Mmm

An officer and a gentleman.

Before I go on, a note: we’re posting this with a slight bit of reluctance, because we know that friend and colleague Mark M. Murakami does not crave the spotlight, but is the type to downplay this sort of thing. But I think it is important to acknowledge milestones — especially the accomplishments of friends in public service — so please read on.

You may already know of many of his professional legal accolades: Owners’ Counsel member, SCOTUS amicus brief author, Best Lawyer in a slew of categories, regular CLE faculty member and presenter, and land use, eminent domain, and property law legal scholar (he will be returning this fall to the U. Hawaii Law School on the adjunct faculty) to name a few. But he isn’t just an accomplished lawyer, and you may not have known of his military accolades that the rack of decorations and awards his uniform reveals.

Last Saturday, Captain Murakami officially retired from the U.S. Coast Guard after more than thirty years of active and reserve service, donning his whites for one final time to celebrate and reflect with family, friends, colleagues, and comrades-in-arms in a brief outdoor ceremony at Coast Guard Base Honolulu.

Mark began his military service at the Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut (yes, that New London if you are looking for another eminent domain connection here), and after commissioning served in command and other assignments, rising in rank and responsibility. Eventually he attended law school while on active duty, and after graduating first in his law school class, returned to service as a Judge Advocate.

But his devotion to his young family and the prospects of a full-time civilian law practice resulted in the difficult decision to step away from a life at sea and of active service. He transferred to the reserves, and returned home to Hawaii. That’s when I was lucky enough to get to know Mark — every major law firm in town wanted him, but as my (former) firm’s Hiring Chair, I and my colleagues pressed hard: come join us in our eminent domain and property practice, Mark!

This wasn’t exactly his existing legal expertise, but we made the pitch that land use, takings, and property law were really exciting topics, that a lawyer with his smarts would not have any trouble catching up, and that there’s no better place to practice property law in town than in our firm. We were rewarded when Mark joined our law firm, where today he remains a partner.

Our predictions were correct. Mark quickly became one of the best land use, property, and eminent domain lawyers (and not just these topics).

Not only was this the best professional decision I ever made as Hiring Chair, it began our long professional association and personal friendship. I followed Mark’s continuing military career with pride and admiration, amazed how he could balance a successful full-time private law practice, his ever-expanding and far-flung responsibilities in reserve military service (that required way more than the advertised “one weekend a month”), public service to the Bar and the profession, and of course his devotion to his family. And to “be there,” as impossible as it sounds, paying full attention to each. Always worried that he wasn’t doing enough in every role he took on, when the reality was he not only pulled his own weight, but brought others along with him.

It was was with that same pride and admiration that we gathered last Saturday to celebrate and to express our appreciation to Mark for serving our Nation, and to recognize his family for sharing him with all of us. We were all able to sleep better each night with the knowledge that Mark was standing the watch. Thank you, my friend.