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2011 Speakers The speaker line-up will be posted when the details are confirmed. 2009 Speakers Jacqueline W.S. Amai, Esq., Shareholder Brian G. S. Choy, Esq., Partner Roy A. Franco, J.D., Director, Risk Management Strategies Tamara M. Gerrard, Esq., Director Gary S. Hamada, Administrator, Disability Compensation Division Sylvia K. Higashi, Esq., Attorney John L. Knorek, Esq., Director Milia Leong, Claims Manager, Workers’ Compensation Department Robert T. Lewis, Esq., Chief Legal Counsel Merideth Q. McEntire, Esq., Attorney Sharon K. Ohata, CIC, CRM, MBA, Director of Training & Development Blake K. Oshiro, Majority Leader, State of Hawaii House of Representatives Carolyn Pearl, CPCU, State Relations Executive Craig Shoji, CHST, ASP, Safety Manager Karen R. Tashima, Esq., Partner Jacqueline W. S. Amai, Esq. Ms. Amai's practice concentrates on providing legal representation of employers, insurance carriers, and third-party administrators in the defense of workers' compensation claims, which includes the management and direction of defense litigation at administrative and appellate levels in state and federal forums, analyzing compensability and liability issues, investigating and prosecuting fraud complaints, the pursuit of third-party recovery and subrogation lien rights, and conducting settlement evaluations and negotiations. She has been a speaker and moderator for numerous seminars on workers' compensation in Hawaii, and she recently participated as a presenter at the 2008 10th Biennial Governor's Pacific Rim Safety & Health Conference. Ms. Amai is a graduate of the William S. Richardson School of Law and is a member of the Hawaii bar. Brian G. S. Choy, Esq. Mr. Choy has more than 23 years of experience in the areas of civil litigation, workers’ compensation insurance defense, third-party subrogation recovery, occupational safety and health and appellate litigation. Previously, Mr. Choy was a deputy attorney general representing the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, State of Hawai‘i, in the areas of workers’ compensation, unemployment insurance, wage and hour law, temporary disability insurance, occupational safety and health and prepaid health care laws. Mr. Choy has been a speaker on various seminars involving workers’ compensation matters in Hawai‘i and provides in-house seminars for his various clients on topical matters of interest, inclusive of the interplay of workers’ compensation and personnel law matters and ongoing legislative and legal developments. Mr. Choy is a graduate of the Gonzaga University School of Law, a member in continuous good standing with the Hawai‘i State Bar and is an arbitrator with the Court Annexed Arbitration Program. Roy A. Franco, J.D. Roy A. Franco is the Director of Risk Management Strategies for Safeway Inc. and responsible for legislative issues that impact the risk management group as well as contract administration. Before then, Roy managed the Northern and Southern California liability claims operations and was promoted to Director in 1999 over all liability claim operations for Safeway. He was recently promoted to his present position, but before then Roy gained experience in loss control, labor relations and insurance placement with Safeway as part of his Director role. In recent years he has identified Medicare and the challenges it presents to liability settlements. He has worked to educate and promote the issue amongst industry members speaking to the California Retailers Association, Golden Gate RIMS Chapter, American Insurance Association, Food Marketing Institute, National Retail Federation, RIMS, and Retail Industry Leaders Association. His advocacy has culminated into the formation of the Medicare Advocacy Recovery Coalition (MARC) whose purpose is to promote legislation that will improve the efficiency of the Medicare reimbursement process without sacrifice to the efficient administration of liability claims. Roy A. Franco graduated from the University of Santa Clara School of Law and practiced insurance defense for ten years before he was hired at Safeway. He is licensed in both California and Hawai’i. Roy A. Franco is a Golden Gate RIMS Chapter Board Member and Delegate. He is also a member of the California Legislative Delegation for RIMS. Tamara M. Gerrard, Esq. Ms. Gerrard is a director with the law firm Torkildson Katz Moore Hetherington and Harris where her practice is concentrated in the area of labor and employment law. Ms. Gerrard counsels employers on employment related issues including compliance with wage and hour laws, leave laws, and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Ms. Gerrard additionally represents employers in civil lawsuits, arbitration proceedings, mediation and administrative agency proceedings on a wide range of issues including discrimination and harassment allegations. Ms. Gerrard has served as the Chair of the Hawaii State Bar Association's Labor and Employment section for the past two years (2008 and 2009). She frequently speaks to different community organizations on topics including employment law and legal ethics. Ms. Gerrard began practicing law 17 years ago after graduating from the Hastings College of the Law where she was honored to serve on the Hastings Law Journal, was a member of the Thurston Honor Society (for being in the top 5% of the class for her first year of law school), and was elected to the Order of the Coif (for graduating in the top 10% of her law school class). Ms. Gerrard grew up in the Silicon Valley Area of California and attended the University of California at Berkeley where she studied economics. Gary S. Hamada Gary Hamada has been the Administrator of the Disability Compensation Division of the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations since August 