Makakilo Lawyers

Mr. Barlow has been selected as one of the Top 10 Personal Injury Lawyers in Hawaii by the National Academy of Personal Injury Attorneys for demonstrating an "extraordinary amount of knowledge, skill, experience, expertise and success in his practice of personal injury." He is admitted to the Hawaii State Bar and also the United States District Court for the District of Hawaii. He is a member of the Board of Governors for the Hawaii Association for Justice and he is a member of the Hawaii State Bar Association. By invitation from Hawaii State...

I was born and raised in central Missouri and received my bachelor's degree in International Studies from the University of Missouri in 1996. Following graduation, I moved to Honolulu and attended the University of Hawaii's William S. Richardson School of Law where I received my juris doctorate in 1999. After receiving my JD, I served as a law clerk to the Honorable Victoria S. Marks in the First Circuit Court of the State of Hawaii. In 2000, I accepted a position as a Deputy Public Defender for the State of Hawaii and began my legal career working...

Clare Hanusz founded Aloha Immigration in June 2017, after working with the Immigration Practice Group at Damon Key Leong Kupchak Hastert in an Of Counsel affiliation since October 2013.

Born and raised in Toledo, Ohio, Clare has lived in Honolulu since 1995 (with an 18-month move to Melbourne, Australia from 2012-2013). After graduating from Ohio University’s Honors Tutorial College in 1991 she moved to Arizona worked for the Valley Religious Task Force on Central America, advocating for immigrants and more just U.S. foreign policies. The opportunity to meet and work with refugees and their attorneys in Arizona propelled Clare...

Rick Abelmann is a bankruptcy attorney admitted to practice in Hawaii and New York. He graduated in economics before entering law school, and worked for both small and large business and firms in the past. Rick previously practiced corporate and securities law in Hong Kong with Clifford Chance, one of the largest law firms in the world, and also spent time working on the trading floor for the equities division of the Wall Street investment bank Morgan Stanley. He worked on transactions valued at hundreds of millions of dollars on a regular basis. Honolulu bankruptcy attorney ...

My name is Ofir Raviv and I am a bankruptcy attorney in Hawaii. My office is in Honolulu, Hawaii but I serve clients on all the Hawaiian Islands.
I love helping people, and once you meet me you may be surprised that I am not from Hawaii but was born and raised in Israel where I attended college. I met my wife who is a local girl, got married and moved back to Hawaii where we have made our home.
After I graduated from UH, I worked as a bankruptcy attorney for one of Hawaii’s most prominent consumer bankruptcy law firms...

I am the Director of Legal and Government Affairs for the Hawaii Employers Council, the premier HR resource for employers in Hawaii. For more information, please visit www.hilaborlaw.com.

James J. Stone was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii and is thoroughly familiar with Hawaii’s multiple cultures and the needs of Hawaii’s residents and visitors. He attended St. Louis High School and graduated from the University of Hawaii. He was a member of the first graduating class from the University of Hawaii’s school of law, and has over 30 years of experience. See www.nulaw.net for more info on background and services.

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 multibillion dollar energy development companies to closely held corporations and sole proprietors, in both private transactions and before federal and state administrative agencies.

Scott A. Makuakane has been practicing law in the areas of estate planning, trust and estate administration, asset protection, estate and gift taxation, and probate since 1983.   Mr. Makuakane has written various training manuals and articles for lawyers concerning estate planning, including authoring the Estate Planning Checklist and Generation-Skipping Transfer Tax chapters of the Hawaii State Bar Association’s Encyclopedia of Estate Planning. Mr. Makuakane is also a regular contributor to Generations Magazine, a Hawaii-based publication that shares important information and tips for seniors. His column focuses on estate planning issues and is written in an easy to digest non-legalese style.     Scott Makuakane’s...

Since obtaining his J.D. from the University of Hawaii in 2005, Honolulu divorce attorney Justin L. Sturdivant has focused his practice on family law matters. Throughout his legal career, Mr. Sturdivant has worked as a Civil Litigator, Mediator, Custody Evaluator, and Guardian Ad Litem. These experiences have provided him with great insight into the way the family court system functions. All of Mr. Sturdivant’s knowledge and training goes on to benefit his clients. He takes great pride in his work and fully dedicates himself to achieving the best outcome possible in a timely manner. You schedule a free, no-obligation consultation...

Richard Turbin, Esq. is a Honolulu personal injury attorney and a partner at the firm Turbin Chu Heidt, Attorneys at Law. Mr. Turbin has been in private practice for nearly four decades. Attorney Turbin is a graduate of Harvard Law School, and was recently recognized as a Traphagen Distinguished Alumni. He is a former president of the Hawaii State Bar Association. In 1999 and 200, Mr. Turbin served as a chair of the American Bar Association’s Trial and Insurance Practice Section, which has over 40,000 members. Mr. Turbin has also won the section’s 2006 Pursuit of Justice of Award. His...

