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Find Lawyers in Hawaii, United States for Real Estate Law
Practice Area Overview
Real estate law refers to the body of laws that govern the buying, selling and leasing of property.
These laws cover a wide range of legal issues related to real estate transactions, including financing transactions, environmental law and title searches. Real estate laws and regulations vary from state to state, with some requiring a real estate license to buy or sell property. Attorneys in real estate law can help with issues that a real estate agent can’t.
Hiring a real estate lawyer or real estate law attorney can be essential for navigating the legal complexities of a home purchase or sale. Law firms specializing in real estate law can assist with legal issues related to real estate transactions, such as reviewing contracts and conducting title searches.
Real estate lawyers or attorneys are also typically involved in representing clients before the real estate commission or title company. Law school courses often cover real estate law, as it is an essential aspect of many legal practices. A full-service real estate law firm should have expertise in these areas:
Sales and Acquisitions
The representation of buyers and sellers in the acquisition and disposition of the various kinds of real estate including office buildings, retail centers, hotels, industrial properties, residential properties and manufactured housing communities.
Real estate attorneys can be equally essential whether the transaction is for residential or commercial property.
Title
The examination of title to real estate, evaluation of title exceptions and negotiation of title insurance policies.
Land Use and Environmental
Land use entitlements, due diligence investigations, Brownfield developments and compliance with Environmental Laws and federal and state Endangered Species Acts.
Development
The negotiation and preparation of development and construction agreements and the other documents required to develop and construct office buildings, shopping centers, mixed-use projects, free-standing units and industrial sites.
Leasing
The negotiation and preparation of office, retail and industrial leases and long-term ground leases. A real estate lawyer may assist with:
- Drafting and reviewing lease agreements.
- Negotiating lease terms.
- Ensuring compliance with laws and regulations.
- Dispute resolution.
- Lease modifications and renewals.
- Handling lease terminations and evictions.
- Advising on subleasing and assignment.
Finance
The representation of lenders and borrowers in real estate secured loan originations, loan sales and purchases and other debt arrangements, including:
- Permanent financings.
- Construction loans.
- Bridge loans.
- Conduit loans.
- Mezzanine loans.
- Shared appreciation loans.
- Portfolios of non-performing loans.
Joint Ventures
A very large proportion of real estate transactions involve joint ventures between capital sources and developers. Therefore, a real estate firm must be in a position to structure and negotiate partnership agreements, limited liability company operating agreements, shareholder agreements and other forms of joint venture arrangements and advise on the tax aspects of the transactions.
Restructuring and Workouts
Not all real estate transactions are successful. Real estate lawyers, therefore, must be in a position to advise lenders, borrowers, partners, landlords, tenants and developers when a transaction goes bad.
This type of real estate law may involve transactional, bankruptcy, tax and litigation work. Restructuring and workouts often include:
- Loan modifications.
- Foreclosures.
- Deeds in lieu of foreclosure.
- Discounted loan payoffs.
- Loan forbearances.
- REO sales.
- Joint venture modifications.
- Buy/sells.
- Forced sales.
- Lease and development modifications.
- Bankruptcies.
- Receivership actions.
- Guarantee actions.
Litigation
Litigation in the real estate area involves the representations of real estate owners, buyers, sellers, lessors, brokers, lenders and developers in, among other things:
- Contract disputes.
- Mechanics lien and construction disputes.
- Eminent domain proceedings.
- Title disputes.
- Loan service.
- Foreclosure issues.
- Bankruptcy.
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 counsels trustees and beneficiaries in trust matters and also represent...
Mr. Char has substantial experience in the areas of real estate acquisitions, sales, financing and development, commercial leasing, public finance, condominium hotels, and related areas. He has participated in transactions involving the acquisition, financing, development, operation, and/or sale of resort hotels, commercial office buildings, shopping centers, residential condominium projects, timeshare projects, vacant land, on-going business concerns, franchises, and residential and agricult...
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 ot...
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....
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 ...
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...
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. Keiley is an accomplished attorney with a primary focus on real estate sales and acquisitions, development of residential and commercial projects, and commercial leasing. With a wealth of experience in representing clients across a broad spectrum of real estate matters, he brings a comprehensive understanding of the intricacies involved in the acquisition, sale, leasing and development of real property in Hawaii, including the development of commercial and residential condominium projects...
