Kihei Business Lawyers

I graduated from the University of Washington Law School and was hired by a Hawaii law firm in 1989. I started my solo practice in Paia in 1994 with a focus on estate planning, probate, real property and small business representation. My secretary, Serena, and I have been providing legal services on Maui's north shore for the last 27 years.

Joy Yanagida started Yanagida & Associates in 1991, specializing in business law, real estate disputes, and family law. She received her J.D. from the Boalt Hall School of Law at the University of California at Berkeley and her A.B. with distinction from Stanford University. She is admitted to practice law in Hawaii, the U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaii, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. She also is an inactive member of the California and District of Columbia bars. Before starting Yanagida & Associates, Ms. Yanagida served in these positions: ...

Jean-Claude Mademba-Sy is admitted to practice in Hawaii and the U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaii. He earned his J.D. at the William S. Richardson School of Law at the University of Hawaii and his B.S. in industrial relations at the University of Montreal, Canada. Mr. Mademba-Sy has been the firm's business manager since 1995, bringing his business acumen and managerial experience to the firm's litigation projects. He is the architect of the firm's highly automated infrastructure. Before joining Yanagida & Associates, he was the manager of Philips Electronics' Financial Business Systems division in Toronto, the Director General Adjoint of...

J. Porter DeVries began his career at the Wall Street firm of Segal Gebski, where he represented clients encountering construction, business, real estate, and international disputes. With Condominium and Community Association clients, Porter focuses on enabling Boards of Directors to establish and maintain the highest standards of good governance. Underscoring the firm’s proactive approach, he leads DeVries’ preventative counseling and strategic planning services, as well as ensuring that Boards are legally protected in disputes and thrive in the myriad aspects of governing Hawaii’s diverse associations. Leading the firm’s Real Estate and Commercial Litigation sector, Porter routinely...

Barry Sooalo has practiced law in the courts of Washington D.C., Hawaii and American Samoa. Barry's Sooalo's broad and highly specialized experience in the areas of criminal law, government relations, lobbying and legislation, customs law, business transactions, civil litigation, and appellate law, makes him a much sought after litigator and legal counsel in Hawaii for clients from Hawaii and for clients from abroad who require legal counsel and representation for legal matters in Hawaii and elsewhere. Mr. Sooalo is a veteran of the US Army.

Mr. Zahaby moved from Kauai, Hawaii to Honolulu in 1994 and has been back and forth between the two islands ever since. He believes that attorneys should act as counselors helping their clients to make wise decisions with aloha rather than encouraging litigation. Mr. Zahaby concentrates on non-litigation, non-adversarial practice in the areas of real estate, estate planning and asset protection planning through creation of Limited Liability Companies.

Peter S.R. Olson is an attorney who handles a wide variety of matters, including: litigation (civil, family, and criminal), transactional, and business formation/advisement in Kona and Kamuela.

He was born and raised in South Kona on the Big Island of Hawai`i. He is the son of John L. Olson, founder of the firm. Peter has assisted his father at the firm since he was five years old.
Peter received his Juris Doctor and Environmental Law Certificate from Univerisity of Hawai`i at Manoa's William S. Richardson School of Law in 2005. After law school, he clerked for the Honorable Glenn...

John L. Olson is an attorney who handles a wide variety of matters from litigation (civil, probate, trust disputes); advising businesses in day to day matters, including contracts and management; transactional work for individuals and business; criminal defense; to Estate Planning in Kona and Kamuela. As a sole practioner he gained a width breadth of knowledge to assist his clients in just about anything. He was born and raised on the Island of O`ahu, and moved to Kona in 1973 with his wife. There, they raised two sons: Robert and Peter Olson, both of whom are...

Jason comes to BFL from a background litigating at Skadden on behalf of some of the world’s largest companies, but he also has the experience of being owner/salesperson/janitor at a true mom-and-pop operation in Kona: Big Island Running Company. Whatever the size of your operation or problem, Jason will take a pragmatic approach in formulating a solution that is effective and efficient. While he loves helping his clients succeed in litigation, he also finds it equally (if not more) rewarding to help a client put in place a carefully drafted agreement or well-thought-out strategy that keeps them out of litigation...

As a former Adjunct Professor of Law at the University of Hawaii Law School and former Chairman of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) Hawaii Chapter, Mr. Ma was previously appointed the Trade Representative of the State of Hawaii in Hong Kong and China for U.S.-inbound investment.

