Richard S. Ekimoto, managing partner and founder of Ekimoto & Morris LLC in Honolulu, received the Don Buck Lifetime Contribution Award, the most prestigious honor given by the College of Community Association Lawyers (CCAL). Ekimoto accepted the award today during the 2022 Community Association Law Seminar in Palm Springs, Calif.
Ekimoto is a nationally recognized community association lawyer. He was admitted to CCAL in 1996 during his first year of eligibility. A former member of the CCAL Board of Governors, he is the only attorney from Hawaii to serve on the board and one of two attorneys from the state to be admitted to CCAL thus far.For more than 25 years, Ekimoto was a frequent presenter at CAI's Community Association Law Seminar. He taught education sessions on fair housing and telecommunications, and was responsible for compiling the written summaries for the Law Seminar's popular Case Law Update session from 2014 to 2016. Today, he is a member of the Law Seminar Planning Committee.
In addition, Ekimoto is a faculty member for CAI's Professional Management Development Program (PMDP), offering professional education to community association managers. His other contributions include—president of the CAI-Hawaii Chapter, chair of CAI's Public Affairs Council, and the first chair of the CAI Hawaii Legislative Action Committee.
The Don Buck Lifetime Contribution Award was created in 2009 in honor of Gurdon "Don" Buck, a pioneer and innovator in community association law who died in 2008. Among his many achievements, Buck, a senior partner in what would eventually become Robinson & Cole LLP, devoted countless hours to the betterment of common interest communities with his service and contributions through education and scholarly writings for CAI and other organizations.
Through this award, CCAL ensures that Buck's spirit, devotion, and commitment to the community association industry remain alive. The Don Buck Lifetime Contribution Award is awarded periodically at the discretion of the CCAL Board of Governors. Ekimoto is the tenth recipient of the award.