Q&A with Mario M. Cava, president; Odette Polintan, immediate past president; and Eric de los Santos, director and founding member
Q. How and when did your bar association get started?
The Filipino Lawyers of Washington (FLOW) began as a series of informal gatherings of Filipino American attorneys at a dining spot on Jackson Street in the Seattle International District, organized by Abigail Daquiz, the group’s first president. These early meetings marked the first time many Filipino American attorneys had come together in one room and sparked momentum to form a formal organization. Motivated by a shared desire to support one another, strengthen their professional lives, and address common issues, the group continued to meet and, by around 2007, formally incorporated as FLOW. Founding members include the following: Asser Aldana, Lisa Apsay, Bernadette Bulacan, Mimi Castillo, Abigail Daquiz, Rommel E. de las Alas, Eric de los Santos, Elaine Pascua, Gail Manuguid, Jerilynn Gonzales, Skylee Robinson, Victor Torres, and Katrina Zafiro.
Q. What are some of the core goals and/or purposes of your bar association?
FLOW’s core goals are to unite and amplify Filipino legal professionals through advocacy, mentorship, and collaboration; promote member growth and leadership; and advance diversity, equity, and inclusion within the legal profession. We foster engagement with the judiciary and broader community, collaborate with other affinity bar associations, provide community service, and offer a forum for dialogue on issues affecting our members—while celebrating and advancing Filipino heritage, culture, and identity.
Q. What need does your bar association fill that is unmet elsewhere?
FLOW fills an unmet need by providing culturally grounded community, leadership development, and advocacy for Filipino American attorneys. We create trusted spaces for members to share lived experiences shaped by immigration, multigenerational identity, and cultural context—perspectives often absent in other settings. FLOW also bridges the legal profession and Filipino and immigrant communities across Washington, advancing access to justice through education, policy engagement, and coalition-based advocacy. By centering cultural competence alongside professional excellence, FLOW complements and strengthens the work of the broader legal community.
Q. What are some of the opportunities or benefits that your members receive?
FLOW members benefit from networking, mentorship, and leadership development through FLOW and its affiliate memberships with National Filipino American Lawyers Association (NFALA) and the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA). These affiliations provide access to a national network, conferences, CLEs, leadership and mentorship programs, and career resources beyond Washington state, while amplifying members’ voices in national advocacy and impact litigation for Filipino American and AANHPI communities, and strengthening cross-bar collaboration.
Q. Does your bar association offer any mentorship or scholarship opportunities? If so, please describe.
Yes. FLOW provides culturally grounded mentorship and leadership development for Filipino American attorneys at all career stages, connecting members with experienced attorneys, judges, and legal leaders. Through partnerships and national affiliates, FLOW also facilitates access to scholarships, conference sponsorships, and pipeline programs that support professional growth and advancement within the legal profession.
MORE ONLINE > To learn more about The Filipino Lawyers of Washington (FLOW), visit their website: https://filipinolawyers.wildapricot.org/.
Q. What is a recent bar association accomplishment, current project, or event that you are excited about?
FLOW is excited about its recent community-centered advocacy and leadership efforts addressing urgent immigration issues affecting Filipino and immigrant communities. In June 2025, FLOW partnered with the Filipino Community of Seattle (FCS) to host a Know Your Immigration Rights forum that provided timely, practical legal guidance to more than 40 community members on immigration enforcement, travel risks, criminal and family law intersections, and LGBTQ+ considerations. The panel featured immigration attorneys Jerilynn Gonzales Abrams, past president of FLOW and NFALA, and Jonathan “JJ” Gonzales, alongside family law attorney Katrina Zafiro. FLOW Advocacy Chair Margaret Duñgo Gritten moderated the discussion. The program reflected FLOW’s commitment to accessible legal education and responsive community leadership.
FLOW also demonstrated its advocacy leadership by co-authoring a joint public statement with FCS in response to federal immigration enforcement actions in 2025, elevating community concerns through a legal and civil rights lens. As a specialty bar association, FLOW contributed legal context regarding the consequences of immigration actions on long-standing residents with deep family and community ties, while working collaboratively with FCS to ensure the statement reflected both legal principles and lived community experience. The joint statement underscored the role of attorneys in educating the public, supporting affected individuals, and promoting policies that are consistent with constitutional protections and fundamental fairness. FLOW’s participation reflects its broader mission to serve as a bridge between the legal profession and the Filipino community on issues of significant legal and civil rights importance.
FLOW also participated as an endorsing organization in a national amicus curiae brief defending birthright citizenship under the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution. The brief was submitted as part of a broad coalition led by the NAPABA and joined by dozens of affiliate bar associations from across the country. Through its endorsement, FLOW lent the perspective of Filipino American legal professionals to a collective effort opposing attempts to narrow the long-standing constitutional interpretation of the Citizenship Clause. The amicus brief emphasized settled Supreme Court precedent, historical understanding of the 14th Amendment, and the disproportionate impact that restrictions on birthright citizenship would have on immigrant communities. FLOW’s involvement highlights its engagement in national legal advocacy through coalition-based efforts that elevate the voices and concerns of its members while reinforcing constitutional norms, the independence of the judiciary and upholding the rule of law.
Q. How can WSBA members support the work of your affinity bar association?
WSBA members can actively support FLOW by attending and promoting our programs, partnering with us on legal education and community initiatives, and serving as mentors, speakers, or sponsors. Attorneys of all backgrounds are encouraged to engage in cross-cultural mentorship and collaborative programming that strengthens pathways into and advancement within the legal profession. By showing up as allies—sharing expertise, amplifying community-focused efforts, and supporting access-to-justice initiatives—WSBA members help advance equity, professional development, and a more inclusive legal community statewide.
Q. Is there anything else you would like WSBA members to know about your bar association?
FLOW’s work is deeply rooted in serving and uplifting the Filipino community. Our events intentionally integrate community service, cultural celebration, and economic support—most recently through fundraising for the Filipino Community of Seattle Food Pantry at our 2025 general membership meeting and holiday celebration. Our annual Barrio Fiesta further celebrates Filipino culture through performances by local artists while supporting Filipino-owned businesses through community partnerships, catering, and fundraising activities. Through these efforts, FLOW not only builds professional community, but also invests directly in the people, culture, and local businesses that sustain and strengthen our broader community.
About the authorS
Mario M. Cava is president of FLOW and an AVP, corporate counsel, and manager in Liberty Mutual’s Global Legal & Compliance department, where he leads a team of attorneys overseeing strategic outside counsel relationships. He previously served on the WSBA Board of Governors and was a Washington Leadership Institute fellow.
Odette Polintan is director of Legal Affairs at T-Mobile USA, Inc., one of the nation’s largest telecommunications companies. She brings decades of experience in commercial transactions law, with deep expertise in the telecommunications sector. Polintan began her legal career at Davis Wright Tremaine in Seattle. She is the immediate past president of FLOW, a past president of the Asian Bar Association of Washington and its Student Scholarship Foundation, serves on the UW School of Law Alumni Leadership Council, and is a board member of the YWCA Seattle | King | Snohomish.
Eric de los Santos serves as assistant general counsel at Emergent BioSolutions, Inc., headquartered in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Before joining Emergent, de los Santos worked at Meta and at TrueBlue, Inc. Deeply committed to advancing the Filipino American and broader Asian American legal community, de los Santos is a founding member and former president of the National Filipino American Lawyers Association. He also cofounded FLOW, where he likewise served as president. De los Santos is a former member of the WSBA Board of Governors. He currently serves as the Northwest Regional Governor of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association.