Honors & Accolades
Damon Key Director Mark M. Murakami Takes the Reins as 2025 HSBA President
Damon Key Director Mark M. Murakami took his oath of office as the 2025 Hawaii State Bar Association (HSBA) President at the organization’s annual meeting in December 2024. Hawaii’s attorneys selected Mark for this leadership role in a statewide election in late 2022. He subsequently served as the 2023 Vice President and 2024 President-Elect.
2025 Lawyer of the Year & The Best Lawyers in America
Congratulations to Kenneth R. Kupchak and Gregory W. Kugle on being awarded the Lawyer of the Year honors and our colleagues on being selected by Best Lawyers and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America. It is our privilege to provide innovative solutions through nationally recognized attorneys who assist businesses, families, and individuals with their legal needs.
2024 Lawyer of the Year & The Best Lawyers in America
Congratulations to Douglas C. Smith on being awarded the Lawyer of the Year honor and our colleagues on being selected by Best Lawyers and Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch. For 60 years, our firm has built a strong foundation on superior service and innovative solutions while assisting businesses, families, and individuals with their legal needs.
Christine Kubota Receives Special Commendation
Damon Key President Christine Kubota is one of 187 individuals worldwide who received a Commendation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan in Fiscal Year 2023. The commendation was bestowed for her efforts in the promotion of mutual understanding between Japan and the United States. Christine received her award certificate and commemorative gift at the Foreign Minister’s Commendation Conferment Ceremony held at the Consulate-General of Japan in Honolulu, on November 21, 2023
Matthew T. Evans Elected to Prestigious Meritas Board of Directors
Damon Key is pleased to announce that Matthew T. Evans has been elected to serve on the Board of Directors of Meritas, the premier global alliance of independent law firms. The prestigious organization is a vast, worldwide network of law firms that facilitates the legal needs of businesses operating on a local, regional, national, and international scale. Matt has been involved with Meritas for more than 10 years, during which time he has held several different roles and served in multiple capacities.
Damon Key Director Christine A. Kubota Elected President
Damon Key is pleased to announce that Christine A. Kubota, attorney and Director, has been elected by the board to serve as the firm’s President. This change in leadership comes at an opportune moment in the firm’s 60-year history, as we look forward to continuing to meet the needs of our clients and the community with excellence.
2023 Lawyer of the Year & Best Lawyers in America
Congratulations to Gregory W. Kugle on being selected Lawyer of the Year and our colleagues on being selected to the latest edition of The Best Lawyers in America. For nearly 60 years, our firm has provided superior service and innovative solutions while assisting businesses, families, and individuals with their legal needs.
Captain Mark M. Murakami Retires From the U.S. Coast Guard After 30 Years of Distinguished Service
With almost every new assignment and promotion he received over the course of his thirty year career in the United States Coast Guard, Mark M. Murakami received the same piece of advice: “Do a good job.” This simple refrain, repeated to Mark by so many of his supervisors and mentors throughout his military service, might seem to most people too simple, lacking any real guidance or direction.
Mark M. Murakami Elected As Hawaii Member of Owner’s Counsel of America
In late January, Damon Key’s Mark M. Murakami was elected to a coveted position as the Hawaii member of Owner’s Counsel of America (OCA), a professional association of the nation’s most experienced eminent domain and property lawyers.
2022 Lawyers of the Year & Best Lawyers in America
Congratulations to Gregory W. Kugle and Tred R. Eyerly on being selected Lawyers of the Year and our colleagues on being selected to the latest edition of The Best Lawyers in America. For over 50 years, our firm has provided superior service and innovative solutions while assisting individuals, families and businesses with their legal needs.
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2021 Lawyers of the Year & Best Lawyers in America
Congratulations to Anna H. Oshiro and Douglas C. Smith on being selected Lawyers of the Year and our colleagues on being selected to the latest edition of The Best Lawyers in America. For over 50 years, our firm has provided superior service and innovative solutions assisting individuals, families and businesses with their legal needs.
