Professional Profile

Clayton C. Ikei

Firm founder and principal attorney Clayton C. Ikei has been practicing law in Honolulu, Hawaii for over 35 years. His practice focuses on labor and employment law and the representation of federal, state, and private employees in matters involving employment discrimination, wrongful termination, sexual harassment, civil rights, and disability discrimination.

Mr. Ikei obtained his B.A. in Political Science from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1969. He earned his Juris Doctorate law degree from the University of Southern California Law Center in 1972. He was admitted to the courts in California in 1972 (currently inactive) and in Hawaii in 1973. He is also admitted to practice in the U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaii (1973), The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (1979), the U.S. Claims Court (1992), the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (2002) and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit (2002).

While attending law school, Mr. Ikei gained employment law experience working for a Los Angeles labor law firm. Although he was offered employment with a federal agency upon graduation, Mr. Ikei decided to return to Honolulu to work for the Legal Aid Society of Hawaii, with a desire to hone his trial skills for the benefit of clients in need of quality, competent legal representation. Following two years with the Legal Aid Society, Mr. Ikei briefly joined a trial practice firm, before deciding to open his own firm in 1975.

Since 1975, his practice has evolved from one handling domestic matters, criminal defense, and personal injury claims, to today's practice that exclusively represents persons with employment claims, with an emphasis on federal employment matters. In addition, the Law Office of Clayton C. Ikei has engaged in representing pro bono clients who sought to reform the law and practices of government entities.

Mr. Ikei is a member of the Hawaii State Bar Association, the American Bar Association, and the National Employment Lawyers Association. He is the 1992 recipient of the Liberty Award from the Young Lawyers Division of the Hawaii State Bar Association.

Representative Pro Bono Cases:

Gross v. State of Hawaii - A consent decree filed in 1976 resulted in a state commitment to upgrade the facilities at Waimano Training School and Hospital, a state facility for the mentally disabled, within three years. Funding resulted in the establishment of group homes for the mentally disabled and closure of Waimano's facilities for the mentally disabled.

Lind, Ian and American Friends Service Committee v. the United States Navy - This freedom of information lawsuit resulted in disclosure by the Navy of nuclear weapons accidents for the period of 1965-1977. The case was resolved in 1986 with partial disclosure and an award of attorney's fees and costs.

Lind, Ian and Hawaii Monitor v. Campaign Spending Commission - This 1994 decision resulted in the Ninth Circuit striking down provisions in the Campaign Spending Law prohibiting disclosure of citizen complaints of violations of the law.

Bruce Yamashita v. U.S. Marine Corps - This case was an administrative action alleging race discrimination of a Japanese-American candidate at the Marine Corp Officer Candidate School. The case resulted in an apology and retroactive commission to Captain, Marine Corps Reserves. The commission ceremony was held in 1994.

Jerry P.S. Chang

Jerry Piliani Sunmung Chang has been an Associate with the Law Office of Clayton C. Ikei since August of 1996, where he has been successfully representing clients in administrative proceedings, as well as in Hawaii state and U.S. Federal courts, for close to 15 years. Mr. Chang's current practice emphasizes the representation of individuals who were subjected to unlawful discrimination, wrongful termination, or retaliation for their whistle blowing and free speech activity. He has also successfully represented individuals in personal injury-type lawsuits.

Prior to joining the Law Office of Clayton C. Ikei, Mr. Chang served as a Law Clerk in the Second Circuit Court on the Island of Maui. Jerry P.S. Chang is a true Hawaii native, having been born and raised in Honolulu. He is a graduate of the University of Hawaii-West Oahu (B.A.) and the University of Hawaii William S. Richardson School of Law, Manoa (J.D.).

Laura Yoshizawa, Paralegal

Laura Yoshizawa has chosen Litigation Paralegal as her career path, obtaining higher education, formal training, and practical experience in furtherance of her goal. Ms. Yoshizawa was offered full-time employment with the Law Office of Clayton C. Ikei in March of 2010 and has quickly become an integral part of the firm's litigation paralegal support team, bringing a youthful, intelligent, and refreshing spirit to the firm.

Ms. Yoshizawa graduated in 2008 from the University of California at Irvine with a Bachelor's of Arts degree in Criminology, Law and Society. Born and raised in La Canada, California, Ms. Yoshizawa now calls Hawaii her home. During her senior year of studies at the University of California at Irvine, Ms. Yoshizawa successfully won an internship at the Legal Aid Society of Orange County, California, where she gained practical experience in assisting qualified parties with legal remedies involving small claims court, marriage dissolution, and unlawful detainer-related issues. In 2009, Ms. Yoshizawa also successfully completed a paralegal training program at the prestigious University of California at Los Angeles, and received a Paralegal Certificate in Litigation.