Kesha Tanabe

Kesha Tanabe is an experienced bankruptcy attorney at the Vogel Law Firm, with a regional and national practice. She previously served as a U.S. Bankruptcy Judge for the District of Minnesota from 2022-2025 and sat by designation in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of South Dakota from 2022-2024, during which time she was appointed by Chief Justice Roberts to serve on the Advisory Board of the Federal Judicial Center (“FJC”).

Kesha brings exceptional academic credentials to her practice. She graduated magna cum laude from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul with a Bachelor of Arts in political science.

She earned a master's degree with honors from the London School of Economics before receiving her J.D. from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in New York City. During law school, she gained international experience studying at Central European University in Budapest and working at Reczicza White & Case LLP.

Kesha is a board-certified Business Bankruptcy Specialist through the American Board of Certification (2021), and she has served as a Subchapter V Bankruptcy Trustee in Region 12. Her comprehensive understanding of bankruptcy law is reflected in the broad range of constituencies that she has successfully represented in bankruptcy courts nationwide. She is also an educator, having taught bankruptcy law as an adjunct professor at the University of St. Thomas School of Law and as regular faculty for the FJC, bar associations, and several national bankruptcy organizations.

She is admitted to practice in several U.S. Bankruptcy Courts, including Delaware, Indiana, Kansas, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, and Texas, as well as the Fort Berthold District Tribal Court. Kesha maintains an active membership in the American Bankruptcy Institute and the National Association of Bankruptcy Trustees. Her exceptional contributions to the legal profession have earned her numerous honors, including the prestigious 2024 MNAPABA Trailblazer Award, recognition as a SuperLawyer, North Star Lawyer, and inclusion among Top Women Lawyers.