Joanne Lo Grimes

Practice Details

• Firm Information
  Position

  Partner

  Firm Name

  Carlsmith Ball LLP
• Representative Cases & Transactions
  Cases

  Representative Matters: Trust Administration: Ms. Grimes has over two decades of experience in representing
  advising trustees in connection with the administration of their trusts
  the assets under their management, including legacy
  inception assets. Ms. Grimes has worked on complex termination planning matters for large centuries-old Hawaii trusts distributing assets, pro rata
  non-pro rata, to multi-generational beneficiaries. Ms. Grimes advises fiduciaries in the area of trust accounting (principal
  income), trust administration, diversification
  prudent investment,
  fiduciary responsibilities. Ms. Grimes also represents parties in trust-related disputes over valuation
  distribution of trust assets.
  Nonprofit/Charities: Ms. Grimes advises nonprofit organizations on structure, governance,
  compliance issues applicable to exempt organizations, including investments under management. She served as primary legal counsel to the Hawaii Host Committee for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation held in Honolulu, Hawaii in 2011,
  the National Host Committee for the IUCN World Conservation Congress held in Honolulu, Hawaii in 2016. For over a decade, she has represented a large charitable trust in its support of four charitable organizations serving health care, educational,
  charitable purposes in the Kamuela area of the Big Isl
  of Hawaii.
  Public Pension Plan: For over two decades, Ms. Grimes has served as primary outside counsel to a government retirement fund with more than 20,000 participants
  retirees enrolled in defined benefit, defined contribution, deferred compensation,
  welfare benefit plans. Ms. Grimes has advised in the areas of procurement of investment consultants, investment managers, actuaries, custodians,
  third party administrators
  
  has represented the plans in administrative appeals
  litigation by plan participants involving disability
  retirement eligibility
  benefits, domestic relations orders,
  assists in the drafting of legislation, rules,
  regulations affecting the plans.
  Employment Advice: Ms. Grimes advises employers on personnel
  benefits matters, employment agreements, h
  books, workplace issues, equal employment opportunity issues, wage
  hour compliance, confidentiality
  non-competition agreements, work-for-hire arrangements, trade secret
  trademark protection,
  trade symbol registration.
  Proprietary Rights: Ms. Grimes works with individuals
  business to protect their proprietary
  intellectual property rights. She advises on confidentiality
  non-competition agreements, work-for-hire arrangements, trade secret
  trademark protection,
  trade symbol registration.
  Background: In a prior career, Ms. Grimes worked for Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith in New York City
  for a Merrill Lynch - Sun Hung Kai (overseas securities) joint venture in Hong Kong
  
  then as Operations Manager for Merrill Lynch International (Asia) & Co. Ltd.'s Asia-Pacific Institutional Office in Hong Kong. During law school, Ms. Grimes externed as a student law clerk for the Administrative Judge for the First Circuit, State of Hawaii, whose calendar included motions
  probate proceedings. After law school, Ms. Grimes worked as a judicial law clerk for the Honorable Ronald T.Y. Moon, Chief Justice of the Hawaii Supreme Court.