James A. "Jim" Kawachika

Following graduation from law school, Michael served as a law clerk to the Honorable Jon J. Chinen, United States Bankruptcy Judge for the District of Hawaii. Since joining the firm in 1980, he has continued to use his expertise in bankruptcy law, the main emphasis of his practice. Michael also practices in the areas of bankruptcy & creditor’s rights, business & commercial, dispute resolution, and real estate & land use. In 1992, he and DKLKH colleague, Kenneth Kupchak, co-a...

Paul Sato is a seasoned Hawaii litigation attorney who has 50 years experience. Mr. Sato is Of Counsel to the firm and focuses his practice in the areas of Commercial Litigation, Real Estate Law, Corporate Law and Administrative Law. Mr. Sato has been selected for inclusion to The Best Lawyers in America ® list in the practice areas of Commercial Litigation, Real Estate Litigation and Real Estate Law. Mr. Sato is rated AV Preeminent® , Martindale-Hubbell’s® highest rating po...

Tred once again was selected by his peers for inclusion in the 2025 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America® for his work in Commercial Litigation, Insurance Law and Litigation-Insurance. He was also named Best Lawyers® 2022 Litigation Insurance “Lawyer of the Year” in Honolulu. A designation given to a single attorney in each practice group by metropolitan area. Receiving this designation reflects the high level of respect a lawyer has earned among their peers for their ab...

Charles Fasi is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area of Real Estate Law. Charles practices law in Honolulu, Hawaii Best Lawyers has recognized Charles Fasi since 2027. The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the same geographic region and legal practice area. The recognition reflects the professional regard in which Charles Fasi is held by other lawyers.

Stuart Kodish is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area of Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs. Stuart practices law in Honolulu, Hawaii Best Lawyers has recognized Stuart Kodish since 2025. The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the same geographic region and legal practice area. The recognition reflects the professional regard in which Stuart Kodish is held by other lawyers.

Megan Lim practices in the firm’s Wills, Trusts & Estates practice group with a focus on estate planning, probate and trust litigation, conservatorship and guardianship proceedings, and trust and estate administration. Megan has once again been named to the 2025 Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America list in the practice areas of Trusts & Estates and Litigation-Trusts & Estates. She is a graduate of the University of Washington, School of Law where she worked in the Chi...

Neil is a partner in Cox Wootton Lerner Griffin & Hansen, LLP (CWL), a regional law firm serving the Western U.S. and Pacific Rim. He practices maritime and transportation law. He’s been designated a Southern California "Super Lawyer" for 2012-2024 and been recognized by Best Lawyers in America since 2021. He represents domestic and foreign insurers in first and third-party cases, and local maritime and transportation companies in business litigation. Neil has been featured in the L...

Gail represents many of Hawaii’s major private and public hospitals and medical centers, physicians and other healthcare providers in medical malpractice cases before the Medical Inquiry Conciliation Panel (MICP) and in state and federal courts. Gail was recognized by Best Lawyers as “Lawyer of the Year” in 2023 for Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants in Honolulu, Hawaii. In January 2024, Gail was lead counsel and obtained a defense verdict for a medical center in a c...

Mr. Engle's practice focuses in the areas of real estate litigation, construction contracts and disputes, and complex business litigation. Examples of Mr. Engle's work include: Constitutional Law. Represented a national REIT in a highly publicized constitutional challenge of legislation affecting the methods for calculating lease rent under long-term industrial ground leases. Successfully obtained ruling declaring statute unconstitutional under the contracts and equal protection clauses of th...

Tom E. Roesser chairs the firm's Bankruptcy & Creditors Rights Practice Group. Mr. Roesser concentrates on advising financial institutions on problem loans, including loan workouts and foreclosures, bankruptcy, and lender liability issues. He served as President of the Bankruptcy Law Section of the Hawai`i State Bar Association in 2005 and is also a member of the American Bankruptcy Institute and the Business Law Section of the American Bar Association. He also concentrates in commercial ...