Sidney K. Ayabe received his Bachelors of Arts degree in 1967 from Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin.  He received his Juris Doctor degree in 1970 from the University of Iowa.  He was admitted to the Hawaii State bar in 1970.

Mr. Ayabe began his legal career as a Deputy Attorney General for the State of Hawaii in 1970.  While working with the Attorney General’s Office, he worked with various State boards and commissions including the Real Estate Commission and the Contractor’s Licensing Board.  In 1972, he left the public sector law to join the law firm of Libkuman, Shimabukuro, Ventura, Moon and Kekina as an associate and became a partner in 1975.  He became the managing partner in 1990 where the firm subsequently changed its name to Ayabe, Chong, Nishimoto, Sia & Nakamura and retired from the firm in early 2016.  He is presently engaged in alternative dispute resolution with his firm Law Office of Sidney K.  Ayabe.  He attended the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution, Pepperdine Caruso School of Law in 2016.

During his tenure with his prior firm, he litigated numerous disputes, including personal injury, real estate, products liability, aviation, insurance bad faith, premises liability, construction, medical malpractice, dental malpractice, legal malpractice, employment and copyright law.  He served as lead counsel in a significant number of jury trials as well as jury waived trials.

He is a member of the Hawaii State Bar Association (treasurer, 1983; secretary, 1993; vice-president, 1994; president, 1995), American Bar Association, the American College of Trial Lawyers (State Chairperson, 1993-1994), and the American Board of Trial Advocates.  He has served on the Federal Merit Selection Panel (member, 1998 and 1999; chairperson, 2000).  He was a lawyer representative to the Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference from 1999-2001.  He also served on the Hawaii State Judicial Selection Commission (commissioner, 22001-2007; chairperson, 2004-2006).

He serves on the Board of Directors for The Mediation Center of the Pacific (President, July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2021) as well as a member of the Board for the Volunteer Legal Services of Hawaii.  He is on the Board of Trustees at Lawrence University.

He has received recognition by The Best Lawyers in America, The Best Lawyers in Hawaii, Super Lawyers, and Chambers and Partners.  He received the Hawaii State Bar Association President’s Award in 2016.