Topic: Attorney Spotlight

Women’s History Month had its origins as a national celebration with a 1987 presidential proclamation. The law passed by Congress marked the month of March with observances to honor the achievements of American women in a variety of fields, including the law.

This year, we are celebrating Women’s History Month with a virtual roundtable of female attorneys at Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman discussing their experiences in the field of law. This year, attorneys that work in a variety of practice areas in our firm shared their insights. Participants included Allison Aoki and Victoria Chang.

Alyssa R. Segawa is a native of Honolulu and a partner at Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman. Alyssa’s practice concentrates on asbestos litigation, personal injury, product liability, Roundup litigation, appellate and federal practice matters. She has a particular interest in helping victims of mesothelioma seek justice through the legal system.

When Alyssa was 16, her grandfather, a retired pipefitter at the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard, passed away from mesothelioma. She knows what the families of the Galiher firm’s clients are going through and works hard to make sure that they can enjoy their time with loved ones.

Ilana Waxman is the managing partner of Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman. Ilana focuses her practices on toxic exposure cases, particularly for clients with mesothelioma and other asbestos diseases. She also represents the families of children born with birth defects due to chemical exposures, Hawai’i residents suffering from Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma as a result of Roundup exposure, survivors of childhood sexual abuse, and other catastrophic injury cases.

Ilana works every day to hold corporations and insurance companies accountable for their role in creating one of the greatest public health disasters this country has ever seen. She is proud to fight for justice for individuals who are suffering from preventable diseases due to the greed or callousness of others.

Victoria Chang is a veteran trial lawyer and passionate advocate for individuals who have been injured by dangerous products and reckless and negligent practices. Victoria has spent her career litigating on behalf of those who were injured by the wrongdoing of others. Before joining Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman, she worked for 10 years as a prosecutor focusing on obtaining justice for victims of sexual assault, both minors and adults. That background provides valuable expertise for her practice representing sex assault victims in civil litigation against schools and other institutions and organizations when they fail to protect individuals in their care. Victoria also represents individuals who have been harmed by dangerous and defective products, including exposure to materials and products containing cancer-causing asbestos and other harmful chemicals.

Allison Aoki is a native of Hawaii and a Partner at Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman. Her practice focuses on asbestos litigation, birth injury cases, pesticide injury litigation, premises liability, product liability and toxic tort issues. Allison attended Keio University in Tokyo, Japan, and earned her bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. She earned her law degree from the University of Hawaii at Manoa in Honolulu. While there, she was honored with the CALI Award for Excellence in the Future. Allison is admitted to practice law by the State Bar of Hawaii.

A veteran lawyer with extensive courtroom experience, Elizabeth is a litigator in Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman’s Maui office. Her practice focuses on obtaining justice for individuals impacted by the Maui fires. A Lahaina resident who evacuated and lost her home during the August 8 fires, Beth brings first-hand perspective of the challenges facing victims. In addition, her practice focuses litigation related to asbestos exposure and exposure to Monsanto’s Roundup pesticide. She also represents victims of child sexual abuse.

Before joining the firm, Elizabeth served more than 10 years as a deputy prosecutor in Hawaii and California, where she handled a wide variety of criminal jury trials to verdict. Elizabeth earned her law degree from California Western School of Law and her bachelor’s degree from the University of California at Santa Barbara.