Mr. Thomas graduated from the University of Florida in 1984 and received his Juris Doctorate from the University of Florida College of Law in December 1987. He became a member of the California Bar in 1988. With over 1,500 cases and 26 years of experience in every type of investment case Mr. Thomas has a proven track record of success. As an advocate for investors Mr. Thomas utilizes his extensive experience and knowledge of the securities and commodities markets as a former licensed Series 7 stockbroker and Series 3 commodities broker with Shearson Lehman Brothers. His professional memberships include the...

David is one of the nation’s most respected lemon law attorneys. He is an attorney in good standing and has been admitted to practice law in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and Hawaii. He is the founding attorney of the lemon law firm David J. Gorberg & Associates, P.C. and concentrates his practice in the field of Lemon Law and Breach of Warranty. His firm has represented more than 30,000 clients for lemon law claims against all auto manufacturers throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and Hawaii, and has recovered more than 500 million dollars in settlements. The firm maintains lemon...

Amy Lawson Woodward is an associate attorney at the Law Office of William H. Lawson, concentrating her practice in the area of plaintiffs' personal injury litigation. Prior to joining her father's firm in 2016, Ms. Woodward practiced law at Carlsmith Ball LLP (one of the top corporate law firms in Hawaii), focusing predominantly on litigating commercial disputes.

Ms. Woodward is ranked in the "Top 10 Under 40" personal injury attorneys in Hawaii by the National Academy of Personal Injury Attorneys (NAOPIA). She has obtained favorable awards for injured individuals at arbitration and successfully advocated for clients in...

Dennis W. Potts was born in Santa Monica, California, December 17, 1945. He was admitted to the California and Hawai’i state Bars in 1971. He has practiced before the state courts of California and Hawai’i, the U.S. District Court for the District of Hawai’i, the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court.A resident of Hawai’i for more than 45 years, Attorney Dennis W. Potts has been providing legal representation to the state of Hawai’i for over 40 years. Attorney Potts is dedicated to providing his...

Jim Bickerton is an experienced and accomplished Hawaii Attorney. For more than 35 years he has represented clients in an array of areas, including Commercial and Real Estate Litigation, Consumer Class Actions, Professional Liability, Medical Malpractice, Personal Injury, Wrongful Death, and First Amendment and Defamation matters. Jim's skilled and knowledgeable advocacy has led to hundreds of successful outcomes.

Jim has received numerous awards. He has been named among Hawaii’s A+ Attorneys, as well as Best Lawyer in Commercial Litigation, Real Estate Litigation, Legal Malpractice, Personal Injury, and Plaintiff Medical Malpractice. Jim has also been named a Super Lawyer for consecutive years....

Erik Peterson, a partner with Bostwick & Peterson, LLP, has obtained what is believed to be the largest medical malpractice settlement in California history. Mr. Peterson is licensed in California and Hawaii and practices throughout each state. He has obtained a $21 million jury verdict representing the victim of a car accident who sustained a brain injury. Mr. Peterson has been listed as a "Super Lawyer" for over 10 years, is rated "10" on AVVO, and "AV" by Martindale-Hubbell for ethics and professionalism and is listed in "America's Top 100 Attorneys." Please call Mr. Peterson for...

The Law Office of Gary G. Singh is a high-volume practice providing legal assistance for immigrants on matters ranging from visa applications, adjustment of status, bond, exclusion and removal proceedings. Gary is an active member of the Hawaii Federal Criminal Justice Act panel where he represents clients before the Federal Court. He is fluent in English, Japanese, Malay and Punjabi, and has been a member of the Hawaii State Bar Association since 1995.

Ms. Hirota began her law practice in Ohio as an associate with Taft, Stettinius & Hollister, a large law firm in Cincinnati. After practicing immigration law in Ohio for two years, Ms. Hirota returned to her family in Hawaii and joined Lynch & Farmer in 1997. She was named a partner of Lynch Ichida Thompson Kim & Hirota in 2002 and left that firm to found Hirota & Associates in 2009. Ms. Hirota’s practice concentrates solely in U.S. Immigration and Nationality law. Ms. Hirota is an active member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, having served on the following...

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 rating AV Preeminent®, for both his skill and integrity. Mr. Brown is recognized in The Best Lawyers in America© list in fourteen categories: Appellate Practice, Arbitration, Business Organization (including LLC's and Partnerships), Closely Held...

Bill was a founding member of the firm in 1989 and was a partner through 2003. He is currently “Of Counsel” to the firm in light of his executive responsibilities with National Golf Courses, Inc. In his nearly 25 years of trial practice in Hawaii, Bill has represented a wide variety of clients as plaintiffs or defendants in matters involving wrongful death, serious personal injury, real estate and business litigation, and environmental litigation. Over the years, his clients have included major insurance companies such as State Farm, Allstate, Colonial Penn, USAA, Home Insurance, National Union and United Pacific, major corporations...

As the landscape for legal services evolves, our fundamental goal is to continuously elevate our level of service to clients and control costs at the same time. To accomplish this important goal, a creative approach to solving legal problems becomes crucial. We believe creativity means finding the right solution unique for each individual client, rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all approach. We also rely on innovative technologies to enhance client value. It is our pleasure to provide you with such services. We are here to help and we take pride in doing so. Contracts Immigration Environmental Law Agency...

