HONOLULU, HAWAII (October 31, 2022) – Littler, the world’s largest employment and labor law practice representing management, has opened its first office in Honolulu, Hawaii with the addition of Wayne S. Yoshigai as a shareholder.
Yoshigai, who comes to the firm from Jackson Lewis, will be joined in the office by Littler shareholder Judy Iriye, who divides her practice between California and Hawaii. The new location represents the 107th Littler office, with 58 in the U.S. alone, and follows the firm’s expansions into Copenhagen, Denmark and Zurich, Switzerland over the past two months. Yoshigai’s addition also further extends Littler’s hiring surge, marking 16 attorneys to join the firm at the shareholder-level in the past four months.
“With a career spanning more than three decades, Wayne is a talented lawyer who understands what it takes to be a true business partner to his clients,” said Erin Webber, Littler’s managing director and president. “Given Wayne and Judy’s longtime experience in the Hawaiian business and legal communities, they are the ideal duo to further build our roots in the state. We are excited to welcome Wayne to the firm and look forward to deepening our ability to counsel employers operating in Hawaii.”
Having practiced labor and employment law in Hawaii for the entirety of his career, Yoshigai provides counsel to clients on a broad range of both complex and day-to-day issues that arise in the employer-employee relationship. He has represented numerous Hawaii and national employers in administrative and judicial proceedings before federal and state courts, as well as in mediations and arbitrations in union and non-union settings. In addition to his litigation practice, Yoshigai provides training on various workplace issues and counsels employers on matters involving leaves of absence and disability accommodation, labor relations, and wage and hour compliance, among others.
“Wayne is a well-respected, experienced labor and employment lawyer and we are excited to add him to our team,” said Shannon Boyce, Littler’s regional office managing shareholder for the Honolulu office. “Wayne encompasses the skillset that clients want in their labor and employment law advisors – including being a trusted counselor in guiding business strategies and helping maintain employee relations and workforce engagement at a time when so much of the way we work is evolving.”
Yoshigai is actively involved in his community and in several professional associations, including serving as a board member for Responsive Caregivers of Hawaii, as the former Hawaii State Director and Hawaii board member for the Society of Human Resources Management, and as the Chancellor of the Episcopal Diocese of Hawaii.
“I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to help establish a Littler outpost in Hawaii and to work alongside Judy to further expand Littler’s representation of clients throughout Hawaii and nationwide,” said Yoshigai. “I am also looking forward to drawing on Littler’s expansive global platform, deep bench of talented attorneys and suite of innovative solutions to serve my clients.”
Yoshigai received his J.D. from George Washington University School of Law and his B.A., cum laude, from Claremont McKenna College.
About Littler
With more than 1,700 labor and employment attorneys in offices around the world, Littler provides workplace solutions that are local, everywhere. Our diverse global team and proprietary technology foster a culture that celebrates original thinking, delivering groundbreaking innovation that prepares employers for what’s happening today, and what’s likely to happen tomorrow.
