts, bankruptcy courts, the National Mediation Board, System Boards of Adjustment, the National Transportation Safety Board, the Federal Aviation Administration, and Presidential Emergency Boards. She has substantial experience in advising airlines in complex labor negotiations, contract administration, and interest and rights arbitrations. She has acted as lead labor counsel in airline acquisitions, mergers, and other forms of airline cooperation.
Lynne T. Toyofuku
Lynne T. Toyofuku joined Marr Hipp Jones & Wang as a partner in January 2004. She has extensive experience in client counseling and training, arbitration, mediation, administrative agency practice before the NLRB, the EEOC, the DOL Wage and Hour Division, the Hawaii Civil Rights Commission, and Hawaii’s Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, and federal and state court litigation. She serves as an arbitrator on the Court Annexed Arbitration Program and as a delegate to the Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference. She received her undergraduate degree from Tufts University, cum laude, and her law degree from Boston University School of Law.
Melanie Mito May
Melanie Mito May graduated from Santa Clara University (B.S., cum laude) and Hastings College of the Law (J.D.). Prior to joining our firm, she completed a clerkship in the civil motions divisions at the Circuit Court of the First Circuit in Honolulu, Hawaii, with the Honorable Daniel G. Heely and the Honorable Kevin S. C. Chang. Since joining the firm, she has dedicated her professional career to working with management to find solutions to employment problems. She has assisted employers in drafting employment contracts, creating employee handbooks, enforcing employment policies and investigating employee misconduct. She has been a partner since 2003.
Christopher S. Yeh
Christopher S. Yeh graduated from Harvard University (B.A., summa cum laude) and Harvard Law School (J.D., cum laude). He joined the firm as an associate in December 1998 and became a partner in 2003. He advises companies on a wide range of employment matters and has successfully represented employers in proceedings before the state and federal courts in Hawaii, the Hawaii Civil Rights Commission, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the National Labor Relations Board, and the Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations. He has represented employers in labor arbitrations and in representation hearings at the National Labor Relations Board. He is an adjunct professor at both the University of Hawaii’s William S. Richardson School of Law and at Hawaii Pacific University.
Malia E. Kakos
Malia E. Kakos graduated from Boston College (B.A., magna cum laude) and Hastings College of the Law (J.D., cum laude). Following law school, she was an associate in the Business Department of Cooley Godward, LLP in San Diego. Prior to joining our firm, she completed a clerkship at the United States District Court for the District of Hawaii with the Honorable David Alan Ezra.
Kaiulani Kidani
Our newest associate attorney, Kaiulani E. Kidani, joined the firm in July 2004. She is a graduate of the University of Washington (B.A.) and the University of Hawaii, William S. Richardson School of Law (J.D., cum laude). She has been practicing law in Honolulu since 1999 in the litigation department of Cades Schutte LLP.
Nichole K. Shimamoto
Nichole K. Shimamoto graduated from Georgetown University (B.S., cum laude) and the University of Hawaii, William S. Richardson School of Law (J.D., summa cum laude). Following law school, she completed a clerkship at the Hawaii Supreme Court with the Honorable Mario R. Ramil.
Wendy Y. Vonderburgh
Wendy Y. Vonderburgh has worked in the labor and employment area in Honolulu for over 20 years. She has extensive experience assisting employers with Affirmative Action Plans and OFCCP audits, and revising and updating employment policies, contracts and handbooks. She also is experienced with litigation matters such as drafting discovery, reviewing documents, and trial preparation.
Christine E. Mardakis
Christine E. Mardakis joined us as a paralegal in August 1999, and has over 25 years of experience as a litigation paralegal in Hawaii and on the mainland. She is adept at handling complex and document intensive litigation cases in both state and federal courts.
|
