"It is with our deepest condolences that we pass along this message, being sent at the request of the firm Smiley Wang-Ekvall. Lei Lei Wang Ekvall served as the 2010 President of the Orange County Bar Association. She was a friend, colleague and mentor to many, including me. Lei Lei continued to share her time and expertise with the OCBA long after her presidency was over. The world and OCBA are less bright without her here," shares Larisa Dinsmoor, 2021 OCBA President

Message from Smiley Wang-Ekvall, LLP

It is with the heaviest of hearts that we write to share that our dear friend and partner, Lei Lei Wang Ekvall, passed away on Sunday, June 27, after suffering a stroke. Lei Lei was a leader of the Southern California legal community. She was a former president of the Orange County Bar Association, the Orange County Asian American Bar Association, and the Orange County Bankruptcy Forum and, over the years, served on many other committees and boards. She was instrumental in founding the Central District's pro bono bankruptcy clinic and she served as the president of Community Legal Services SoCal, part of the Legal Aid Foundation. In recent years and in recognition of her many contributions to the legal community, she was honored by the Orange County Women Lawyers Association as its Attorney of the Year and awarded the Hon. Peter M. Elliott Award by the Orange County Bankruptcy Forum.

We draw comfort from the fact that she lived the fullest of lives. She and her family travelled the world. She's gone heli-skiing, cage diving with great white sharks, scuba diving in a number of different oceans and seas, been on a safari, and had some amazing vacations. She also made the most of the day-to-day things: she loved going to the farmer's market on the weekends, cooked steaks every Friday night, always drank the good bottle of wine, and spent a lot of time with family and friends. She leaves us and her family with so many memories and a reminder of the best way to live a life. Her boundless energy and optimism and love of life will be missed and she will continue to be a source of inspiration to the many people whose lives she touched.

We will provide information about her memorial service when details are available.