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.
Here’s what Allison had to say during our Women’s History Month Women In Law Roundtable Q&A.
Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman: Where do you think we are in terms of gender equality in the legal profession? How do you see the field growing and changing in the future, not just for women attorneys but all lawyers?
Allison Aoki: While we have made progress with more women in litigation and in leadership roles, more can be done. A few years back, a colleague shared that she was leaving her firm where she was a partner for an attorney position with the state as she didn’t think she could fulfill her obligations to her firm while fulfilling her responsibilities as a mother. While this was her personal choice, I think this highlights some of the challenges women attorneys face as they tend to take on a heavier load at home. Work-life balance is not just for women, though. There’s been a shift in the law firm culture that recognizes that satisfaction in your personal life is essential. Prioritizing attorney well-being is not only important, it’s smart business. Attorneys are equipped better to serve our clients when we are able to meet our own needs.
GDW: What personality characteristics or skills do you possess that you believe enabled your career to flourish?
AA: Compassion and empathy. When clients come to us, they are going through a lot of hardship and stress. One of the most rewarding parts of my job is to guide our clients through the legal process with compassion, empathy and understanding. They are people first and foremost.
GDW: Many issues that our firm tackles – like helping talc-exposure victims and survivors of birth defects and sex abuse – have unique implications for women. How important is the legal field to ensuring fair treatment for women and protecting their rights? Why is it important to have female attorneys involved in this litigation?
AA: Women are smart consumers and make choices based on what they are told are safe and good for them, whether this be talc products, cosmetics, osteoporosis drugs, and more. During pregnancy, they make healthy and responsible choices for themselves and their unborn babies. When companies manufacture products resulting in adverse health effects, our clients pay the price with cancer, birth injuries to their children and even with their own lives. The results are devastating. While the legal system is imperfect in that we cannot restore good health to our clients, women can help women by holding the responsible companies accountable through legal action and ultimately forcing companies to act responsibly. We all have a stake in this. No woman or man should have to pay the price for companies who act negligently or even recklessly.
Check out our Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman Virtual Roundtable Q&A: Women In Law for more interviews with our attorneys.
