MARR JONES & WANG - Key Persons
Andrea Lux Miyashita defends employers in state and federal court and before administrative agencies and arbitrators. Ms. Miyashita has litigated a variety of employment cases involving claims of discrimination, defamation, invasion of privacy, retaliation, unfair competition, tortious interference, misappropriation of trade secrets, civil conspiracy, and breach of non-compete and non-solicitation agreements, among others. Ms. Miyashita also drafts employment agreements, handles appeals, and conducts fact-finding investigations concerning complaints of harassment, hostile work environment, retaliation, and other workplace issues. Ms. Miyashita joined MJW in 2018 and became a partner at the firm in 2022.
Prior to joining MJW, Ms. Miyashita was a trial attorney in Florida where she defended individuals and corporations against claims of general negligence, professional malpractice (including legal and medical malpractice), and breach of contract. While in Florida, Ms. Miyashita also wrote numerous appellate briefs and served as a judicial extern for The Honorable Philip J. Padovano (ret.) at the First District Court of Appeal while finishing her final year of law school as a visiting student at The Florida State University College of Law.
Ms. Miyashita earned her Bachelor's Degree from the University of South Florida (Tampa) and received her law degree from Florida Coastal School of Law (Jacksonville).
Ms. Miyashita is admitted to practice before all state and federal courts in Hawai‘i, as well as all Florida state courts and the U.S. District Courts for the Southern and Middle Districts of Florida.
Ashley represents employers in a variety of labor and employment matters. She has defended employers against discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, Equal Pay Act, and other employment-related matters in court and before administrative agencies. Ashley also assists employers in drafting handbooks, policies, and employment-related agreements.
Ashley previously worked at Goodsill Anderson Quinn & Stifel and the San Francisco office of a national defense firm where she focused on defending and advising employers in employment and labor matters.
While attending the University of San Francisco School of Law, Ashley earned a Certificate in Labor and Employment Law with Honors and received the ABA Bloomberg BNA Award for Excellence in the Study of Labor and Employment Law. She was also a member of the University of San Francisco Maritime Law Journal, starting out as a Technical Editor and eventually promoted to Senior Business Editor. Prior to law school, Ashley worked in Human Resources at Kamehameha Schools.
She is licensed to practice in the states of Hawai'i and California.
Job Titles:
- PARTNER
- Adjunct Professor at the University of Hawai
Barry W. Marr has been representing management in all aspects of labor and employment law for more than 25 years in Honolulu. Before beginning private practice in Hawai`i, Mr. Marr served as Counsel to the Chair of the National Labor Relations Board in Washington, D.C. from 1974 to 1976.
Mr. Marr has broad experience in both traditional labor law and employment law. He has litigated employment disputes in federal and state courts involving breach of contract, equal pay, wrongful discharge, employment discrimination, defamation, fraud, emotional distress, sex harassment, antitrust claims arising out of collective bargaining, and negligent referral. He has represented employers in discrimination matters before federal and state agencies.
Mr. Marr has extensive experience in labor relations. In addition to representing employers in more than 250 cases before arbitrators and administrative agencies, he has served as both spokesperson and as counsel in collective bargaining negotiations. He has also represented employers in litigation involving secondary boycotts, unlawful picketing, antitrust and defamation charges during strikes, picketing and secondary boycotts, and has obtained injunctions in federal court against picketing and strikes.
Among other notable cases he has handled, Mr. Marr was retained to represent the State of Hawai`i and its counties in a class action lawsuit alleging sex discrimination in compensation. He was also retained by the United States District Court for the District of Hawai`i to represent the Court in a mandamus action before the Ninth Circuit involving federal labor law issues.
Mr. Marr has served as an adjunct professor at the University of Hawai`i School of Law and has lectured on labor and employment law matters in Hawai`i and on the mainland.
Mr. Marr received a Citation from the NLRB for Sustained Superior Performance; he has been recognized in The Best Lawyers in America for the past ten years; he is listed in America's Leading Business Lawyers; and he is a Contributing Editor of The Developing Labor Law, published by the Bureau of National Affairs.
