Business and Employment Lawyer Dentons Law

How do you define success?

Having a purpose-driven life, staying engaged, being relevant, and using one’s powers for good—at home, in our work, in the communities where we work, and play.

One way I’m currently trying to live that definition is by serving a second stint as Chair of the Child & Family Service board. My first stint was 31 years ago when I was reportedly the first woman board chair and probably considered a “next generation” board member. Now, I am the opposite of “next generation” but I’m glad I have still been called upon to support CFS’ important work in strengthening Hawai‘i’s families in need.

What do you hope to see in your industry in the next 10 years?

I want to see law firms and organizations achieving, embracing, and taking the lead in advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the legal profession and beyond.

A pandemic-era housecleaning reminded me that achieving such a goal is a lifelong pursuit. When travel quarantines kept us at home for 10-14 days, my son Kurt Zwald found my really old, forgotten, handwritten law school application essay drafts. I wrote about my reasons for wanting to pursue a legal career: “[m]y personal experiences as a female and Asian in American society at a time when basic changes in social attitudes and opportunities for fuller participation in society are occurring, . . . at the same time, subtle and not-so-subtle biases still exist” plus having worked post-college in a male-dominated field “remind me that it is my generation which will introduce a significant number of women into the decision making processes in society.”  And we did! One example: our Honolulu office, formerly Alston Hunt Floyd & Ing and now part of the global law firm Dentons, has always enjoyed a gender-balanced and diverse legal team and ownership structure. Dentons’ most recent class of new lawyers and new partners in the U.S. have been the most diverse ever.

Yet, the legal profession in general has a ways to go. A 2022 Report on Diversity in U.S. Law Firms, notes that “[w]hile the legal industry continues to make measurable gains in the representation of women, people of color, and LGBTQ individuals in the associate and summer associate ranks” the data shows law firms have not made “the progress one would expect from an industry that has been focused on the issue of diversity for over 3 decades.” Work is still needed to break down “systemic barriers that prevent these individuals from” rising to partnership and leadership positions in law firms.”

What do you love most about your job?

As a business and employment litigation lawyer, there is never a dull moment. Even though I’ve been in practice for over four decades, there is always something new to learn, a new problem to solve for a client, a new personal and professional challenge in being an advocate. True, there are long hours and stressful situations but what keeps me going in working are the people I encounter: Colleagues I respect, like, and learn from and clients who need help solving a problem or righting a wrong. Every encounter is an opportunity to learn, build a network, and develop connections.

What do you do for fun?

Spending time with family and friends, finding a neat dining experience, seeing the world and learning about other cultures and communities, dancing hula with my YWCA hula sisters on Sundays, enjoying the beauty of Hawai‘i, catching up with our children at opposite sides of the globe, son Kurt and wife Kim Ang in Boston where Kurt works for the Red Sox and Kim is a physical therapist in a Boston University neurology program, and daughter Julia Sitch in Korea, teaching English and pursuing her passion for dance.

Describe your ideal day.

Always be in a learning mode.

• Be visible, speak up, advocate for others who could use the help, amplify their voices.
• Have support networks for inspiration, empowerment, getting energized, staying humble.
• Strive to make every interaction or encounter count.

A few years ago, the board member Carol Isozaki presented a mini “Plan to be Amazing” session at a board retreat for Kristi Yamaguchi’s Always Dream nonprofit directors. Carol’s Plan to Be Amazing teachings, reminded me of the importance of striving to be visible, adding value and bringing energy, positivity, empathy, and one’s best self to every meeting and communication—not just “phoning it in.”

“Through mindfulness and deeper self-awareness of how they make others feel, leaders can create higher-performing teams and partnerships that are more fulfilled and engaged with their work.”

Carol recently hosted an online book talk with Deb Liu, author of “Take Back Your Power – 10 New Rules for Women at Work.” It’s still on my nightstand, but one of my favorite takeaways from the talk is to choose a word and live it for a year. My word for 2023 is “amplify.” I am making that public to remind myself to live that word for 2023.