Posted on July 14th, 2011

Carlsmith Ball Law Firm Appoints New Partners

CARLSMITH BALL LLP

July 14, 2011

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Michael F. Dolan, Chief Operating Officer

CARLSMITH BALL LAW FIRM APPOINTS NEW PARTNERS

HONOLULU - Carlsmith Ball LLP is pleased to announce the appointment of Christian K. Adams and Jennifer A. Benck as new partners of the firm.

"We're delighted to recognize Christian and Jennifer as new partners," said Karl Kobayashi, chair of Carlsmith Ball. "They are excellent lawyers whose skills and talents serve our clients well, and further enhance our firm's reputation as a leader in the Pacific."

Adams' practice focuses on complex commercial and appellate litigation, with an emphasis on federal practice. His practice includes representing clients in matters involving many substantive areas of law including corporate, banking and finance, land use and real estate development, intellectual property, and insurance law. Adams received his J.D. from the University of Hawaii, William S. Richardson School of Law, where he subsequently served as an adjunct professor in legal practice and appellate advocacy. Following law school, Adams served as law clerk to the Honorable David Alan Ezra, Chief United States District Judge for the District of Hawaii. He currently serves as President of the Federal Bar Association of Hawaii and was recently selected to Pacific Business News' Forty Under 40 for 2011.

Benck's practice focuses on serving clients in the areas of real property and environmental law, with an emphasis in the areas of land use planning and real property development. Her practice includes representing developers and major land owners in all phases of project development, including land use entitlements, such as State land use district boundary amendments, conservation district use permits, General and Community Plan amendments, zoning changes and special management area permits, environmental review, administrative proceedings and litigation related to these areas. She also represents individuals and development entities in the purchase and sale of public utility companies and real property, and performs due diligence on complex real estate purchases, including pre-closing review of title issues, zoning and permit compliance, and proposed use reviews. Prior to joining Carlsmith Ball, she earned a M.Ed. from the University of Hawaii, and clerked for the U.S. Department of Justice, the A.C.L.U., and the Land Use Research Foundation. She received her J.D., cum laude, from the University of Hawaii, William S. Richardson School of Law, where she was a research assistant to Professor David L. Callies. She was recently listed in Chambers and Partners USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business 2011 for the area of real estate.

Carlsmith Ball LLP is a leading law firm in the Pacific region with nearly 100 lawyers serving clients from six offices in Honolulu, Hilo, Kona, Maui and Los Angeles. For more than 150 years, Carlsmith Ball has assisted clients in achieving their objectives through effective, results-oriented representation in sophisticated commercial and financial transactions and in complex arbitration and litigation matters. For more information about the firm, please visit www.carlsmith.com.

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