Find Lawyers in Honolulu, Hawaii

Christian K. Adams, founding and managing partner, is an experienced trial lawyer in federal and state courts. He is also a highly-regarded legal and business counselor, who regularly advises many of Hawaii’s most prominent business leaders and corporate boards on a wide range of issues. His practice spans a broad spectrum of areas including complex commercial and civil litigation, employment law, insurance litigation, maritime law, and real estate law. Adams has been listed by Hawaii S...

Trever is a partner at Cades Schutte. He represents taxpayers in tax controversies and disputes with the IRS and the Hawai‘i State Department of Taxation. Trever handles audits, administrative appeals, and litigation in the federal and state courts, including the courts of appeal. Trever also advises nonprofit and tax-exempt organizations on issues including obtaining tax exemption, addressing unrelated business income, and using joint ventures and subsidiary organizations. He currently...

Lisa advises clients in the areas of real estate development, commercial leasing, purchase and sale transactions, and financing. Lisa assists clients in navigating Hawai‘i’s complex real property laws. She represents developers, land owners, and tenants in the leasing, acquisition, purchase and sale and development of commercial real estate. Prior to joining Cades Schutte, Lisa served as a law clerk to then-Associate Justice Mark E. Recktenwald of the Supreme Court of Hawai‘...

Dave is a partner with Cades Schutte LLP. He is the Chair of the Corporate Department, as well as the Chair of the Employment Law and Labor Relations Practice Group and the Corporate and Business Law Practice Group. With a client base that includes hotel owners, hotel managers and interval ownership programs, a large professional employer organization, regional healthcare organizations, national restaurant chains and local restaurants, construction companies and contractors, a cogeneration fa...

Scott I. Batterman has been an active trial attorney and litigator for over 35 years, since his admission to the bar In New York in 1981. He is a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, receiving his law degree summa cum laude from New York Law School. Scott Batterman has wide experience practicing in both federal and state court, and before various arbitral tribunals, and in advising clients, in the areas of complex bankruptcy disputes, construction law (including the American...

A. Bernard “Bernie” Bays is a Director of the firm. Mr. Bays has over 50 years of experience successfully representing clients in over 150 landmark Hawaii litigation cases. Mr. Bays focuses his practice in the areas of complex commercial litigation, business litigation, real estate litigation, trusts and estates litigation, legal malpractice law-defendant litigation, real estate law and land use and zoning law. Mr. Bays is Board Certified in Civil Trial Law by the National Board o...

Trevor A. Brown represents clients in both litigation and transactions. His real estate experience ranges from resort acquisition and development to acting as trial counsel to establish beach access rights based on Kingdom of Hawaii land use. Mr. Brown’s corporate experience ranges from negotiating corporate restructurings to acting as trial counsel to force the break-up of related land development corporations. Mr. Brown holds Martindale-Hubbell's® highest possible professional rat...

Born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, Attorney Kevin S.W. Chee represents corporate clients throughout the United States in Hawaii insurance coverage cases. Mr. Chee has a distinguished reputation throughout the Hawaii legal community for his 33 years of legal experience, academic excellence, and trial expertise. As a founding member of Chee, Markham & Feldman, he practices insurance defense litigation, real estate and construction law, and business and commercial law. Mr. Chee earned his ...

Norman H.Y. Cheng is Managing Director of the firm. Mr. Cheng concentrates his practice in the areas of real estate, commercial leasing, business structuring, hotels and resorts, and general commercial transactions. His experience includes working on a variety of projects such as condominium development, land use permitting, structured finance, construction agreements and business sales. Mr. Cheng holds Martindale-Hubbell's ® highest possible professional rating AV®, given to him by o...

Bennett J. Chin is the Managing Partner of the Hawai'i office of Gordon & Rees in Honolulu. Mr. Chin’s practice is primarily focused on representing and counseling architects and engineers. He has more than 25 years of experience and is recognized by Best Lawyers® in the areas of Construction Law, Construction Litigation and Commercial Litigation. His construction law practice includes construction defect claims, delay impact and loss productivity claims, professional negligence...

