News + Publications
M4 appoints Laura S. Lucas as Partner
M4 is pleased to announce the appointment of Laura S. Lucas as a new partner of the Firm. Ms. Lucas has been practicing in M4's Litigation section since October 2008. Ms. Lucas received her juris doctor from the University of Virginia School of Law in 2003 and her bachelor's of arts from Barnard College. After her graduation from law school, Ms. Lucas practiced at the New York office of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP as an associate and clerked for the Honorable Frances Q.F. Wong, Senior Family Court and Deputy Chief Judge of the First Circuit Court, State of Hawai'i before joining M4. As an associate with M4, Ms. Lucas was instrumental at obtaining a victory for Ansaldo Honolulu JV in the State's largest ever procurement protest and was co-counsel for a trial defending the County of Kauai in a land use matter, which resulted in a complete defense verdict after the Plaintiff rested. For more information about Ms. Lucas, including her contact information, please visit her profile.
M4 Represents Client in Successful Challenge to Land Use Reversion
M4 attorneys Lorraine H. Akiba, Peter J. Hamasaki, and Dayna H. Kamimura-Ching, on behalf of their client, DW Aina Le'a, successfully appealed a decision of the State Land Use Commission that sought to revoke the long-standing urban land use classification of The Villages of Aina Le'a on the Island of Hawaii. Judge Elizabeth Strance of the Third Circuit ruled in favor of DW Aina Le'a and its co-appellant, finding that the Land Use Commission had improperly attempted to revert the land use classification of the property. The decision clears the way for the development of The Villages of Aina Le'a, which will provide for the residents of the Island of Hawaii thousands of new homes and hundreds of affordable housing units; new retail, commercial, medical, golf, and recreational facilities; increased regional infrastructure; and numerous construction and related jobs for Hawaii workers.
Benchmark Litigation Recognizes M4 as Litigation Leader and names Three Local Litigation Stars.
November, 2011. Benchmark Litigation: The Definitive Guide To America's Leading Litigation Firms And Attorneys has named M4 a "Highly Recommended" litigation firm in Hawaii. Benchmark, the definitive guide to America's leading business litigation firms and attorneys, reserves this top ranking for those firms which received the most mentions by peers and clients, and which were held as dominant in their particular jurisdiction.
In addition, Benchmark singled out three M4 litigators - Bill McCorriston, David Minkin and Ken Mansfield - as "Local Litigation Stars." Benchmark reserves this honor for individuals who were consistently recommended by their peers and clients as reputable and effective litigators.
"We're pleased that Benchmark has again recognized the strength of our litigation practice," said founding partner Bill McCorriston. "We're fortunate to have a group of very strong litigators handling some of the most interesting litigation cases in Hawaii."
Benchmark is the only publication on the market to focus exclusively on litigation in the U.S. The guide's results are the culmination of a six-month research period that allows researchers to conduct extensive interviews with litigators and their clients within their state or national practice areas.
Bill McCorriston to Speak on Hawaii Tort Law
M4 Partner Bill McCorriston was one of the featured speakers at a seminar for insurance agents and brokers on November 16 -- Agent & Broker Ethics and Insurance Law & Rules. Bill presented on Hawaii Tort Law.
McCorriston Attorneys Selected to Superlawyers.com
M4 is pleased to announce that six M4 lawyers have been selected to the 2011 edition of Superlawyers.com. Cliff Miller, D. Scott MacKinnon, Bill McCorriston, Charlie Pear, David Minkin, and John Yamano have been listed in the 2011 edition of Superlawyers.com. These M4 attorneys are considered by Superlawyers to be among the top 5% of practicing attorneys in the State of Hawai'i, as chosen by their peers and through independent research.
Stewart Pressman Named Honolulu Lawyer of the Year for Mergers & Acquisitions Law
Best Lawyers, the oldest and most respected peer-review publication in the legal profession, has named Stewart Pressman as the "Honolulu Best Lawyers Mergers & Acquisitions Law Lawyer of the Year" for 2012. After more than a quarter of a century in publication, Best Lawyers is designating "Lawyers of the Year" in high-profile legal specialties in large legal communities. Only a single lawyer in each specialty in each community is being honored as the "Lawyer of the Year." Best Lawyers compiles its lists of outstanding attorneys by conducting exhaustive peer-review surveys in which thousands of leading lawyers confidentially evaluate their professional peers. The current, 18th edition of The Best Lawyers in America (2012) is based on more than 3.9 million detailed evaluations of lawyers by other lawyers. The lawyers being honored as "Lawyers of the Year" have received particularly high ratings in our surveys by earning a high level of respect among their peers for their abilities, professionalism, and integrity. Steven Naifeh, President of Best Lawyers, says, "We continue to believe - as we have believed for more than 25 years - that recognition by one's peers is the most meaningful form of praise in the legal profession. We would like to congratulate Stewart Pressman on being selected as the 'Honolulu Best Lawyers Mergers & Acquisitions Law Lawyer of the Year' for 2012."
M4 recognized as a Platinum Sponsor of Legal Aid
M4 is a proud Platinum Sponsor of Legal Aid's Justice Fundraising Campaign. Legal Aid's ambitious fundraising campaign will increase access to justice for Hawaii's low and moderate-income citizens. M4 is proud to participate in this campaign and continue its distinguished history of providing pro bono legal services to those who cannot otherwise obtain legal representation. We are a private firm with private clients, but we remain committed to the public good and equal justice by providing and supporting pro bono legal services.
