Current Employment Position(s)

Associate

Lawyer Overview

Avis K. Poai has extensive experience in a wide variety of legal matters with a concentration in labor and employment, employee benefits, and administrative law. Although located in the firm's Honolulu office, she also assists the firm's Saipan and Guam office with labor and employment matters. Her practice includes the defense of wrongful discharge, discrimination, harassment, whistleblower, and retaliation claims. She also assists firm-wide clients with employer compliance with state and federal employment and labor laws.

Related Matters:

Representation of employers in state and federal claims and civil lawsuits alleging violations of Title VII, 42 U.S.C. 1983, 1981, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Rehabilitation Act, the Hawaii Whistleblower Protection Act, Hawaii's Fair Employment Practices Act and other discrimination laws, retaliation claims, common law theories of wrongful termination and collateral torts.

Assisting employers with HIPAA, COBRA and USERRA compliance with regard to employee benefits.

Drafting employee handbooks and training/counseling of management and staff regarding risk avoidance and proactive management practices. Drafting personnel policies and advising employers regarding the legal requirements pertaining to family medical leave, wage and hour laws, alcohol and drug testing, e-mail usage and internet access, employee searches and surveillance.

Conducting audits of employers' existing programs to verify compliance with federal and state wage and hour laws and regulations. Representation of clients in the defense of DLIR and DOL actions.

Assisting employers with legal issues that may arise relating to downsizing, employer successor liability, and dislocated worker notification statutes.

Distinctions

Prior to joining Carlsmith Ball LLP, Ms. Poai served as an extern to the Honorable Simeon R. Acoba, Jr., Associate Justice in the Supreme Court of Hawaii, and a summer law clerk for the Honorable Ronald Ibarra, Hawaii State Court, Third Circuit, Kona Division.

Publications

Hawaii's Justiciability Doctrine, 26 U. HAW. L. REV. 537 (2004).

Affiliations

• Hawaii State Bar Association, Member
• American Bar Association, Member - Labor & Employment Law Section
• Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), Member
• Hawaii Employers Council, Member

Areas of Practice

• Labor & Employment
• Administrative
• Employee Benefits

West Practice Categories

Administrative Law, Employment Law -- Employee, Pensions, Benefits & Compensations -- Employee, Employment Law -- Employer, Labor Relations Boards & Proceedings

Bar Admissions

• Hawaii
• U.S. District Court District of Hawaii
• U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit

Past Employment Positions

• Hon. Simeon R. Acoba, Jr., Associate Justice in the Supreme Court of Hawaii, Extern
• Hon. Ronald Ibarra, Hawaii State Court, Third Circuit, Kona Division, Summer Law Clerk

Education

• University of Hawaii, William S. Richardson School of Law, Honolulu, Hawaii, 2004
  J.D.
  Honors: cum laude
• University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii, 2005
  MLISc
• University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii, 2000
  B.A.
  Honors: Highest Honors & Distinction
  Major: Political Science & English

Address

ASB Tower
Suite 2200
1001 Bishop Street
Honolulu, HI 96813

Phones

808-523-2539

Faxes

808.523.0842

Emails

Contact Us

Websites

http://www.carlsmith.com