Doug Chin has extensive experience in state and federal courts, from Hawaii to the United States Supreme Court, and experience in managing state and local government agencies at the highest levels. Mr. Chin focuses his practice in commercial litigation, administrative law and government relations. Mr. Chin is rated AV Preeminent® by Martindale-Hubbell®; the highest rating possible, for his skill and integrity. Mr. Chin has been named to the The Best Lawyers in America© list in th...

As a recognized expert in litigation and land use, Cal offers clients a practical approach to achieve balance between business considerations and zealous advocacy. A second generation Hawaii lawyer, Cal earned his law degree from the University of Hawaii, William S. Richardson School of Law, where he was the class valedictorian and a member of the Hawaii Law Review Editorial Board. Before joining Cades Schutte, Cal clerked for the Honorable Richard R. Clifton, United States Court of Appeals f...

Christopher Cole, partner, has practiced labor and employment law since 1992. For more than two decades, Mr. Cole has defended Hawaii employers against lawsuits involving allegations of sexual harassment, retaliation, discrimination, whistleblowing, trade secret/non-compete agreement enforcement, tort, and breach of contract. Mr. Cole is also experienced in labor arbitration, mediation, workplace investigations, FLSA wage and hour compliance audits, workplace violence, drug-testing policies, ...

Born and raised in Hawaii, Gail has been practicing law in Hawaii for more than 40 years. She represents Hawaii's major private and public hospitals and medical center, physicians and other health care providers in medical malpractice cases before the Medical Inquiry Conciliation Panel (MICP) and in state and federal courts. Gail has also represented medical device manufacturers and building product manufacturers in multi-million dollar product liability litigation. Gail is an active member o...

Tom Daniel concentrates his law practice in federal and State tax planning, resolution of tax disputes, organization and structuring of business ventures, solving practical business legal problems, purchases and sales of businesses, structuring and acquiring real property interests, and structuring tax-advantaged means for acquiring, holding, operating and disposing of real estate and business investments. Mr. Daniel also provides estate and trust planning advice and services for his clients....

Mark Davis, a graduate of Tulane University and Washington University School of Law, has focused his law practice over the last thirty years representing injured victims in cases involving serious personal injury and medical malpractice . Mr. Davis has been extremely active in civil rights litigation throughout the State of Hawaii. He was on The National Board of Directors of the ACLU and was one of Hawaii’s most active civil rights lawyers serving as lead counsel in numerous first amen...

Gavin was born and reared in Honolulu, Hawai‘i, graduating from McKinley High School, and receiving his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Reed College in Portland, Oregon. He received his Juris Doctorate from the University of Denver College of Law in Denver, Colorado. Gavin opened his practice upon receiving his bar admission in 1995. Previously, Gavin worked with the Child Support Enforcement Agency and the AmeriCorps Domestic Violence Clinic. An advocate of pro bono legal wo...

Steve Egesdal is a Partner in the firm's Honolulu office and is a member of the Transactional practice group. He concentrates his practice on business structure and operations. Steve has assisted a wide variety of business entities in the formation, acquisition, operation, reorganization, and dissolution of corporations, partnerships, limited liability companies, limited liability partnerships and limited liability limited partnerships. He also has extensive litigation experience, and draws o...

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...

Joseph A. Ernst is a Director of the firm and a member of the employment law department. His practice involves counseling and defending employers in all aspects of employment law, including defense of wrongful discharge, discrimination, harassment, whistleblower, and retaliation claims. He also assists clients with employer compliance with state and federal employment and labor laws. Practice Areas: Labor and Employment, Employment Litigation, Employment Compliance, Labor Relations

Matt Evans is a Director of Damon Key and practices in the firm’s Business and Commercial Law, Real Estate, Construction Law, Creditors’ Rights, and Trial and Appellate Litigation, Arbitration and Mediation practice groups. With a primary focus on commercial disputes, Matt aims to provide legal services in a manner that places his clients’ goals at the center, with a mind toward helping them prevent disputes before they occur and, when necessary, resolve disputes by finding ...

