Keoki Wallace’s desire to become an attorney started in his youth as a result of contact with several prominent attorneys who worked with his father in local church service. His path to achieve that goal, however, took some fortunate twists and turns.
Mr. Wallace graduated from the University of Utah with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) Degree in Finance, from William Howard Taft University’s Law School with a Juris Doctor (JD) Degree in Law, and is currently finishing at Capella University with a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) Degree in Business Administration, with an emphasis in both Finance and Accounting.
In 1982, upon graduation from the University of Utah, he went to work for Huntsman and Christensen Inc., where he was a staff accountant on the Park Station and Shadow Ridge development projects at Park City, Utah.
In 1986, Mr. Wallace became a Managing Officer in the Federal Savings and Loan Insurance Corporation/Federal Home Loan Bank Board system, becoming the Receiver of failed Savings and Loan Associations throughout California. Here he directed the work of numerous law firms. The Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery and Enforcement Act, passed into law in 1989, transferred Mr. Wallace to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. Simultaneously, Mr. Wallace attended La Salle University and William Howard Taft University’s law schools. After receiving his Juris Doctor degree, Mr. Wallace took and passed first time the February of 1990 California Bar Exam.
Mr. Wallace left the Federal Government in 1981, joining the Houston based law firm of Lorance & Thompson as an Associate Lawyer, working out of their Newport Beach office. Shortly thereafter he became an Income Partner of the firm of Dominguez and Talamante, working out of their Phoenix office.
Mr. Wallace has served as General Counsel to publicly traded financial holding companies, mortgage companies and insurance companies. He has represented government and private entities with litigation in both the state and federal court systems. He has represented entities with multiple acquisitions as well as both up-stream and down-stream mergers. It has also represented companies with federal and state licensing processes and with compliance issues and compliance reviews on both the federal and state level. Mr. Wallace also served on the American Bar Association’s Committee on International Business Law in its Subcommittee on International Banking & Finance.