Ron Heller has been practicing law in Hawaii for over 30 years, concentrating on tax litigation, tax law, and business disputes, primarily dealing with accounting and financial issues. He 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 federal levels. In addition to tax cases, Ron has represented clients ranging from individual sole proprietors to multi-national corporations in a wide variety...

Ms. McMillen has extensive state and federal experience in sentencing, appellate litigation and post-conviction proceedings. In her federal practice she represented clients in some of the most complex and rigorous prosecutions in Hawai`i’s federal court history, including an appeal from a conviction for selling military stealth technology to foreign governments. She has also represented clients in cases involving: tax fraud and evasion; mortgage fraud; immigration fraud; immigration offenses; misuse of public funds; alien smuggling; mail fraud; wire fraud; drug trafficking. In addition, she represents clients in family law and divorce cases. For more about...

The Law Office of Kevin O'Grady, LLC is a criminal defense firm in Honolulu, Hawaii concentrating in criminal law, military law, civil rights and federal indian law. Criminal and military defense attorney Kevin O'Grady has been a Deputy City Prosecutor, Special Assistant United States Attorney, Chief Prosecutor, Trial Counsel, Senior Trial Counsel, Maricopa County Sheriff's Deputy, Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Criminal Procedure and Legal Instructor and Paralegal Instructor in criminal law, evidence and ethics. His career spans more than thirteen years and he has experience on the mainland, in Hawaii and abroad in foreign countries.

As a...

Practice limited to representing Federal civil service employees with adverse action, discrimination, security clearance revocation, whistle-blower reprisal, and related labor/employment claims before the MSPB, EEOC, OSC, and mediators/arbitrators. Elbridge W. Smith concentrates almost exclusively in representing individual federal employees, primarily handling MSPB and other appeals, EEO complaints and defenses, at the administrative and federal court levels. He has been in private practice since 1977, with firms concentrating in civil rights and employment litigation, representing various federal and private sector unions and their employees. Mr. Smith is a graduate of Wesleyan University and the University of Hawai'i, Richardson School of Law. He...

Tom Farrell is one of the most experienced and respected family law attorneys in Hawaii. With over 28 years in Hawaiis Family Courts, he is the first and only lawyer in Hawaii to be certified as a family law specialist by the National Board of Trial Advocacy (accredited by the American Bar Association). His practice emphasizes complex divorce litigation and related family law issues such as interstate custody disputes, family violence, child support, alimony claims, and division of assets and debts. A retired Colonel in the Army Reserve and a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, he understands the special issues confronting military families. Mr. Farrell, also handles national security...

Nathan Natori has been practicing law in Hawaii since 1992, and has represented clients running the gamut from state and county agencies, large corporations (Nextel, The Queen's Health System, Holland America Line, Kaiser Permanente), and local families and individuals. Whether big or small, each client is important to Mr. Natori and receives the same level of service. Timely responses from an attorney who cares and whom you can trust is what you will receive at Natori Law Office LLLC.

Rick Abelmann is a bankruptcy attorney admitted to practice in Hawaii and New York. He graduated in economics before entering law school, and worked for both small and large business and firms in the past. Rick previously practiced corporate and securities law in Hong Kong with Clifford Chance, one of the largest law firms in the world, and also spent time working on the trading floor for the equities division of the Wall Street investment bank Morgan Stanley. He worked on transactions valued at hundreds of millions of dollars on a regular basis.

After leaving the corporate world,...

William Bullard is dedicated to providing the highest quality Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy services, and debt workouts to clients at an affordable, cost effective, personal one on one manner. William serves clients on all the Hawaiian Islands from offices located in Honolulu and Koloa.

My passion, legal skill, and commitment to justice stem from years of work in both the private and non-profit sectors. My primary practice is civil rights and liberties both against the government and employers. If you have been discriminated against, harassed at work, or your liberties have been violated, I want to hear from you. At my firm, we believe in making justice work for our clients through efficient, personalized, and outstanding legal services.

Since its founding in 1978, the Honolulu, Hawaii based Law Offices of Sherry P. Broder has earned a reputation as a leader in serious Hawaii personal injury, class action and other complex civil litigation. * Trial Lawyer of the Year Award Finalist * First Woman President, Hawaii State Bar Association * Solo Practitioner of the Year, American Bar Association * Outstanding Woman Lawyer, Hawaii Women Lawyers * Best Lawyers in Hawaii, Honolulu Magazine (1997-Present) * Graduated in...

Attorney Yuka Hongo practices in the areas of Estate Planning, Probate, and Captive Insurance. She speaks fluent Japanese as well as English. Attorney Yuka Hongo was born in Japan and raised in the United States. After graduating from Oberlin College, she earned her law degree from Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, CA. She is licensed to practice in Hawaii, California, New York, and the District of Columbia. In 2013, she founded Hongo Law Office, LLLC in Honolulu, HI. Our firm assists clients with estate planning matters such as the preparation of trusts, transfer on death deeds, and other documents. We also...