Jerry Scatena graduated from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law, in 1972. He graduated magna cum laude from Loyola University College of Law in 2008 receiving an LL.M. degree in international law. He has over 35 years of experience as both a personal injury litigator, family law practitioner and real estate counsel serving as general counsel for multi-national corporations. He is also a licensed real estate broker in both Hawaii and California.

Serving Hawaii as a civil litigator since 1980.

We as husbands and wives, military members and spouses, parents, men and women from all walks of life, often find ourselves struggling with legal conflicts. Divorce, child custody disputes, and other family law issues can have a significant impact on our futures.

With over 25 years of experience, our Honolulu office can be a safe haven to those seeking legal help with difficult issues. Focusing primarily on family law, our practice is devoted to helping clients come to mutual agreements tailored to resolve their case. However, when negotiations and agreements fail to produce results, we stand prepared to vigorously represent your...

Retired after 45 years from the practice of law. Two arguments before the US Supreme Court, many before the Hawaii Supreme Court and various US Circuit Courts of Appeal and District Courts. Wrote Nimitz at Ease, chronically the previously untold story about how his grandparents gave Fleet Admiral Nimitz the time and space away from the enormous demands of commanding the largest armed force in history, thereby helping him win the Pacific War.

Mr. Yoo's practice focuses on tax and bankruptcy litigation. He has represented clients in both criminal and civil cases against the California Franchise Tax Board, State Board of Equalization and Employment Development Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS). He has handled matters including IRS and sales tax audits, tax fraud investigations, Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR) and innocent spouse claims. Mr. Yoo also represents debtors and creditors in Chapter 7, 11 & 13 bankruptcy proceedings, including tax bankruptcy cases.

Na Lan is a director of Damon Key Leong Kupchak Hastert. Her practice areas are Condominium and Community Association Law, Business and Real Property Transactions and Dispute Resolution, and Immigration. Born and raised in China, she is fluent in both Mandarin Chinese and English. She co-taught Property I at William S. Richardson School of Law as a Lecturer in Law in Spring of 2020. She graduated cum laude from the University of Hawaii’s William S. Richardson School of Law. She was the Managing Editor of the Asia Pacific Law & Policy Journal, and also served as an intern for Judge...

Diligent and Tenacious Representation, Realistic and Practical Solutions

With a dynamic focus on the practicalities and goals of my clients, I concentrate my law practice in: Dispute Resolution and Litigation /and/ Business and Transactional Law.

- Dispute Resolution and Litigation: As a tenacious advocate for my clients, I have successfully litigated in the Federal U.S. District Court, Hawaii’s Circuit and District Courts, and the Intermediate Court of Appeals. My experience in alternative dispute resolution includes mediation and arbitration, both as counsel for clients and as the mediator/arbitrator.

- Business and Transactional Law: My transactional practice includes the full...

Bridget represents clients in a wide range of civil and commercial litigation matters, with an emphasis on consumer class actions. Her experience includes representation of injured consumers against hotels, restaurants, banks, and other corporations, of debtors, creditors, and bankruptcy trustees in bankruptcy litigation matters, and of citizens and public figures in civic matters of public importance. Bridget has practiced in the State, Federal District, and Bankruptcy Courts of Hawaii and Washington State, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and has argued before the Ninth Circuit Bankruptcy Appellate Panel. Bridget was named a Rising Star by Super Lawyers from 2013-2017 and...

Mitchell S. Wong has been a lawyer in Hawaii since 1991, when he began his career at the law firm of David C. Schutter. At the time, the law firm was known as Schutter & Glickstein, and the focus of the law firm's practice was personal injury and civil litigation. In time, Mr. Wong became a partner at the law firm, which was then restyled as Schutter Dias Smith & Wong. In 2004 Mr. Wong started his present law firm. While Mr. Wong has continued his diverse work in civil litigation, he also expanded his practice to include family...

Kenneth Marcus has over thirty-five years of experience in the areas of commercial real estate development, finance, leasing, purchases and sales. He also has extensive experience in the formation of partnerships and limited liability companies, and corporate finance. His real property practice includes the development, acquisition, sale, financing and restructuring of hotels, office buildings and shopping centers, with particular expertise in the hotel industry.

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.

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....

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,...

I practice in the area of civil lawsuits and disputes and specialize in disputes involving personal injury, trusts/estates, real estate transactions, business/corporations, and sex assault claims. I represent clients in federal court, state court, arbitrations, administrative hearings, and mediations. I have received an AV-Preeminent peer-review rating from Martindale-Hubbell. If you would like to discuss any legal issues, please feel free to contact me. E-Mail: dchen@rmhawaii.com Phone: (808) 225-6535 Fax: (808) 521-0597