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Congratulations Mark
Mark M. Murakami was named the Dean’s Alumnus of the Year by the University of Hawaii at Manoa William S. Richardson School of Law Alumni Association.
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2020 Best Lawyers in America
Congratulations to 11 of our colleagues on being selected for inclusion in the latest edition of The Best Lawyers in America.
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2019 Lawyer of the Year & Best Lawyers in America
Congratulations to Robert H. Thomas on being selected Lawyer of the Year and our colleagues on being selected to the 2019 edition of The Best Lawyers in America. At Damon Key we are independent thinkers, yet work as a team to provide excellent service to our clients.
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2018 Lawyer of the Year & Best Lawyers in America
Congratulations to Robert H. Thomas on being selected Lawyer of the Year and our colleagues on being selected to the latest edition of The Best Lawyers in America. Our inclusion in Best Lawyers in Business Organizations, Commercial Litigation, Construction, Corporate, Eminent Domain & Condemnation, Employment Law-Management, Land Use & Zoning, Litigation, Mortgage Banking Foreclosure, Real Estate, and Trusts & Estates demonstrates our continuing commitment to serving Hawaii’s people and businesses with excellence.
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APIL Corporate Sector Award
APIL (Advocates for Public Interest Law), The William S. Richardson School of Law at the University of Hawai’i at Manoa has honored Damon Key Leong Kupchak Hastert with the APIL Corporate Sector Award for the firm’s support of pro bono work and public interest law.
2017 Lawyers of the Year & Best Lawyers in America
Congratulations to nine of our colleagues on being selected to the latest edition of The Best Lawyers in America. We are especially thrilled that three of our partners, Kenneth R. Kupchak, Gregory W. Kugle and Robert H. Thomas, were named Lawyers of the Year for 2017. Best Lawyers is the oldest and most respected peer-reviewed publication in the legal profession. A listing in Best Lawyers is widely regarded by both clients and legal professionals as a significant honor, conferred on a lawyer by his or her peers.
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2017 U.S. News & World Report Best Law Firm
U.S. News Best Lawyers Best Law Firms rankings are based on a rigorous evaluation process that includes the collection of client and lawyer evaluations, peer review from leading attorneys in their field and review of additional information provided by law firms as part of the formal submission process.
2017 Super Lawyers
Nine of our partners, Kenneth R. Kupchak, Gregory W. Kugle, Robert H. Thomas, Mark M. Murakami, Douglas C. Smith, Anna H. Oshiro, Michael A. Yoshida, David P. McCauley and Matthew Evans, have been named to the list of the Hawaii Super Lawyers. Many of our partners and associates have been included in the list for several years. Super Lawyers is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The selection process includes independent research, peer nominations and peer evaluations.
2016 Best Lawyers in America
Congratulations to nine of our colleagues on being selected for inclusion in the latest edition of The Best Lawyers in America.
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2015 Best Lawyers
Nine of our partners have been recognized as Best Lawyers, including Kenneth R. Kupchak and Douglas C. Smith honored as Lawyers of the Year.
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2014 Best Lawyers
Nine of our partners have been recognized as Best Lawyers, including Robert H. Thomas honored as Lawyer of the Year.
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2013 Best Lawyers
Nine of our partners have been recognized as Best Lawyers, including Mark M. Murakami honored as Lawyer of the Year.
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2013 Lawyers of the Year
Our firm is honored that Douglas C. Smith, Mark M. Murakami, Christine A. Kubota and Greg W. Kugle have been chosen as Lawyers of the Year in their fields. Through a very selective process, only attorneys recognized on the Best Lawyers list are considered for this high honor.
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Mark M. Murakami
On October 19, 2013, Mark M. Murakami was promoted to Captain in the U.S. Coast Guard. Mark, is a graduate of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. Over half of Mark’s life has been in service. Because the Coast Guard is significantly smaller than the other armed services, there are correspondingly fewer Captains (a Captain, an O-6, equates to a Colonel in the other services).