Karl Kobayashi concentrates his practice in the area of commercial real estate with an emphasis on sales, acquisitions, leasing, financing and development. He also practices in the area of entitlements (land use and zoning law) and has represented clients in contested case and other regulatory proceedings before agencies such as the State of Hawai`i Land Use Commission, the Hawai`i Community Development Authority (Kaka`ako), the City and County of Honolulu Zoning Board of Appeals, the Maui Pl...
Chris, born and reared in Japan, joined the firm in 1988 and immediately began building a practice in corporate, commercial, and real estate law, primarily with Japanese-speaking clients. To address the needs of her Japanese clients, her practice also encompasses immigration law, estate planning and employment matters. Chris is a past director of Meritas, a worldwide affiliation of commercial law firms, which has members in over 270 cities. Damon Key is the exclusive Hawaii affiliate of Merit...
Greg Kugle concentrates his practice in the area of litigation. He works in the areas of commercial disputes and business litigation, construction, land use and real estate, antitrust, product liability and personal injury, aviation, bankruptcy, admiralty and insurance coverage. He has litigated cases before the Hawaii District and Circuit Courts, the Hawaii Bankruptcy Court and United States District Court, and has handled appeals before the Hawaii Intermediate Court of Appeals, the Hawaii S...
Ken is a Fellow in the American College of Construction Lawyers, and has served on the Governing Committee of the American Bar Association’s Forum on the Construction Industry. He has degrees in chemistry from Cornell and meteorology from Penn State. In 1996, Penn State’s College of Earth and Mineral Sciences named him a Centennial Fellow. He was a meteorologist for 4 years, serving as General Staff Weather Briefing Officer in Saigon, Vietnam (7th Air Force), and Chief Forecaster ...
Na Lan is a Director at Damon Key and brings to the firm a unique combination of capabilities and experience in the areas of condominium and community association law, immigration, business and real property transactions, and dispute resolution for Mandarin-speaking investors and business owners. Born and raised in China, she is fluent in both Mandarin Chinese and English. Ms. Lan arrived in Hawaii as an international student in 2004. Inspired by a professor’s passion for law, she becam...
Terry is one of the most experienced real estate and restaurant attorneys in Hawaii and is a licensed real estate broker. In his roughly 40 years of practice, Terry has represented a "who's who" list of local and national developers, hoteliers, investors and entrepreneurs on a wide variety of Hawaii real estate acquisition, development, business, hotel and restaurant matters. Terry's current clients include Safeway, Inc., Parallel Capital Partners, Roy's Holdings, Inc., Outback Steakhouse, In...
Steve Lim is the Administrative Partner of the firm's Hilo office and is headquartered in the firm's Honolulu office. He has over twenty years experience on the Big Island, Maui, Kauai, and Oahu in all phases of the real property development process. Mr. Lim concentrates in advising clients on real property due diligence reviews, land use entitlements and administrative issues, including litigation of land use and real property disputes. In 2014, The Best Lawyers in America selected Mr. Lim a...
Dennis M. Lombardi represents real estate developers, hotel, time share and resort owners and operators as well as a variety of large land owners. He concentrates his practice in real estate, land use development and hospitality law. He has extensive experience in acquisitions, sales, mergers, permitting, development, branding and financing of master planned residential, resort, commercial and mixed-use/hotel developments. Mr. Lombardi is President of the firm’s Executive Committee.
Ivan M. Lui-Kwan was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii. He has practiced law for over 50 years, focusing on Hawaii’s land use, administrative and real estate law. Mr. Lui-Kwan is a Director of the law firm, has been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America ® for Administrative/Regulatory Law, Government Relations Practice, Land Use and Zoning Law, Leisure & Hospitality Law, Real Estate Law, and named “Lawyer of the Year” in Honolulu by The Best Lawyers in America ®...
Published Works · Hawaii Conveyance Manual II (Editor), 1988 · Hawaii Commercial Real Estate Manual (Contributing Editor), 1988 Representative Clients · Nauru Tower · Hawaiki Tower · Keauhou Golf Course · Kiahuna Golf Club · Kiahuna Plantation · The Pointe at Poipu · Kiahuna Shopping Village-Phase I · Vista Waikoloa · Hualalai Resort
Kenneth B. Marcus has over 45 years of experience in the areas of commercial real estate law, development, finance, leasing, purchases and sales. He also has extensive experience in Hawaii business law including 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. ...
Clifford J. Miller is Co-Founder of the firm, a Senior Member of its Executive Committee, and Chairman of the Business/Real Estate practice group. For more than 37 years Cliff has represented and advised institutions and individuals in a broad and widely varied range of business matters, including the following: · Structuring, negotiating and documenting commercial and residential real estate development projects, acquisitions and dispositions, including office buildings, resort hotels...