Cecily Kaya represents and advises management in a wide variety of labor and employment matters before state and federal courts, administrative agencies, and arbitrators. Ms. Kaya also provides investigative services for internal workplace complaints in both the public and private sectors.
Ms. Kaya previously worked at a Honolulu law firm, where she represented and defended individual and corporate clients in construction litigation, medical malpractice, and general insurance defense matters. She has also served as a law clerk to the Honorable Leslie E. Kobayashi, United States District Judge, District of Hawai`i. Since joining the firm, Ms. Kaya has been selected as a Fellow to the 2022 Hawaii State Bar Association Leadership Institute, and as a lawyer delegate to the United States District Court, District of Hawai`i, Judicial Conference (2022-2024).
Ms. Kaya is a graduate of Dartmouth College and received her law degree from the University of Hawai`i, William S. Richardson School of Law. During law school, Ms. Kaya was a member of the Native American Moot Court team, and was a research assistant to Professor Ronald C. Brown in his work in comparative labor law. She also served as an extern to Judge Kobayashi, and the Honorable Randal K.O. Lee of the First Circuit Court, State of Hawai'i.
Ms. Kaya is admitted to practice before all state and federal courts in Hawai`i.
Chris Cole, partner, has practiced labor and employment matters since 1992. He has defended Hawai`i employers in numerous litigation cases involving allegations of sexual harassment, retaliation, race, sex, disability, sexual orientation, age and pregnancy discrimination, whistleblowing, trade secret/non-compete agreement enforcement, wage and hour laws, and executive contracts. Mr. Cole is also experienced in labor arbitration, mediation, workplace investigations, FLSA compliance audits, workplace violence, drug-testing policies, EEO training, whistleblower proceedings, workers compensation rate litigation, unemployment insurance appeals, employment contracts, separation agreements, ADA confidentiality, and employee discipline and discharge.
Job Titles:
- PARTNER
- MJW As an Associate
Christopher S. Yeh practices in all aspects of labor and employment law, advises companies on a wide range of employment matters, and has successfully represented employers in proceedings before private arbitrators as well as the state and federal courts in Hawai`i, Hawai`i Civil Rights Commission, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, National Labor Relations Board, and Hawai`i Department of Labor and Industrial Relations.
Mr. Yeh has taught at both Hawai`i Pacific University and the University of Hawai`i William S. Richardson School of Law. He is a regular speaker at employment law seminars on subjects such as sexual harassment, discrimination, disability accommodation, and employee leave issues with an emphasis on the Family Medical Leave Act and American with Disabilities Act.
Mr. Yeh joined MJW as an associate in December 1998 and became a partner in 2003. Prior to joining the firm, he specialized in labor and employment law at the law firm of Goodsill Anderson Quinn & Stifel in Honolulu.
He is a graduate of Harvard University and Harvard Law School. Mr. Yeh has been recognized in The Best Lawyers in America, the Chambers USA directory America's Leading Lawyers for Business, and Super Lawyers.
Kristi O'Heron represents and advises management in a wide variety of labor and employment matters. Ms. O'Heron has defended employers before state and federal courts, administrative agencies, and arbitrators, against various claims, including claims of discrimination, wrongful termination, retaliation, harassment, whistleblower and other employment-related claims.
Ms. O'Heron previously practiced labor and employment law at another local law firm and served as in-house counsel at American Savings Bank. She also served as a law clerk for the Honorable Simeon R. Acoba, Jr., former Associate Justice of the Hawai`i Supreme Court.
During law school, Ms. O'Heron served as a judicial extern to Justice Acoba and the Honorable Susan Oki Mollway of the United States District Court, District of Hawai`i. She also received the CALI Excellence for the Future Award in Litigating Class Actions in Employment Law and Wills and Trusts.
Ms. O'Heron graduated with distinction from the University of Hawai`i, Manoa, and received her J.D., cum laude, from the University of California, Hastings College of Law. She is admitted to practice before all state and federal courts in Hawai`i.
