Miller Nash LLP partner, Liani Reeves, has received the 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Oregon Commission for Women (OCFW). Given to those with over 15 years of service, this award recognizes leaders who have inspired and supported the advancement of other Oregon women in their community and profession through their volunteer, personal, professional, and activism work. Liani was honored at the Oregon Advocacy Commissions’ Women of Achievement Awards on Friday, March 8, 2024.
“Liani has an unwavering dedication to supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion in Oregon, and uplifting those around her,” said Kieran Curley, Miller Nash managing partner. “Her impact on the Oregon legal community will be concrete and lasting, having mentored hundreds of law students and new lawyers, primarily women and professionals of color. We congratulate Liani for this well-deserved and prestigious recognition.”
OCFW works to implement and establish economic, social, legal, and political equality for women and to maintain a continuing assessment of the issues and needs confronting women and girls in Oregon. The Women of Achievement Awards specifically recognize those who exemplify leadership in their communities, actively promote the status of Oregon women through their work, demonstrate special commitment to equity and diversity in Oregon, and who are recognized as leaders by their peers.
In addition to her legal practice, Liani devotes significant time to issues involving women and minorities by actively mentoring law students and new lawyers, primarily women of color. She also has a long history of community engagement, including serving as past president of the Oregon Asian Pacific American Bar Association, past cochair of the Oregon Minority Lawyers Association, and as a Governor-appointed member and the chair of the Oregon Commission on Asian and Pacific American Affairs. In 2020, Liani was the first Asian American and first woman of color elected to serve as president of the Oregon State Bar (OSB); 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 to the U.S. 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 of more than 20 years, Liani has been recognized by organizations locally and nationally. She has received a Best Under 40 Award from the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association, the Professional Achievement Award from her alma mater, Willamette University, and was included on Portland Business Journal’s 2021 “Women of Influence” list which recognizes women with a strong record of innovation in their field, outstanding business performance, and meaningful community involvement, especially elevating women. Of note, she was also named the 2023 Award of Merit recipient by the OSB. The highest honor the OSB can bestow, the Award of Merit recipient is an Oregon lawyer who has made outstanding contributions to the bench, the bar, and the community-at-large.
About Liani Reeves
Liani is an experienced employment attorney and represents employers in a wide range of advice and litigation matters. Throughout her career, Liani has worked in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors as both in-house general counsel and as outside counsel. She has represented hundreds of clients ranging from start-up businesses to the Governor of Oregon. Liani is often hired as an external investigator to conduct investigations into sensitive and high-profile matters, including sexual misconduct, ethics violations, harassment and discrimination, and investigations under Title IX. She also provides employment law advice and training to employers on how to comply with their legal responsibilities. She received her B.A from Willamette University before earning her J.D. at Willamette University College of Law.
