Hawai‘i Lawyers of the Year 2017

Who is the best of the best? Says Best Lawyers, “The lawyers being honored as ‘Lawyers of the Year’ were selected because they received particularly high ratings from most of their peers. In some cases, they also received particularly effusive comments from some of those same peers. The selected lawyers have earned a high level of respect among other leading lawyers in the same communities and the same practice areas for their abilities, their professionalism and their integrity.”

Only a single lawyer in each practice area in each community is honored as a “Lawyer of the Year” each year. Congratulations to all. 

John R. Aube, Banking and Finance Law

Sidney K. Ayabe, Personal Injury Litigation—Defendants

Mark J. Bennett, Litigation—Insurance

William A. Bordner, Legal Malpractice Law—Defendants

Trevor A. Brown, Mortgage Banking Foreclosure Law

KahBo Dye-Chiew, Immigration Law

Collin M. Fritz, Personal Injury Litigation—Plaintiffs

Gary O. Galiher, Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions—Plaintiffs

Rhonda L. Griswold, Trusts and Estates

Gregory M. Hansen, Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law

Jerry M. Hiatt, Employment Law—Individuals

William S. Hunt, Medical Malpractice Law—Defendants

Michelle C. Imata, Financial Services Regulation Law

William M. Kaneko, Government Relations Practice

James A. Kawachika, Litigation—Trusts and Estates

Grace Nihei Kido, Environmental Law

Simon Klevansky, Bankruptcy and Creditor-Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law

John L. Knorek, Labor Law—Management

Nenad Krek, Admiralty and Maritime Law

Gregory W. Kugle, Litigation—Land Use and Zoning

Kenneth R. Kupchak, Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law

Corianne W. Lau, Litigation—Labor and Employment

Michael K. Livingston, Medical Malpractice Law—Plaintiffs

Howard K.K. Luke, Criminal Defense—General Practice

Kenneth B. Marcus, Mergers and Acquisitions Law

Donna C. Marron, Litigation—Environmental

Michael R. Marsh, Arbitration

Chris S. Mashiba, Litigation and Controversy—Tax

William C. McCorriston, Product Liability Litigation—Plaintiffs

William Meheula, Bet-the-Company Litigation

Joy M. Miyasaki, Tax Law

Craig I. Nakanishi, Energy Law

David A. Nakashima, Litigation—Construction

Michael J. O’Malley, Corporate Law

Lawrence S. Okinaga, Litigation—Banking and Finance

Judith Ann Pavey, Legal Malpractice Law—Plaintiffs

Michael M. Purpura, Appellate Practice

Stephanie A. Rezents, Family Law

Marc E. Rousseau, Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships)

Gregory M. Sato, Employment Law—Management

Eric A. Seitz, Criminal Defense—White Collar

Cuyler E. Shaw, Health Care Law

Randall K. Steverson, Real Estate Law

Robert H. Thomas, Land-Use and Zoning Law

Terry E. Thomason, Administrative/Regulatory Law

Susan Tius, Litigation—Bankruptcy

Robert D. Triantos, Litigation—Real Estate

George W. Van Buren, Insurance Law

Keith Y. Yamada, Construction Law

Patrick K.S.L. Yim, Mediation