1992. The Disability Compensation Division administers Hawaii’s Workers’ Compensation, Temporary Disability Insurance and Prepaid Health Care Programs. He has been with the department for 32 years. Mr. Hamada has a Bachelors degree in Accounting and a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Hawaii. He earned his Certificate of Public Accountancy in 1974 and is a retired Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve. Sylvia K. Higashi, Esq. Sylvia K. Higashi is an attorney with the law firm of Kessner Umebayashi Bain & Matsunaga where her practice focuses on representing Employers and Insurance carriers in workers’ compensation claims brought under the State and Federal law. She is a regular speaker on topics related to workers’ compensation issues and serves on several non-profit boards. She holds a B.A. degree in English, M.Ed. and a J.D. from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. She served as the research editor of the University of Hawaii Law Review and clerked for the Honorable Corinne Watanabe at the Intermediate Court of Appeals. John L. Knorek, Esq. John L. Knorek provides counsel and representation to large and small employers in all aspects of employment and wrongful discharge law. His practice also includes affirmative action compliance, alternative dispute resolution including mediation, collective bargaining negotiations and arbitration. He provides training to management on preventative personnel practices and employment discrimination, including sexual harassment, family leave and disability law. He has practiced with Torkildson, Katz, Moore, Hetherington & Harris since 1981 and is listed in "Best Lawyers in America," "Hawaii's Best Lawyers" and "Chambers USA Client's Guide" for employment law. He received his BA and Masters from the University of Cincinnati and his JD from Georgetown University Law Center. He is currently Chair of Hospice Hawaii and the Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii. John is active in fundraising for several organizations including Castle Medical Center and Legal Aid Society of Hawaii. He also guest lectures at the University of Hawaii William S. Richardson School of Law and the UH Business School. Milia Leong Milia Leong is the Workers’ Compensation Claim Manager for John Mullen & Co., Inc. and has been with the Company since 2000. John Mullen & Co. is the largest independent claim administration firm celebrating 50 years in the claims business. Milia is currently the 2009 President of the Hawaii Claims Association, serving on the HCA Board, and is also an alternate for the 2009 President of the Hawaii Claim Managers Association. She has continued to be an active leader in Hawaii's workers’ compensation arena and has over 16 years as a senior adjuster and manager in the industry. She is an active voice in legislative and administrative activities pertaining to workers’ compensation law. Milia Leong has participated as a presenter in various workers’ compensation workshops and seminars throughout the past several years. Milia studied nursing through Kapiolani Community College, and prior employment included Kailua Physical Therapy and Rehab Hospital of the Pacific, and Inter-Island Adjusting company, prior to joining John Mullen & Co., Inc. Robert T. Lewis Robert Lewis is Chief Legal Counsel for Crowe Paradis Services Corporation (CPSC) a national Medicare compliance company. He has been at the forefront of this emerging area of the law and for his accomplishments was selected by the New Jersey Law Journal as one of the “Top 40 lawyers under the age of 40” in 2004. He is a founding member and current President of the National Alliance of Medicare Set-Aside Professionals. Mr. Lewis has published a number of articles addressing Medicare compliance including articles found in The New Jersey Law Journal, Medley’s Managed Care Liability Report, Andrews Health Law, New Jersey Lawyer, Mealey’s Litigation Report: Employer Liability Insurance, and Geaney’s New Jersey Workers’ Compensation Manual. Mr. Lewis is also a nationally recognized speaker and has presented before such prestigious organizations as: The American Insurance Association (AIA), The Association of Trial Lawyers of America (ATLA), The American Inn of Court, The National Structured Settlements Trade Association (NSSTA), The National Alliance of Medicare Set-Aside Professionals (NAMSAP), The New York Claims Association, The University of Mississippi, The University of Florida, The Judges of the New Jersey Division of Workers’ Compensation, and MediPro Seminars, LLC. In addition to educational programs, Mr. Lewis has assisted in training and protocol development for a number of the top insurance carriers, third-party administrators, and self-insureds nationwide. He was also recently featured on the television program “Legal Line” discussing the impact of Medicare in both Liability and Workers’ Compensation Settlements. Merideth Q. McEntire, Esq. Merideth Q. McEntire is a 2007 honors graduate of the William H. Bowen School of Law at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Ms. McEntire was a member of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Law Review Editorial Board as the National Conference of Law Reviews Editor and authored sections of the 2007 Annual Survey of Caselaw. She received a Bachelor of Arts cum laude with distinction in Politics from Hendrix College in 1998. Ms. McEntire has experience in recruiting and employee relations in information technology, light industrial, call center, and transportation industries. Additionally, she was a law clerk at several Little Rock law firms where she worked in the areas of labor and employment, employment discrimination, commercial litigation, and insurance defense. Ms. McEntire’s practice includes cases in the areas of workers’ compensation, insurance