Meritas Law Firms Worldwide has announced that Honolulu attorney James C. McWhinnie is the recipient of the 2011 Grahovac Award. The award has been given only five times in the 21 year history of Meritas and recognizes outstanding service, leadership and dedication to the organization. McWhinnie, a director with Honolulu law firm of Damon Key Leong Kupchak Hastert, received the award last week at the 2011 Meritas Annual Meeting held in Montreal, Canada.
“We are all very proud that Jim has been selected as the recipient of this award of great distinction within the global legal community,” said Michael Yoshida, Damon Key Vice President. “To be honored by Meritas, the organization that sets the bar for quality standards within our industry, speaks volumes for Jim’s commitment to professional excellence.” Meritas is an established global alliance of more than 170 independent, full-service and top-rated law firms in 73 countries with a total of more than 7,000 member attorneys. Firms become members of the Meritas worldwide alliance by invitation only, and only after agreeing to perform under the organization’s uniquely stringent and comprehensive Quality Assurance Program. Damon Key Leong Kupchak Hastert has been Hawaii’s exclusive Meritas member firm for more than 20 years.
McWhinnie has served a three-year term on the Meritas board of directors, two terms as a vice chair on Meritas’ Executive Committee, and two terms as the chair of Meritas’ Finance Committee. In addition, McWhinnie has played leadership roles in the Hawaii legal community, including active roles within the Hawaii State Bar Association and on the Hawaii Supreme Court’s Special Committee on Judicial Performance. His legal practice emphasizes civil litigation.
Other honors granted to McWhinnie throughout his career include his selection into The Best Lawyers of America and Hawaii’s Super Lawyers in the area of Commercial Litigation. He has also been rated “AV” (the highest available rating) by Martindale Hubbell for many years and is a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum (attorneys who have won million and multi-million dollar cases).