Patrick H. Jones has spent his entire legal career representing management in various employment-related matters. He has significant traditional labor law experience, including representing clients in arbitration under collective bargaining agreements and before the National Labor Relations Board, and assisting clients engaged in collective bargaining negotiations. He has advised companies dealing with strikes and other job actions, and has obtained court injunctions against illegal strikes and picketing.
In addition to traditional labor work, Mr. Jones is known for effectively defending clients against wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment, and retaliation claims in federal and state courts. He has also represented clients against alleged whistleblowers under Hawai`i law and the federal False Claims and Sarbanes-Oxley Acts.
Concerning alleged unlawful discrimination, Mr. Jones has helped many clients respond to administrative charges and claims filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Hawai`i Civil Rights Commission, Hawai`i Department of Labor and Industrial Relations (for example, claims under the unemployment statute and the Hawai`i law prohibiting discrimination because of work injuries), and the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs. He has advised clients concerning affirmative action issues, including the creation, maintenance, and compliance review of affirmative action plans.
Mr. Jones advises and represents clients with respect to occupational safety issues under the federal and state Occupational Safety and Health Administration laws, wage and hour issues (for example, overtime and prevailing wage issues), leave issues under the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act and related state laws, and corporate restructuring and downsizing issues under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act and Hawai`i Dislocated Workers laws).
Rebekah Ray represents and advises Hawai'i businesses in a wide range of labor and employment law matters before state and federal courts, administrative agencies, and arbitrators.
Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Ray worked at a real estate law firm where she represented condominium associations in various matters including, reviewing and drafting contracts between associations and employees and property management companies, and defending associations against discrimination claims brought by residents.
While in law school, Ms. Ray worked for public interest law organizations including the Hawai'i Innocence Project and the Office of the Public Defender. Ms. Ray also worked at the Hawai'i Immigrant Justice Center at the Legal Aid Society of Hawai'i, where she assisted clients with employment law and other matters.
Ms. Ray received her Bachelor's Degree in Psychology from Arizona State University. She then went on to receive her J.D. from the William S. Richardson School of Law at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa. During law school, she was President of the Advocates for
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Board of Directors
- PARTNER
Richard M. Rand has practiced labor and employment law in Hawai`i for more than 28 years. He has counseled employers on a wide range of federal and state legal issues including employment claims, wage and hour law, traditional labor law issues, complex labor negotiations and Davis Bacon Act compliance. Known as an experienced trial lawyer, he has served as lead counsel in jury trials in both federal and state court, in state and federal administrative proceedings, and has argued numerous cases before the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and the Hawaii Appellate Courts.
Mr. Rand also represents employers in arbitration and mediation proceedings. He has represented both buyers and sellers in the labor and employment aspects of many major real estate transactions. He negotiates collective bargaining agreements for employers and counsels them on the administration of those agreements.
Mr. Rand joined MJW as a partner in January 2007. Previously, he was a Director with Torkildson Katz et al.
Mr. Rand is admitted to practice law in the state and federal courts in Hawai`i, and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Mr. Rand has been recognized in The Best Lawyers in America as one of Hawai`i's premier employment lawyers. He is also listed in the Chambers USA directory, America's Leading Lawyers for Business. He serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Hawai`i.
He is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and Georgetown University Law Center.
Ronald Tang represents and advises management in a wide range of employment and labor matters before state and federal courts, administrative agencies, and arbiters.
Prior to joining MJW, Mr. Tang worked at one of the largest employers in Hawai`i for six years, where he managed teams in payroll and human resources administration. He also worked as a supervisor at a mainland law firm where he oversaw a team of legal assistants.
Mr. Tang is a graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles and received his law degree from the University of Hawai`i at Manoa, William S. Richardson School of Law. During law school, he volunteered at Volunteer Legal Services Hawai`i and the Hawai`i Innocence Project. He is admitted to practice before state and federal courts in Hawai`i.
Sarah O. Wang joined MJW in April 1998 and was made a partner in January 2001. She has considerable experience in both employment litigation and training employers to better manage their workforce.