Maile M. Hirota

immigration law firm of Hirota & Associates in 2009 after years as a Director of Lynch Ichida Thompson Kim & Hirota. Prior to returning to practice law in Hawaii, Ms. Hirota was an Associate with Taft, Stettinius & Hollister in Cincinnati, Ohio. Ms. Hirota’s experience also includes one year working in a Japanese publishing company’s office in Tokyo and part-time work as a translator and law clerk for the Tokyo Aoyama Law Office, the associated office of Baker & McKenzie in Tokyo, Japan.

Her community immigration involvement includes: volunteering to serve on local and national committees for the American Immigration Lawyers Association; membership in IMMLAW; local citizenship clinics; testifying as an expert witness on the Violence Against Women Act for the prosecution for the State of Hawaii; free legal seminars to Hawaii Pacific University students on work visas; and as a public speaker and advocate for positive immigration reform and survivors of domestic violence. From 2002 through 2009 Ms. Hirota hosted a weekly immigration call-in radio show on KPMW 105.5FM, giving up-to-date immigration information and news to Hawaii’s immigrant community, especially the Filipino community on Maui.

Ms. Hirota represented Ms. An Na Peng, a citizen of China, in the first immigration-related Presidential pardon in over a decade.

Ms. Hirota enjoys spending time with her family, including her husband, their daughters, cats Fred & Ted, dog Rosie and rabbits Coco and Lola. She is a sports fan, especially of University of Hawaii basketball and the University of Michigan Wolverines.