Best Lawyers®

Lists of outstanding lawyers are compiled by Best Lawyers® through peer review surveys in which lawyers confidentially evaluate their professional peers. The 30th edition of The Best Lawyers in America® (2024) includes more than 76,000 lawyers in 150 practice areas, covering all 50 states and the District of Columbia, and inclusion in this year’s publication is based on over 20 million detailed evaluations on lawyers.

Lawyer of the Year

The “Lawyer of the Year” recognition is awarded to individual attorneys with the highest overall peer-feedback. Only one lawyer is recognized as the “Lawyer of the Year,” a designation given within 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.

Douglas C. Smith

Corporate Law
Litigation – Trusts & Estates
Tax Law
Trusts & Estates


2024 Lawyer of the Year: Litigation – Trusts & Estates
2021 Lawyer of the Year: Trusts & Estates
2015 Lawyer of the Year: Litigation – Trusts & Estates
2013 Lawyer of the Year: Trusts & Estates

Douglas C. Smith

Corporate Law
Litigation – Trusts & Estates
Tax Law
Trusts & Estates


2024 Lawyer of the Year: Litigation – Trusts & Estates
2021 Lawyer of the Year: Trusts & Estates
2015 Lawyer of the Year: Litigation – Trusts & Estates
2013 Lawyer of the Year: Trusts & Estates

Best Lawyers®

Best Lawyers® is based entirely on peer review and the methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographic area and legal practice area. Lawyers are not able to nominate themselves and must be nominated by their peers. Listed below are the practice areas our colleagues were selected to for inclusion in the 2024 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®.

Matthew T. Evans

Construction Law
Litigation – Construction
Litigation – Insurance
Litigation – Real Estate
Real Estate

Tred R. Eyerly

Commercial Litigation
Insurance Law
Litigation – Insurance


2022 Lawyer of the Year: Litigation – Insurance

Diane D. Hastert

Arbitration
Commercial Litigation
Litigation – Real Estate

Christine A. Kubota

Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships)
Corporate Law
Employment Law – Management
Real Estate Law


2013 Lawyer of the Year: Corporate Law

Gregory W. Kugle

Commercial Litigation
Construction Law
Land Use & Zoning Law
Litigation – Construction
Litigation – Land Use & Zoning
Real Estate Law


2023 Lawyer of the Year: Litigation – Construction
2022, 2017 Lawyer of the Year: Litigation – Land Use & Zoning
2013 Lawyer of the Year: Land Use & Zoning Law

Kenneth R. Kupchak

Construction Law
Corporate Law
Eminent Domain & Condemnation Law
Litigation – Construction
Litigation – Land Use & Zoning
Real Estate Law


2017 Lawyer of the Year: Eminent Domain & Condemnation Law
2015 Lawyer of the Year: Litigation – Land Use & Zoning

Na Lan

Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships)
Real Estate Law

Mark M. Murakami

Commercial Litigation
Eminent Domain & Condemnation Law
Land Use & Zoning Law
Litigation – Real Estate
Litigation – Trusts & Estates
Real Estate Law
Trusts & Estates


2013 Lawyer of the Year: Eminent Domain & Condemnation Law

Anna H. Oshiro

Arbitration
Construction Law
Government Contracts
Litigation – Construction
Litigation – Insurance
Litigation – Real Estate
Real Estate


2021 Lawyer of the Year: Construction Law

Douglas C. Smith

Corporate Law
Litigation – Trusts & Estates
Tax Law
Trusts & Estates


2024 Lawyer of the Year: Litigation – Trusts & Estates
2021 Lawyer of the Year: Trusts & Estates
2015 Lawyer of the Year: Litigation – Trusts & Estates
2013 Lawyer of the Year: Trusts & Estates

Michael A. Yoshida

Banking and Finance Law
Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships)
Commercial Transactions / UCC Law
Construction Law
Mortgage Banking and Foreclosure Law
Real Estate Law

Madeleine M.V. Young

Litigation – Trusts & Estates
Trusts & Estates

Ones to Watch

Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch awards recognize extraordinary lawyers who have been in private practice for less than 10 years in the United States. Like traditional Best Lawyers awards, Ones to Watch recognition is based entirely on peer review.

Megan L.M. Lim

Litigation – Trusts & Estates
Trusts & Estates

Casey T. Miyashiro

Commercial Litigation
Litigation – Real Estate

Ross Uehara-Tilton

Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships)
Litigation & Controversy-Tax
Litigation – Trusts & Estates
Nonprofit / Charities Law
Real Estate Law
Tax Law
Trusts & Estates