Mr. Tagawa obtained a B.A. in English from UCLA in 1980, and a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center in 1984.  While at Georgetown, Mr. Tagawa was on the Editorial Board of the American Criminal Law Review.  Mr. Tagawa is also a published author.

Mr. Tagawa is licensed to practice law in Hawaii (1984) and California (1989).  Mr. Tagawa has appeared in various federal and state trial courts throughout the states of Hawaii and California, as well as the Hawaii Supreme Court, the California Court of Appeal, and the U.S. Court of Appeal for the Ninth Circuit.  Mr. Tagawa's practice has taken him to the Territory of Guam, all over the United States, and even to Moscow, Russia.

Mr. Tagawa began his legal career at the law firm of Cades, Schutte, Fleming & Wright in Honolulu, Hawaii where he practiced as a civil litigation attorney for approximately four and one-half years. In late 1988, Mr. Tagawa moved to San Francisco, California where he began his civil litigation practice in California first at the law firm of Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton, then at Long & Levit. In 1993, Mr. Tagawa started his own practice with emphasis on providing individuals and small businesses with superior quality legal representation typically afforded only by large corporations.

Mr. Tagawa is a member of the Bar Association of San Francisco, and regularly receives referrals from the BASF Lawyer Referral Service.  Mr. Tagawa also serves as an arbitrator for the San Francisco Superior Court. Mr. Tagawa is also a mediator for the Early Settlement Program of the San Francisco Superior Courts