Hawai‘i Lawyers of the Year 2018

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.

 

Lisa A. Bail, Litigation—Environmental

 

Michael J. Belles, Land-Use and Zoning Law

 

Mark J. Bennett, Bet-the-Company Litigation

 

Louis L.C. Chang, Mediation

 

Calvert G. Chipchase, Litigation—Real Estate

 

Thomas E. Cook, Medical Malpractice Law—Defendants

 

Thomas R. Daniel, Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law

 

LindaLee K. Farm, Litigation—Insurance

 

Byron C. Feldman II, Arbitration

 

T. Anthony Gill, Labor Law—Union

 

Robert Carson Godbey, Copyright Law

 

J. George Hetherington, Health Care Law

 

Maile M. Hirota, Immigration Law

 

Clifford B. Hunt, Criminal Defense—General Practice

 

Louise K.Y. Ing, Litigation—Bankruptcy

 

Ray K. Kamikawa, Tax Law

 

John C. Khil, Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law

 

Benjamin A. Kudo, Litigation—Land Use and Zoning

 

Edward R. Lebb, Family Law

 

Michael K. Livingston, Personal Injury Litigation—Plaintiffs

 

Ivan M. Lui-Kwan, Government Relations Practice

 

Howard K.K. Luke, Criminal Defense—White Collar

 

April Luria, Legal Malpractice Law—Defendants

 

Ian L. Mattoch, Medical Malpractice Law—Plaintiffs

 

William Meheula, Legal Malpractice Law—Plaintiffs

 

Richard B. Miller, Insurance Law

 

Joy M. Miyasaki, Trusts and Estates

 

Lisa Woods Munger, Environmental Law

 

John S. Nishimoto, Personal Injury Litigation—Defendants

 

Terence J. O’Toole, Appellate Practice

 

Lawrence S. Okinaga, Banking and Finance Law

 

Miki Okumura, Litigation and Controversy—Tax

 

Judith Ann Pavey, Litigation—Banking and Finance

 

Ted N. Pettit, Bankruptcy and Creditor-Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law

 

Stewart Pressman, Mergers and Acquisitions Law

 

Michael M. Purpura, Litigation—Securities

 

Richard M. Rand, Litigation—Labor and Employment

 

Dean H. Robb, Admiralty and Maritime Law

 

Tom E. Roesser, Mortgage Banking Foreclosure Law

 

Bert S. Sakuda, Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions—Plaintiffs and Product Liability Litigation—Plaintiffs

 

Gregory M. Sato, Labor Law—Management

 

David F. Simons, Employment Law—Individuals

 

Peter Starn, Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships)

 

Gerald A. Sumida, Energy Law

 

Robert H. Thomas, Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law

 

Michael D. Tom, Litigation—Construction

 

J. Thomas Van Winkle, Corporate Law

 

Sarah O. Wang, Employment Law—Management

 

Eric S.T. Young, Litigation—Trusts and Estates

 

Leighton J.H.S. Yuen, Real Estate Law