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John K. Matsumoto is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice areas of Elder Law and Trusts and Estates. John K. practices law in Honolulu, Hawaii Best Lawyers has recognized John K. Matsumoto since 2016. 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 John K. Matsumoto is held by other lawyers.

Gerald A. Sumida is a partner in Carlsmith Ball LLP's Honolulu office and Chair of the firm's Corporate & Business Practice Group. He concentrates on business structuring and operations, including corporate, limited liability company, joint venture and partnership matters; business acquisitions; sales and mergers; securities law; start-up company and venture capital financing; administrative and public utilities law; energy law, including energy project development and project finance; an...

William Harstad is a Partner in the firm's Litigation and Alternative Dispute Resolution practice group. He has experience in numerous arbitrations and litigations, with amounts in dispute ranging from the tens of thousands of dollars to hundreds of millions of dollars. Mr. Harstad has also represented both secured and unsecured creditors in bankruptcy proceedings on both the East Coast and in Hawai`i, including in various adversary proceedings.Mr. Harstad's litigation experience is broad and...

Eric S. T. Young is a sole practitioner with 30 years of experience in estate planning, probate and trust law. He is a graduate of Harvard University and the William S. Richardson School of Law, University of Hawaii. Mr. Young concentrates his practice in estate planning and trust and probate litigation and dispute resolution. Mr. Young has been awarded Best Lawyers in America “Hawaii Lawyer of the Year” seven times - in “Trusts and Estates” (2020, 2023 and 2025) and &...

Elijah is a commercial litigator. He counsels clients in litigation and non-litigation contexts regarding Internet and information technology law, environmental regulation, health care, and First Amendment rights. He chairs the Digital Media, Internet and Information Technology Law practice group and the Health Care practice group. As a business litigator, Elijah represents clients ranging from publicly traded companies to sole proprietors in disputes concerning a variety of subject matters i...

Jon Yamamura is a Partner in the firm's Honolulu office and is the Chair of the Transactional Practice Group. He concentrates his practice on real estate, mergers and acquisitions, buying and selling businesses and business interests, and business planning and reorganization. Mr. Yamamura also works on a wide range of complex corporate and finance projects and cases. In addition, having served over two years as a foreign attorney on staff at the Anderson Mori law firm in Tokyo, Japan, he has ...

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...

Clifford K. Higa is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area of Financial Services Regulation Law. Clifford K. practices law in Honolulu, Hawaii Best Lawyers has recognized Clifford K. Higa since 2026. 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 Clifford K. Higa is held by other lawyers.

Ross Uehara-Tilton is a Director in the firm’s Business & Commercial Law, Tax Planning and Controversy, Trust and Probate Litigation, Estate Planning, and Appellate Litigation practice groups. He earned his law degree from the University of Hawaii at Manoa, William S. Richardson School of Law where he served as Co-Editor-in-Chief and Staff Writer for the University of Hawaii Law Review . Ross has once again been named to the 2025 Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America list in t...

Curtis B. K. Yuen, Esq. is the President of Law Offices of Curtis B. K. Yuen, A Law Corporation, and has been a practicing attorney for the past 36 years. His law firm concentrates in estate planning, wills, trusts, probate, estate and gift tax advice, asset protection and business succession planning. Curtis is a former estate planning attorney of Carlsmith Ball, LLC (Hawaii’s largest law firm). Curtis is a fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, an international gr...