James Kawahito - Los Angeles, CA

After four seasons bouncing around in professional basketball leagues overseas, James accepted (what everyone else already knew) that basketball was not going to be a viable career option. James then enrolled in law school at UCLA where he graduated near the top of his class and began practicing law in 2004.

James started his law career with a clerkship with the Honorable David Allan Ezra of the U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaii and then practiced at multinational law firms before breaking free in 2008 to start his own boutique firm with several partners. For nearly 20 years, James has assisted clients litigating a vast array of disputes. James’ practice focuses primarily on complex, commercial litigation including consumer, employment, and civil rights class actions. However, he also has extensive experience in contract, entertainment, real estate, employment, environmental, consumer, and business litigation. James has represented clients in diverse fields including professional athletes, hotel and resorts, Fortune 100 companies, technology companies, real estate developers, employees, and entrepreneurs.

Through his class action practice, James has obtained settlements valued in excess of $60 million on behalf of class members. He recently won a $4.3 million jury verdict in San Francisco Superior Court where a garbage truck driver was permanently injured on the job after the defendant repeatedly failed to remove a known, dangerous hazard. James is licensed to practice in California and Hawaii but has assisted clients in disputes throughout the United States and internationally. James grew up in Tennessee but left for the East Coast after being recruited to play for the Yale University Men’s Basketball Team. He moved to Southern California in 2001 and has not looked back. He currently sits on the board of FIYA, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing sports programs to underserved youth in the Los Angeles area as well as LA Sky, a non-profit club basketball/AAU program for girls.