Kira-Nariese Kiana Brown is an Associate in the firm’s Litigation & Dispute Resolution and Wills, Trusts & Estates practice groups. Kira earned her law degree, cum laude, from the University of Hawaii at Manoa, William S. Richardson School of Law. An attorney with diverse interests, Kira is an aficionado of museums with an art history and business major and a black belt in Tae Kwon Do.
While in law school, Kira received the CALI Excellence for the Future Award for the Highest Grade in Lawyering Fundamentals II. She was a Casenote Editor and Staff Writer for the University of Hawaii Law Review. Kira was also a Teaching Assistant for Criminal Law I, a Treasurer for Phi Delta Phi International Legal Fraternity Richardson Inn and a recipient of the Sandi Portnoy Endowed Memorial Scholarship for Women’s Issues.
Kira co-authored an article that was published in the University of Hawaii Law Review: Kira-Nariese Brown, Lanson Kupau II, Mike Matsuura, & Sarah Anne Mau, Chatman v. Otani Sheds Light on Eighth Amendment Rights Violations in Hawaiʻi Prisons During the COVID-19 Era, 44 U. Haw. L. Rev. 328 (2022).
During the summer of 2022, Kira was a Summer Associate at Damon Key Leong Kupchak Hastert. While with the firm, she prepared motions and memorandums for clients in various fields of civil law, and researched and presented a summer thesis for Directors and Associates.
While in law school, Kira served as a Judicial Extern to the Honorable R. Mark Browning, Chief Judge of the First Circuit, where she briefed and provided recommendations for weekly probate, conservatorship, guardianship, and trust petitions. She also attended weekly court hearings, settlement conferences and status conferences. This experience sparked her interest in Wills, Trusts & Estates.
Since June 2021, Kira has served as a Court-Appointed Special Advocate for foster children, providing a voice in court for abused and neglected children. In this volunteer position, she conducts monthly home checks and provides court reports detailing findings to a Family Court Judge.
Kira earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Individualized Study with a concentration in Art History and Business from New York University, Gallatin School of Individualized Study. She was a member of Delta Gamma Fraternity, Eta Phi Chapter, serving as Vice President of Membership and Director of E-Communications. She twice participated in the NYU Study Abroad program, taking her to Florence, Italy in the fall of 2017 and Shanghai, China in the spring of 2018.
While pursuing her undergraduate degree, Kira served in a variety of intern positions at predominant museums in New York, including The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and The Museum of Modern Art.
Kira was born in Honolulu and raised in The Woodlands, Texas, a suburb north of Houston. While growing up, she remembers always wanting to be a lawyer and being further influenced and inspired by one of her favorite movies, “Legally Blonde,” which featured an underestimated lead female character with whom she connected.
A self-proclaimed empath, one of Kira’s greatest strengths is her ability to relate to people. She values having the opportunity to help her clients navigate legal issues, serving as an advocate and making a real difference in their lives. According to Kira, to be a strong advocate and attorney, it is important to build lasting and meaningful connections.
With a passion for martial arts, Kira holds a black belt in Tae Kwon Do and has been boxing since the age of eight. When not pursuing legal endeavors, Kira enjoys cooking, discovering new local restaurants, and going to art museums. She also enjoys training and spending quality time with her Rottweiler, Frankie, as they visit the park, beach, or farmer’s market on the weekends. She looks forward to volunteering her time at museums in Hawaii in the near future.
Professional and Community Affiliations
- American Bar Association
- Litigation Section
- Real Property, Trust and Estate Law Section
- Young Lawyers Division
- Hawaii Bar Association
- Litigation Section
- Probate & Estate Planning Section
- Real Property & Financial Services Section
- Access to Justice Room (Honolulu District Court), Volunteer
- Court Appointed Special Advocates Hawaii, Volunteer
- Hawaiian Filipino Lawyers Association
Bar Admission
- State of Hawaii
- U.S. District Court (District of Hawaii)
Publications
- Kira-Nariese Brown, Lanson Kupau II, Mike Matsuura, & Sarah Anne Mau, Chatman v. Otani Sheds Light on Eighth Amendment Rights Violations in Hawaii Prisons During the COVID-19 Era, 44 U. Haw. L. Rev. 328 (2022).