Miller Nash partner, Liani Reeves, has received the 2025 Justice Lynn R. Nakamoto Award from the Oregon Asian Pacific American Bar Association (OAPABA). The award honors those who have demonstrated leadership, professionalism, mentorship, a pioneering spirit, and a deep commitment to diversity and the support of Asian Pacific Americans in the Oregon legal community. Liani received the award at this year’s OAPABA Annual Gala on April 10.
“Liani has established herself as a pillar in our community,” says Kieran Curley, managing partner of Miller Nash. “We congratulate her on receiving this latest honor which is a reflection of her leadership and continued courage in sharing her story to empower and inspire others.”
OAPABA was formed in 2009 as a professional association to represent the interests of Asian Pacific American attorneys, judges, legal professionals, and law students. Created by OAPABA in 2016, this award is named in honor of Justice Lynn R. Nakamoto’s impact on the legal community as well as her accomplishments, including being appointed as the first Asian Pacific American to serve on the Oregon Supreme Court in 2015.
Liani was recognized for her long-standing commitment to creating opportunity for others and building an inclusive community. She has actively engaged in organizations and associations that advocate and support marginalized and underrepresented communities and has mentored dozens of law students and new lawyers throughout the years. Liani’s history of community engagement includes serving as past president of the OAPABA and past co-chair of the Oregon Minority Lawyers Association. In 2020, Liani was the first Asian American and first woman of color elected to serve as president of the Oregon State Bar; her term spanning a year that included a global pandemic, social unrest, and devastating wildfires.
Liani also advocates on issues impacting her community of international adoptees, including the importance of passing the Adoptee Citizenship Act which closes a gap for adult adoptees who came as children but whose parents failed to properly secure their citizenship. She is also currently on the board of directors for The Immigrant Story, whose mission is to document, narrate, and curate stories about immigrants in order to promote empathy and advance an inclusive community.
Over the span of her career, Liani has been recognized by organizations across the state. In 2023, she received the Award of Merit by the Oregon State Bar (OSB). The highest honor the OSB can bestow, the recipient is an Oregon lawyer who has made outstanding contributions to the bench, the bar, and the community-at-large. She also received the 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Oregon Commission for Women which is given to those with over 15 years of service who have inspired and supported the advancement of other Oregon women in their community and field through their volunteer, personal, professional, and activism work. Also in 2024, Liani received the Professionalism Award by the Multnomah Bar Association which is presented to lawyers who exemplify professionalism beyond the observance of the legal profession's ethical rules, and who serve the best interests of clients and the public in general. Of note, she was also included on Portland Business Journal’s 2021 “Women of Influence” list which recognizes women with a strong record of innovation in their field, outstanding performance in their business, and a clear track record of meaningful community involvement, especially elevating women.
About Liani Reeves
Liani is an experienced attorney and litigator in the firm’s employment and education team. In addition to handling litigation matters, she is often hired as an external investigator to conduct investigations into sensitive and high-profile matters. Liani also provides advice and extensive training to employers on how to comply with their legal responsibilities with a focus on working with public sector clients. Prior to joining Miller Nash, Liani was partner and president at an employment, labor, and employee benefits firm in the Pacific Northwest. She also served as the former general counsel to the Oregon Office of the Governor where she advised on a wide range of legal issues. Prior to working for the Governor, she spent almost a decade as an assistant attorney general and deputy chief trial counsel for the Oregon Department of Justice Trial Division, handling torts, employment, and constitutional matters. Liani received her B.A from Willamette University before earning her J.D. at Willamette University College of Law.