Mark Murakami practices in the firm's Dispute Resolution, Real Estate, Construction, and Business & Commercial Law practice groups. His focus is on complex commercial disputes, land use negotiation and litigation, environmental, and general civil litigation. He has appeared in all federal and states courts in Hawaii, most of the administration boards and commissions, and is licensed in the U.S. Supreme Court, Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and Court of Federal Claims. He is rated by Marti...
Vicki Nakahara is a Partner in the firm's Honolulu office and is a member of the Transactional practice group. She concentrates her practice in the areas of commercial real estate transactions, financing and lending, and corporate transactions. Ms. Nakahara began her legal career working as an associate at Lane Powell PC in their Portland, Oregon office. Representative Matters Commercial Real Estate Prepared and negotiated documentation of the sales of real property on behalf of sellers and b...
Craig G. Nakamura is the Administrative Partner in the firm's Maui Office and is a member of the Litigation practice group. He concentrates his practice in the areas of real estate and general corporate law. Mr. Nakamura has extensive experience in commercial real estate, civil litigation, construction disputes, foreclosures, mediation and arbitration. He was recently selected by attorney peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America 2018 in the fields of Litigation - Real Estate and Rea...
Anders G.O. Nervell practices in the areas of real estate development, transactions and financing, and general business matters.Mr. Nervell represents parties in the development of condominium projects and subdivisions, and in the structuring, negotiation and documentation of real property acquisitions, dispositions and commercial leases. He has extensive experience in real property conveyancing and financing matters, and he counsels condominium associations on general management and governan...
Ms. Ohira is a Director of the firm and concentrates her practice in the areas of real estate and land use law, hotels and resorts, business structure and operations, and commercial transactions. She brings more than 15 years of experience to her work on a variety of real estate acquisitions and sales, commercial leasing and commercial residential developments, including representing condominium associations and the creation of in condominium and community developments. Ms. Ohira’s comm...
Lawrence Okinaga is a partner in the firm's Honolulu office and a member of its Transactional practice group. He concentrates his practice in the areas of corporate, financial institutions, real estate, and administrative law. Mr. Okinaga has developed this deep experience in representing corporations, partnerships and individuals, for more than 38 years. He regularly advises clients on business matters and supervises the firm's litigators in clients' disputes. He is listed in Chambers USA: A...
Lindsay E. Orman is a Director of the firm. She is a versatile real estate and business law attorney who is skilled at analyzing complex matters and developing creative, results-oriented solutions. Ms. Orman represents diverse clients, including hotels, developers, government agencies, publicly traded companies, closely held entities, and individuals. She focuses her practice in the areas of real estate acquisitions and sales, land use and entitlements issues, business structure and operation...
Anna is in Damon Key’s Dispute Resolution and Real Estate and Construction practice areas. As a director of the firm, her main focus is construction law and commercial litigation. She has represented construction organizations, developers, owners, contractors, subcontractors, suppliers and design professionals in reviewing and drafting construction contracts, as well as in all forums of dispute resolution, including extensive arbitration and administrative hearings, and appeals. She is ...
David has practiced law in Honolulu since 2005. He primarily provides representation to hotel and resort owners, to developers and to other commercial property owners, in connection with real estate acquisitions and sales, ground leasing, development and land use matters and financings.? David graduated magna cum laude from the William S. Richardson School of Law at the University of Hawaii with an Environmental Law Program Certificate. David is a 1999 graduate from Princeton University with ...
Charles E. Pear, Jr. is of counsel in the real estate practice group and represents numerous clients on dozens of condominium, timesharing and fractional projects, including some of the earliest and some of the largest plans in the nation. He represents developers and lenders, real estate brokerage firms, property managers, homeowners associations, exchange companies, and others. He has also served as a consultant to the State of Hawaii. Mr. Pear is listed in Best Lawyers in America and in Ch...
Brad concentrates his practice in the areas of real estate development and finance, real estate workouts and restructuring, real estate foreclosure, insolvency, purchase and sales contracts, exchange agreements, ground and retail leases, limited partnerships, joint venture agreements, business and corporate formation, commercial transactions, corporate litigation and commercial litigation. Mr. Pulice is member of the Real Estate, Business Formation, Corporate and Condominium Practice Groups. ...