M4 successfully defends class action against the Kahala Hotel & Resort
The M4 trial team, headed by David J. Minkin, Lisa W. Cataldo, and Dayna H. Kamimura-Ching, represented the Kahala Hotel & Resort in a class action lawsuit brought by former banquet customers. The lawsuit was based on a statute regarding disclosure of the distribution of service charges. The court, the Honorable Gary W.B. Chang presiding, held that the Kahala's service charge was not illegal or deceptive. After a jury trial, Judge Chang granted the Kahala's Renewed Motion for Judgment as a Matter of Law, agreeing that Plaintiffs failed to prove that they suffered economic or financial harm as a result of the Kahala's actions. The Court entered judgment in favor of the Kahala.
M4 Leads NCAA to Defense Verdict in Seattle Bowl Trial
Bill McCorriston and Ken Mansfield, with co-counsel Greg Curtner of Miller Canfield, led the National Collegiate Athletic Association to a defense jury verdict in a Circuit Court trial this month.
The case, filed by Plaintiff Aloha Sports Inc. (ASI), began in 2004. The NCAA successfully defended ASI's claim in both Federal and State Court on antitrust, contract and unfair competition theories. ASI sought more than $2 million and punitive damages, but the jury ruled in favor of the NCAA and dismissed the remaining claim for tortious interference with a claimed deal to transfer the then existing Seattle Bowl. The NCAA may seek to recover significant costs and fees incurred during this multi-year legal battle. (2011.09.19)
M4 leads client to victory in State's largest ever procurement protest
M4 successfully represented Ansaldo Honolulu JV, the awardee of the Core Systems Design-Build-Operate-Maintain Contract for the Honolulu High-Capacity Transit Corridor Project (Honolulu Rail), in connection with appeals filed by the two losing bidders, Bombardier Transportation (Holdings) USA Inc. and Sumitomo Corporation of America.
In two separate administrative appeals initiated by Bombardier and Sumitomo, the M4 team, consisting of David J. Minkin, Kenneth J. Mansfield and Laura S. Lucas, secured summary judgment against Bombardier and prevailed in an evidentiary hearing against Sumitomo, upholding the award of Honolulu's largest ever public works project to Ansaldo. M4 also prevailed in defending Ansaldo in a subsequent appeal filed by Bombardier in the First Circuit Court. Sumitomo did not file a further appeal. (2011.09.13)
M4 welcomes Jesse J. T. Smith to the Firm
M4 is pleased to welcome Jesse J. T. Smith as a new associate of the Firm. Jesse J. T. Smith graduated from the University of Hawai'i at Manoa, Richardson School of Law in 2010 and comes to M4 after clerking for the Honorable Lisa M. Ginoza at the Intermediate Court of Appeals for the State of Hawai'i for the past year. Mr. Smith will round out the firm's well-established litigation department, specializing in Complex Commercial Litigation. (2011.09.12)
M4 appoints Christopher P. Aguilera as Partner
M4 is pleased to announce the appointment of Christopher P. Aguilera as a new partner of the Firm. Mr. Aguilera's has been practicing in M4's Corporate, Business Law, and Commercial Real Estate sections since 2005. Mr. Aguilera received his juris doctor from Duke University School of Law in Durham, North Carolina and his bachelor's of arts from Stanford University in Palo Alto, California. After his graduation from law school, Mr. Aguilera practiced at Paul Hastings Janofsky & Walker as an associate before joining M4. For more information about Mr. Aguilera, including his contact information, please visit his profile. (2011.08.01)
McCorriston Miller Mukai MacKinnon LLP, Tier 1 "Best Law Firm" - Hawai'i, by Best Lawyers in America 2010
McCorriston Miller Mukai MacKinnon LLP has been named a Tier 1 Best Law Firm - Hawai'i, by the Best Lawyers in America in the following practice areas:
- Criminal Defense: White-Collar
- General Commercial Litigation
- Mergers & Acquisitions Law
- Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants
- Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs
- Real Estate Law
The methodology for the U.S. News - Best Lawyers "Best Law Firms" involved surveying thousands of law firm clients; leading lawyers and law firm managers; partners and associates; and marketing officers and recruiting officers.
Bill McCorriston, Lawyer of the Year 2010, Bet-The-Company Litigation - Honolulu, by Best Lawyers in America 2010
Bill McCorriston has been named, Lawyer of the Year 2010, Bet-The-Company Litigation - Honolulu, by the Best Lawyers in America. After more than a quarter of a century in publication, Best Lawyers is designating "Lawyers of the Year" in high-profile legal practice areas in large legal communities. Only a single lawyer in each practice area in each community is being honored as the "Lawyer of the Year" for 2010.
Best Lawyers compiles its lists of outstanding attorneys by conducting exhaustive peer-review surveys in which thousands of leading lawyers confidentially evaluate their professional peers. The 16th edition of The Best Lawyers in America (2010), is based on more than 2.8 million detailed evaluations of lawyers by other lawyers.
The lawyers being honored as "Lawyers of the Year" were selected because, during the past two surveys, 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.
Best Lawyers compiles its lists of outstanding attorneys by conducting exhaustive peer-review surveys in which thousands of leading lawyers confidentially evaluate their professional peers.
