Some news: as of today, February 1, 2021, I am joining my long-time friends at Pacific Legal Foundation, and as I noted in this post ("Announcement, pt. 1: Let's Just Kiss And Say Goodbye"), have retired from the private practice of law and my firm, Damon Key Leong Kupchak Hastert.
What's going to change now that I'm entering public-interest lawyering? Not this blog, which will continue in the same format. And I'll still be working with outstanding lawyers (just a different lineup card). But some things will be new: I won't be representing private clients and will go all-in on pro bono representation in cases that both help clients, and shape the law. I won't be focused mostly on Hawaii (and California), but will pick up PLF's national perspective. And you may find me at a different address.
Why now, after more than three decades in private practice, you ask? As I noted here, it wasn't that private practice had lost its appeal, but that my firm was in good hands and this opportunity was simply too enticing to decline. That old adage applied: if you're going to have regrets in life, it's better to regret the things you do, than the things you didn't. If I had not said yes to this, I would have always wondered "what if," because lawyering at PLF is a dream job for those interested in property, property rights, individual liberty, and appellate law. No better place: great cases, a forward-looking approach to how lawyers practice in the 21st Century, great clients, and great lawyers. What more could anyone ask for? It's that simple.
So goodbye and hello. As we always say, "stay tuned."
