King County Bar Writes Profile on Managing Partner Ada K. Wong
- Ada Wong
- 6 days ago
- 4 min read
By Nicole Gainey
It often feels like Ada K. Wong is everywhere — literally all the time, all at once. Whether she’s leading as the dean of the Keenan Trial Institute, managing a growing law firm, inspiring students at Seattle University School of Law, or even vacationing in Hawaii with her family, she moves with an energy and drive that few can match. Ada’s ambition and stamina aren’t just impressive; they’re a force she channels fully on behalf of her clients, her colleagues, and her community.
I first met Ada when I joined a monthly plaintiffs’ attorneys’ roundtable shortly after law school. I’m significantly older than Ada, and early on, she reminded me a bit of Doogie Howser, M.D. — clearly brilliant, but still catching up on some of life’s subtler cues. When presenting or meeting someone new, there was a certain stiff precision to her. She often missed the joke, especially sarcasm, and didn’t quite get my darker take on life right away. But she was humble, ambitious, and always open to honest feedback. In time, I watched that initial stiffness fade.
She’s grown into a far more relaxed, wiser, and decidedly funnier presence than I expected. Today, even as she remains younger than many of her equally seasoned colleagues, Ada commands rooms with a warmth and humor that make her uniquely approachable and inspiring.
Her energy is relentless. While it can feel like she’s in three courtrooms and two Zooms at once, her clients always receive her full focus and fierce advocacy.
Over the last decade, I’ve seen her talents and responsibilities multiply. As managing partner of AKW Law, P.C., Ada has built a formidable team of seven attorneys and staff. Her firm is dedicated to fighting for employees’ rights and handling cases involving discrimination, retaliation, whistleblower protections, wage theft, and sexual harassment.
Ada’s leadership extends nationally as the Dean of the Keenan Trial Institute, where she now oversees 6,000 students, 25 co-deans, and more than 100 instructors. Since joining KTI in 2019, Ada has risen quickly — from standout faculty member and 2022 Faculty of the Year, to associate dean, and ultimately dean in 2024. KTI’s mission to equip trial attorneys to “win, protect our community safety, and hold wrongdoers accountable” fits Ada’s style perfectly — strategic, clear-eyed, and unwavering in the pursuit of justice.
Her passion for mentorship and teaching is just as powerful. Ada has devoted countless hours to guiding law students, new graduates, and fellow attorneys through the trenches. I once asked her what she’d be doing if she weren’t a lawyer. Without hesitation, she said: “teaching.” And honestly, it shows.
Ada credits her love of teaching to her mom:
“My mom was a teacher in Hong Kong. When she came to the States, she kept teaching and even opened after-school tutoring centers. I taught there too — sometimes to kids older than me. There’s a Chinese saying that roughly translates to ‘drink water and give back to the well.’ That means giving back to those who helped you, and to the community. We can’t build anything alone. If we’re lucky enough to be in a position to help others, we should.”
Ada lives that philosophy.
After graduating from UC Davis, she volunteered as a Cantonese interpreter and worked at Heller Ehrman LLP until its dramatic 2008 dissolution. That moment — seismic for many in the legal world — pushed her toward law school. She chose the University of Washington School of Law, charmed by Seattle’s friendly people and beautiful summer weather. “But then winter hit,” she joked, “and I told myself, I’m getting out of here!” The winters did not ultimately scare her off, and she stayed. It’s now been 16 years and counting. Washington has become her home.
Ada’s love of trial work surfaced early. Though she spent a quarter at the Sacramento DA’s Office, she realized civil litigation was where she could give her cases the preparation they truly deserve. I used to tease her, calling her “Triple-A Ada,” because she didn’t just prepare — she over-prepared. I imagined she didn’t just get As in school; she got A+++. (She hates that joke.) Ada credits Darryl Parker, her first employer, for taking a chance on her and helping her fall in love with civil rights and employment law when she was still “green in the trenches.” I hear she likes his jokes better, too.
Ada and her husband are now raising two daughters and four deliciously named cats: Soba, Matcha, Sesame, and Fermi. Ada tries to balance her aggressive work schedule with pursuits that keep her balanced. You’ll often find her on the yoga mat, on the Xformer, or at Taekwondo. Even the most driven people need a way to reset, and she really does this by taking her family to Hawaii on regularly scheduled trips. Trips where they get to play, reconnect, and importantly, escape the Seattle winters.
It’s true: Ada seems to be everywhere, all the time, all at once. But in reality, she is simply present — focused, clear on what matters, and deeply committed to showing up with purpose. She isn’t myopic — far from it. And if you’re lucky enough to be her friend, you know that she’s also loyal, funny, and sneakily creative. She turns personal insights into personalized gifts often involving keen and funny insights into her friends’ and colleagues’ personalities.
In the last decade, I’ve watched Ada grow, lead, and flourish. I can’t wait to see what she chooses to conquer next. Whatever it is, we’ll all benefit from it. Because when Ada shows up, she brings everything.