Randall Sakumoto joined McCorriston Miller Mukai MacKinnon LLP in 1989 as a member of the firm's business/real estate department. His practice focuses primarily on the acquisition and development of commercial real estate in the State of Hawai'i. From 1992 to 1994, Mr. Sakumoto worked as a foreign law consultant at the Tokyo law firm of Nagashima & Ohno (now known as Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu), where he worked closely with Japanese banks and investment companies which had acquired s...
Paul Sato is a seasoned Hawaii litigation attorney who has over 45 years experience. Mr. Sato is Counsel to the firm and focuses his practice in the areas of Commercial Litigation, Real Estate Law, Corporate Law and Administrative Law. Mr. Sato has been selected for inclusion to The Best Lawyers in America ® list in the practice areas of Commercial Litigation, Real Estate Litigation and Real Estate Law. Mr. Sato is rated AV Preeminent® , Martindale-Hubbell’s® highest rating ...
Lauren R. Sharkey, is a Director and concentrates her practice in the areas of real estate, taxation and business & commercial law. She represents businesses in wide-ranging commercial matters including acquisitions and sales of real estate and business, development and leasing. Ms. Sharkey also advises businesses and individuals as to state and federal tax issues. She is licensed (inactive) as a certified public accountant in Hawai’i and California. She is a former summer clerk to ...
Robert Strand is a partner in the firm's Honolulu office and is a member of the Real Estate, Land Use & Hospitality Practice Group. He concentrates his practice on complex real estate transactions, commercial leasing, equipment leasing, water law and public utilities matters. Mr. Strand is listed in Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business 2018 for Real Estate. Representative Matters Commercial Leasing Represents the Ala Moana Shopping Center in connection with commercial leas...
Barry Sullivan focuses his legal practice on real estate/real estate finance, corporate structuring, development, and the resolution of complex commercial disputes. In over twenty-five years of practice, Barry has become trusted counsel to some of the most successful and active private equity funds, institutional investors, and developers doing business in Hawaii. His breadth of experience in complex commercial litigation, real estate, hospitality, and Hawaii development and business enables ...
Mr. Wong concentrates on real estate acquisitions, sales, financing and development, business consultation, and related areas. He has participated in transactions involving the acquisition, financing, development, operation and/or sale of resort hotels, golf courses, commercial office buildings, shopping centers, residential condominium projects, vacant land, and ongoing business concerns. His clients include real estate companies, resort hotel owners, developers, and financial institutions, ...
Jon Yamamura is a Partner in the firm's Honolulu office and is the Chair of the Transactional Practice Group. He concentrates his practice on real estate, mergers and acquisitions, buying and selling businesses and business interests, and business planning and reorganization. Mr. Yamamura also works on a wide range of complex corporate and finance projects and cases. In addition, having served over two years as a foreign attorney on staff at the Anderson Mori law firm in Tokyo, Japan, he has ...
Following graduation from law school, Michael served as a law clerk to the Honorable Jon J. Chinen, United States Bankruptcy Judge for the District of Hawaii. Since joining the firm in 1980, he has continued to use his expertise in bankruptcy law, the main emphasis of his practice. Michael also practices in the areas of bankruptcy & creditor’s rights, business & commercial, dispute resolution, and real estate & land use. In 1992, he and DKLKH colleague, Kenneth Kupchak, co-a...
Ms. Yoshimoto’s practice focuses on representing both lenders and borrowers in real estate and asset based secured transactions, and representing buyers and sellers in a variety of land transactions including financing, development and sales of residential subdivision, condominium and mixed-use projects, commercial ground and space leasing and real estate due diligence. Speeches and Seminars Moderator, “Commonly Negotiated Commercial Purchase and Sale Provisions”, Hawaii Sta...
Ms. Young (formerly Lisa A. Chun) concentrates on real estate, commercial financing and general business transactions. She has extensive experience in real estate and asset-based financing. She has served as counsel in the purchase/sale and the development and financing of numerous and commercial facilities, including hotels and shopping centers and in large-scale lending syndications. She also serves as local counsel to a national company with extensive agricultural operations in Hawaii. She...
Ms.Kagawa focuses her practice in the areas of real estate and commercial transactions. Ms. Kagawa has been selected to the Hawaii Super Lawyers®, "Rising Star" list in the practice area of Real Estate Law since 2021. Ms. Kagawa has been selected for inclusion to The Best Lawyers in America®, Ones to Watch 2024 list in the practice area of Real Estate Law. Examples of Ms. Kagawa’s work include: Real Estate Acquisitions, Sales, and Development. Represents clients in connection wi...
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