Derek Ishikawa Named Partner at Hirschfeld Kraemer
Hirschfeld Kraemer LLP is pleased to announce that Derek Ishikawa has been named a partner of the firm.
“Derek’s passionate intellectual commitment to our firm’s core practice areas is readily apparent to all and has led to him becoming a leader among fellow members of the higher education and employment law bars,” said co-managing partner Glen Kraemer. “Practicing on the cutting edge of relevant legal developments is nothing new for Derek — numerous colleges and universities turn to him for handling the most challenging student affairs concerns, issues that are often the subject of ongoing national debates and regulatory focus. Our clients have long benefited from his sustained investment in Hirschfeld Kraemer’s compliance-oriented practice combined with his keen advocacy skills, and we are delighted to welcome him to the partnership.”
Since joining Hirschfeld Kraemer’s Santa Monica office in 2013, Derek has been representing and counseling employers in all areas of labor and employment law, including discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and wrongful termination, as well as trade secret, breach of contract, and employment-related tort claims. Derek also represents employers before administrative agencies such as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing. He conducts workplace investigations and provides management training on proper investigation techniques. Working with employers from a wide variety of industries, Derek also counsels colleges and universities on employment matters, as well as student affairs, data privacy, risk management, and compliance issues, including Title IX.
Derek frequently writes and presents speeches, webinars, and podcasts on a range of employment law issues, and is regularly quoted in legal news publications. He has long been active in the Asian Pacific American Bar Association for Los Angeles County, currently serving as its President, and is also a member of the Japanese American Bar Association, the Institute for Inclusion in the Legal Profession’s Social Impact Incubator, and the 2019 National Asian Pacific Bar Association Leadership Advancement Program. Derek is also active with the National Association of College and University Attorneys, having served on the Committee on Legal Education and the editorial board of the Journal of College and University Law.
Derek earned his J.D. from UCLA School of Law in 2009 concurrently with a Master’s degree in Public Policy. In 2005, he earned a Master’s of Science degree in Economics from the London School of Economics, and his B.A. from Pomona College in 2001.
Hirschfeld Kraemer LLP is a boutique employment and higher education law firm dedicated to providing a full range of counseling, training, and litigation services to a broad spectrum of employers and colleges and universities. In addition to 27 lawyers based in its San Francisco and Santa Monica offices, Hirschfeld Kraemer has ready access to global employment law expertise via its founding membership in the Employment Law Alliance, a network of employment lawyers in all 50 states and over 100 countries.