Our Practice
James Kawahara
A graduate from UCLA School of Law, James is our resident expert in business law, litigation and investigations and audits.
James has over twenty years of legal experience in the areas of business law, litigation, federal Indian law, education and environmental law. After gaining ten years of experience with the two national law firms of K&L Gates LLP and Holland & Knight LLP James opened his own firm in 2007.
James has a broad range of experience in state and federal commercial litigation matters, including appellate matters.
He has represented tribal governments in important sovereignty cases and major corporations in multi-party complex litigation under state environmental laws.
James also served as special counsel to the Los Angeles Unified School District's Office of Inspector General and the West Contra County Unified School District in providing advice and counsel in the area of investigations and forensic audits.
James taught law as Adjunct Professor in Practice at the UCLA School of Law where he taught the Tribal Legal Development Clinic from 2007 to 2013.
James received his bachelor’s degree in history in 1986 from UCLA and earned his law degree in 1991 from UCLA School of Law School, where he was a member of the UCLA Pacific Basin Law Journal.
Go Bruins!