Doug’s practice emphasizes taxation, estate planning and business planning. He assists individuals, families and businesses with their legal needs.
Doug was named the Best Lawyers® 2024 Litigation-Trusts & Estates “Lawyer of the Year” in Honolulu. A designation given to a single attorney in each practice group by metropolitan area. Receiving this designation reflects the high level of respect a lawyer has earned among their peers for their abilities, their professionalism, and their integrity. He was also named Best Lawyers® 2021 Lawyer of the Year Trusts & Estates, the Best Lawyers® 2015 Lawyer of the Year Litigation-Trusts & Estates, and the Best Lawyers® 2013 Lawyer of the Year Trusts & Estates.
Doug once again was selected by his peers for inclusion in the 2024 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America® for his work in Corporate Law, Litigation-Trusts & Estates, Tax Law, and Trusts & Estates. Doug has also been selected by Super Lawyers for 10 years.
Estate Planning:
- Preparation of Estate Plans – Prepares and revises estate plans, including Wills, Trusts, Powers of Attorney and Advance Health Care Directives.
- Estate Administration – Assists with the administration of estates, including probate and non-probate administrations.
- Tax Planning – Assists with planning for and minimizing estate and gift taxes.
- Charitable Giving – Assists with planning for charitable gifts, and creation of appropriate legal documents, such as charitable remainder trusts and charitable gift annuities.
- Dispute Resolution – Represents family members in disputes involving wills, trusts or estates, including alternative dispute resolution (mediation or other settlement or arbitration) and litigation, if necessary.
- Guardianship – Represents family members in guardianship proceedings, including seeking or disputing appointment of a guardian and assisting with administration issues.
Business Planning:
- Formation, Administration and Termination of Businesses – Assists individuals in forming, administering and terminating limited liability companies, corporations and partnerships.
- Tax Planning – Assists businesses with planning to minimize taxes and to determine the tax effects of activities undertaken.
- Reorganization – Assists with the reorganization of businesses, both taxable and tax-free.
- Contracts – Assists businesses with creating or reviewing leases and other contracts affecting the business.
- Dispute Resolution – Represents businesses and business owners in disputes, including alternative dispute resolution (mediation or other settlement or arbitration) and litigation, if necessary.
Related Matters:
- Real Estate – Assists individuals, trusts and business with planning, contracts and disputes related to the purchase or leasing of real property.
- Conveyancing – Assists with conveying real property.
- 1031 Exchanges – Assists with planning and document preparation for 1031 exchanges.
- Premarital Agreements – Prepares and reviews Premarital Agreements.
Professional and Community Affiliations
- American Bar Association
- Business Law Section
- Real Property, Trust & Estate Law Section
- Taxation Section
- American Bar Foundation (Fellow)
- American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (Fellow)
- Hawaii State Bar Association
- Business Law Section
- Probate & Estate Planning Section
- Real Property & Financial Services Section
- Tax Section (past Chair)
- Catholic Charities (Committee – Public Policy)
- Chambers Top Ranked High Net Worth 2024
- Goodwill Industries of Hawaii (Director)
- Hawaii Estate Planning Council (Member)
- Ohu Ohu Koolau (Chair)
Publications (Partial Listing)
- Chapter on Wills, Encyclopedia of Estate Planning, Hawaii State Bar Association (1999, Rev. 2007)
- Estate Planning Forms Manual (contributor), Hawaii State Bar Association (2000)
- Financial and Estate Planning Forms Manual, Hawaii Institute for Continuing Legal Education (1995)
- Hawaii Conservatorship and Guardianship Forms Manual, co-author, Hawaii State Bar Association (2005)
- Kapiolani Park Preservation Society v. City and County of Honolulu: The Lease of Public Park Land as a Breach of a Charitable Trust, University of Hawaii Law Review, Vol 11 (Fall 1989)
- A Working Primer on the Hawaii Limited Liability Company Act (with Charles W. Key)