Lao-Speaking Attorneys

Derek Deake Lim

Fremont, CA

Derek Lim was born and raised in Hong Kong and graduated from the renowned Diocesan’s Boys School. He furthered his studies at University of California, Riverside, majoring in Economics. Passionate to help the immigrant population, the disadvantaged, and the disabled, he attended law school at San Francisco New College of Law. Derek has practiced law for 20 years, and is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association and the American Trial Lawyers Association. In 2022, Derek was selected for the Northern California Super Lawyers list for his legal work in immigration and personal injury, a distinction awarded to the top 5% of attorneys. For many years, he wrote a weekly column on immigration law for the Sing Tao Daily, the largest and most influential Chinese newspaper in the US. He is also featured on various Chinese Radio stations in northern California as an expert on immigration law. Derek Lim speaks six languages, including English, Cantonese, Mandarin, Chaozhou Dialect, Thai, and Lao. Because of his language proficiency, and his desire to help the immigrant population, Derek Lim focused his practice on immigration law. Over the years he has helped thousands of clients from all around the world obtain U.S. permanent residency and citizenship. Besides immigration law, Derek Lim also specializes in California personal injury law, estate law (drafting wills and trusts) and family law (drafting, review or implementing modifications to prenuptial and post-marital agreements).

Kimberly Souriyakhamphong

Lafayette, LA

Kimberly K. Souriyakhamphong represents injured individuals across Louisiana with a combination of legal experience, cultural understanding, and medical knowledge. Born and raised in New Iberia to a family rooted in welding and farming, she brings a strong work ethic and a deep commitment to serving her community. Kimberly is fluent in Lao and works with professional interpreters for Thai, Vietnamese, Khmer, and other languages. This allows her to communicate clearly with clients and families who may otherwise face language barriers during the legal process. Before entering the legal profession, Kimberly worked as a medical surgical nurse while pursuing her law degree. Her clinical background enables her to understand medical records, treatment plans, and injury progression and enhances her ability to evaluate and build cases involving complex medical issues. Kimberly’s practice includes personal injury, medical malpractice, civil litigation, and immigration related injury matters. She has secured significant results for clients throughout Louisiana and is dedicated to providing clear communication and a family centered approach to decision making.

Jerry L. Canfield

Fort Smith, AR

Jerry Lee Canfield has practiced with Daily & Woods, P.L.L.C., in Fort Smith, Arkansas, since graduating from the University of Arkansas School of Law in 1970. His civil law practice continues to focus on client advice, trials and appellate representation in municipal law, oil, gas and mineral law, and general civil litigation representing individual and business entity clients of the firm. Mr. Canfield is a graduate of the University of Arkansas (B.A. 1968) and University of Arkansas School of Law (J.D., summa cum laude 1970). He is licensed to practice in Arkansas courts and the federal courts in Arkansas and the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court. He served as an adjunct professor of law teaching torts at the University of Arkansas (1974-75). In 2007, he received the inaugural Outstanding Government Lawyer Award from the Municipal Law Section of the Arkansas Bar Association. He received the 2014-2015 C.E. Ransick Award of Excellence from the Arkansas Bar Association and Arkansas Bar Foundation. Since 1981, Mr. Canfield has been a board member of International Health Care Foundation, serving as Chairman of the Board from 2005 through 2011 and currently serving as its Vice Chairman. IHCF assists in the operation of hospitals and medical clinics in countries in West and East Africa. In 2010, Mr. Canfield was awarded the Foundation's Outstanding Service Award. His service to IHCF and with the mission's outreach of the WestArk Church of Christ in Fort Smith has given Mr. Canfield the opportunity to make more than twenty visits to the West African country of Nigeria. During a sabbatical from the practice of law covering portions of 1997-98, Mr. Canfield studied the Lao language and supervised a Lao government contract to provide clean water, sanitary facilities and health education for elementary schools in Vientiane, Laos. He continues to make annual visits to the Southeast Asian countries of Thailand, Laos and Vietnam.

Hongvilay Thongsamouth

Cupertino, CA

Hongvilay Thongsamouth has been practicing family law for twenty years in the Bay Area, taking a client-centered approach and committed to achieving the best possible outcomes.