Tred Eyerly has accumulated a wide variety of litigation skills, having practiced in Alaska, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and now Hawaii. Tred started his career working for Alaska Legal Services in bush Alaska before moving to Anchorage, working primarily with Alaska Natives on subsistence, sovereignty, and land entitlement issues throughout the state. He then worked for Micronesian Legal Services on Saipan, representing under-privileged clients confronted with a variety...

Duane R. Fisher concentrates his practice in the areas of real estate law, hotels and resorts, construction law, business structure and operations and commercial transactions. Mr. Fisher has represented a wide range of business organizations, from hotel owners, telecommunications companies, general contractors, Wall Street investment firms and multi-billion dollar energy development companies to closely held corporations and sole proprietors, in both private transactions and before federal an...

Roger Fonseca joined the firm in an "of counsel" capacity in 2007. He has more than 40 years of experience concentrating in pension plans, employee benefits and closely-held business organizations. Roger graduated from Occidental College with a B.A. summa cum laude in 1970 and from Yale Law School with a J.D. in 1973. He has taught and lectured on pension issues extensively both in Hawaii and on the mainland. REPRESENTATIVE ENGAGEMENTS Representative Engagements: Hawaii Permanente Medical Gro...

Stacey W.E. Foy is a director and shareholder and is a member of the firm’s Real Estate Practice Group. She has substantial experience in purchase and sale, development and financing transactions. Ms. Foy has negotiated and documented purchase and sale transactions involving D.R. Horton- Schuler Homes, LLC, Marriott International, Inc., Marriott Vacations Worldwide Corporation, Crescent Heights Acquisitions, Grove Farm Company, Incorporated and its subsidiaries, among other clients. She...

Mr. Galati is a partner in the Tax Department of Cades Schutte. Mr. Galati joined Cades Schutte in 1979. His areas of practice include partnership and real estate tax law, tax compliance, as well as Hawaii state tax law. Structuring the tax aspects of complex business transactions involving equipment leasing, real estate, energy or housing credits are areas of special emphasis for Mr. Galati. Mr. Galati was a director of the Hawaii Tax Foundation, and serves on the various fund-raising commit...

Brenda Hustis Gotanda is a partner with the law firm of Manko, Gold, Katcher & Fox LLP and leads the firm’s sustainability practice group. She has over 25 years of experience representing and counseling business clients on environmental matters, including regulatory compliance, permitting, transactions, project development, and enforcement. She provides strategic guidance to clients seeking to reduce risk and enhance value by integrating environmental compliance and sustainability i...

Joanne Grimes is a Partner in the firm’s Honolulu Office and is licensed to practice law in Hawaii and Guam. She has over two decades of experience in representing institutional businesses, nonprofit organizations, and private and charitable trusts in matters involving governance, employment & employee benefits, procurement, contracts, proprietary rights protection, fiduciary duties and trust administration. Ms. Grimes is a Certified Financial Planner™ professional and is acti...

Rhonda L. Griswold is a Partner with Cades Schutte and Chair of its Trusts and Estates Department. Her practice focuses on estate planning, trust administration and fiduciary duties, and probate, conservatorships, and guardianships. Ms. Griswold’s practice includes advising clients as to all areas of estate planning, from basic wills and trusts to more sophisticated planning such as generation-skipping dynasty trusts, sales to irrevocable trusts, qualified domestic trusts, charitable gi...

Gregory M. Hansen, Of Counsel, concentrates his practice in the areas of employee benefits; stock option, stock purchase and equity incentive plans; general corporate and business law; and state and federal income tax controversy matters, with an emphasis on employee stock ownership plans (ESOP) and custom designed retirement arrangements. While an attorney with the U.S. Treasury Department, Mr. Hansen tried U.S. civil tax cases and helped prepare criminal fraud tax cases for review by the U....

Jeffrey S. Harris represents employers in all aspects of labor and employment law. He has over 36 years of experience. Mr. Harris has successfully resolved many cases involving each above area, by discussion, settlement, administrative decision, motion practice, jury verdict or opinion on appeal. He has helped effectively negotiate several collective bargaining agreements, serving as spokesperson, member or advisor to the team. Practice Areas: Labor and Employment, Employment Litigation, Empl...

