James Kawahito

Mr. Kawahito’s practice focuses on complex, commercial litigation with an emphasis in the following areas of law: Consumer class actions, wage and hour class actions, contract disputes, entertainment disputes, real estate disputes, and unfair competition. He has litigated cases both on behalf and against Fortune 500 companies. He has represented clients before California state and federal trial courts, and has also handled appeals before the California Court of Appeals and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Mr. Kawahito also currently serves as outside general counsel for small to medium size businesses.

Through his class action practice, Mr. Kawahito has obtained settlements valued in excess of $50 million on behalf of class members. In addition, he has successfully handled numerous trademark, real estate, and entertainment matters with clients ranging from large hotel management companies to the oldest competitive darts association in the United States.

After Law School, Mr. Kawahito served as a law clerk for the Honorable David Alan Ezra of the United States District Court for the District of Hawaii. He also previously worked as a litigation lawyer in the international law firms of Paul Hastings Janofsky & Walker LLP and Hunton & Williams LLP.

At Yale University, Jim was a member of the varsity basketball team. After graduation, he played four seasons as a professional basketball player in the Japan Basketball League (JBL) for the Mitsui Falcons and Mitsubishi Dolphins.  Mr. Kawahito currently sits on the board of FIYA, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing sports programs to underserved youth in the Los Angeles area.

Education

• UCLA School of Law, Los Angeles, California
  • J.D.
  • Honors: Order of the Coif
  • Editor, UCLA Law Review
• Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
  • B.A. Economics

Bar Admissions

• California, 2004
• Hawaii, 2009