coverage, and insurance defense. Ms. McEntire is admitted to practice in all state and federal courts of Hawaii and is a member of the Hawaii State Bar and the American Bar Associations. Sharon K. Ohata, CIC, CRM, MBA Sharon is the Director of Training and Development for Island Insurance Company, Ltd., which is the largest locally owned and managed property and casualty insurance carrier in the State of Hawaii. Island offers professional development opportunities through in-house seminars, leadership development training, as well as tuition and financial incentives for those pursuing specialized insurance designations. Sharon is responsible for creating the process and guidelines by which training and development programs are established throughout the Company. She is also responsible for Island’s Property and Casualty Internship Program; whose purpose is to introduce and develop new talent to the insurance industry. Prior to joining Island in January 2008, Sharon served as the Vice-President/Claims Consultant for Atlas Insurance Agency. She was a resource to Atlas’ agents and clients on claim issues; and functioned as their advocate for the claim management process. She conducted educational seminars and provided training to clients in order to optimize their insurance program. Before Atlas, Sharon was the Vice President of John Mullen and Company’s Workers’ Compensation Department for 18 years. During her tenure at John Mullen and Company, she was instrumental in the set up and roll out of several self insured and captive insurers’ claims management programs. She had the opportunity to work with a number of large employers from varying industries including Wal*Mart, Longs Drug Stores, Costco, Maui Land and Pineapple, Hawaii Pacific Health and the Roman Catholic Church. Sharon is involved in a number of professional organizations, including the Hawaii Claims Association and the Society of Human Resource Management. She holds the Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) and Certified Risk Manager (CRM) designations Sharon received her Master in Business Administration from Chaminade University and is a licensed independent adjuster. Blake K. Oshiro Blake K. Oshiro serves in the State of Hawai`i, House of Representatives where he represents the 33rd District (Waimalu, Pearlridge, Aiea, Halawa, Red Hill). From 2000 to 2008, Blake served as the Vice-Chair for the Judiciary Committee and from 2004 to 2008 he also served as the House Majority Floor Leader. Recently, in 2008, Blake was elevated to the position of House Majority Leader where he has the responsibility of leading the House Democratic caucus, serving directly under the Speaker of the House. In his non-legislative capacity, Blake is an associate with the firm of Alston Hunt Floyd & Ing, where he practices primarily in the areas of government contract and procurement, labor and employment (employer) and formation and governance of nonprofit organizations. Prior to joining Alston Hunt Floyd & Ing, Blake worked at another Honolulu law firm, Wong & Oshima, for nearly 8 years doing workers’ compensation and personal injury defense. Blake received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Southern California and his juris doctorate from the University of Hawai‘i, William S. Richardson School of Law. Carolyn Pearl, CPCU Carolyn Pearl has more than 25 years of experience in property/casualty insurance. Prior to joining NCCI in 1995, she held underwriting management positions for two insurance companies, and managed P&C rates and rules development for an independent rating bureau. She also served as director of Government Affairs and Education for the Hawaii Independent Insurance Agents Association. Pearl has earned the Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters designation and is a member of the Hawaii Chapter of CPCU and Pacific RIMS. She holds an M.B.A. from Hawaii Pacific University. Craig Shoji, CHST, ASP Craig Shoji is currently employed at Goodfellow Bros., Inc. as a Safety Manager where he provides various training (OSHA, First Aid/CPR/AED, etc.), and assists with workers’ comp claims. Craig has 10 years’ experience in safety and workers’ compensation. Mr. Shoji previously worked for Albert C. Kobayashi, Inc., were he was a Safety Administrator. His duties were job site inspections and managing the workers’ comp claims. Prior to Kobayashi, Mr. Shoji worked for Hawaii Employers Mutual Insurance for 3 years as a Loss Control Representative were he assisted various insureds by providing training and other services. Prior to Employers Mutual, he worked for Hawaiian Airlines, Inc. for 16 yrs. in various departments. Craig is a member and current President Elect for the ASSE Hawaii chapter. Craig graduated from the Occupational Safety Environmental Management program at Honolulu Community College. Karen R. Tashima, Esq. Karen R. Tashima is the managing director of Choy & Tashima, Attorneys At Law, A Law Corporation, where she counsels and represents employers in a variety of employment matters, such as wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment, retaliation with an emphasis on disability management and employer defense in the areas of workers’ compensation insurance, work injury, and disability discrimination. Ms. Tashima serves as a state liaison for the Workers’ Compensation and Employers’ Liability Law Committee for the American Bar Association’s Torts and Trial Insurance Practice Section and is a member of the Society for Human Resource Management – Hawai‘i Chapter. She received her B.A. degree, cum laude, in Economics and Psychology from the University of Denver and her J.D. degree from the University of Oregon, School of Law. Ms. Tashima is a member of the American, Oregon, and Hawai‘i State Bar Associations.
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