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...

Listed in The Best Lawyers in America and Super Lawyers, Diane’s practice focuses on complex litigation and dispute resolution. Prior to joining the firm in 1978, she was an extern to the Honorable Herbert Choy, Circuit Judge, Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Diane is involved in a number of professional and community activities, servicing on the Disciplinary Board of the Hawaii Supreme Court, as a national director of Easter Seals, Inc., as well as a director of Easter Seals Hawaii and ...

Michael is a partner in the Firm's Litigation Department and chair of its Commercial and Real Estate Litigation, Arbitration, and Mediation practice group. He has extensive experience as a trial lawyer, arbitrator, construction adjudicator, and mediator in the resolution of complex disputes involving antitrust and trade regulations, business, commercial, construction, contract, financial, insurance, intellectual property, product liability, and real estate matters. Michael is a Fellow of the ...

Ronald I. Heller has been practicing law in Honolulu for over 30 years, in the areas of tax litigation, business/commercial litigation, taxation and business law. He received both JD and MBA degrees from the University of Michigan, and is a licensed Certified Public Accountant as well as an attorney. Mr. Heller is a Fellow of the American College of Tax Counsel, and a past Chair of the Tax Section of the Hawaii State Bar Association. He has litigated tax cases at the county, state, and federa...

J. George Hetherington is the President of the firm and Chair of its Corporate Department. He has been with the firm since 1978 and his practice is focused in the areas of corporate and health care law.Mr. Hetherington's corporate practice revolves around mergers, acquisitions, divestures, capital formation, securities law, joint ventures, contract negotiation and preparation and other transactional work for new and established Hawaii businesses and national and international companies doing ...

Brian T. Hirai joined the firmin 1996 as a member of its business/real estate department. His practice is concentrated primarily in public finance.He has over 40 years of experience as a public finance attorney, serving variously as bond counsel, issuer’s counsel, underwriter’s counsel, borrower’s counsel, trustee’s counsel and credit enhancer’s counsel in a broad range of taxable and tax-exempt bond issues for state and local governmental units, including govern...

MAILE M. HIROTA is the Manager of Hirota & Associates, LLLC, concentrating in business and family-based immigration law, including family visas, business and investor visas, deportation & removal defense, permanent residence and U.S. citizenship matters. Ms. Hirota has been selected by her peers as one of the “Best Lawyers in America” in the field of immigration law each year since 2008. She has been named the Best Lawyers’ Honolulu Immigration Law “Lawyer of t...

Mr. Hsia is a registered patent attorney, one of the few patent attorneys in Hawaii. Mr. Hsia practices patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, right of publicity, computer, licensing, Internet and entertainment law at Cades Schutte. His practice includes advising clients about all aspects of US, foreign and international intellectual property rights; filing and prosecuting US and international patent and trademark applications, and US copyright applications; representing clients (wor...

Rick James is a partner in the firm's Honolulu office and is a member of the Transactional Practice Group. He concentrates his practice on all phases of the acquisition, development and sale of real property, including: the formation of partnerships, joint ventures and LLC's; negotiating purchase and sale agreements; negotiating construction contracts and architect agreements; representing borrowers in development financing; preparing condominium and land sales registrations; preparing projec...

As a litigation partner, Amanda strives to blend practical advice with vigorous advocacy. She regularly advises and represents employers in labor and employment matters as part of her broader commercial litigation practice. Amanda represents employers in state and federal trial and appellate courts, in arbitrations and in administrative proceedings before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Hawaii Civil Rights Commission, and the Department of Labor. She has successfully defended emp...

Patrick H. Jones has spent his entire legal career representing management in various employment-related matters. He has significant traditional labor law experience, including advising clients facing union organizing efforts, representing clients in arbitration under collective bargaining agreements and before the National Labor Relations Board, and assisting clients engaged in collective bargaining negotiations. He has advised companies dealing with strikes and other job actions, and has ob...