Articles & Publications

Here’s the latest Winter 2025 edition of the Legal Alert, with stories on Mark M. Murakami elected the 2025 Hawaii State Bar Association President, Damon Key Welcomes Attorney Leina-Mei S. Johnson, Empty Homes Tax Incoming? What you Need to Know, Attorney Kalina Nguyen Le Joins Damon Key, Attorney Logan T. Araki Brings Valuable Insights and Experience to Damon Key, Genki Ala Wai Project and more…

Here’s the latest Spring/Summer 2024 edition of the Legal Alert, with stories on Damon Key’s Newest Director Ross Uehara-Tilton, The Pay Transparency Law, Are They an Independent Contractor, or Your Employee, New Associate Kira-Nariese Kiana Brown Brings Passion for Advocacy, Attorney Daniel J. Koller Sails into Damon Key with Maritime Industry Experience and more…

Here’s the latest Winter/Spring 2024 edition of the Legal Alert, with stories on Damon Key’s Landmark Hawaii Supreme Court Victory, Christine Kubota Receives Special Commendation, Corporate Transparency Act, Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rentals, Damon Key Welcomes Attorney Katie T. Pham and Attorney B. Matthew Gozun and more…

Here’s the latest Summer/Fall 2023 edition of the Legal Alert, with stories on Damon Key Marks 60th Anniversary with Continuing Tradition of Community Service, Matthew T. Evans Elected to Prestigious Meritas Board of Directors, New Hawaii Laws Impacting Business and Property Owners, Navigating Insurance Recovery After A Natural Disaster, 2023 Damon Key Ohana Picnic and more…

Here’s the latest Spring/Summer 2023 edition of the Legal Alert, with stories on Christine A. Kubota elected President of Damon Key Leong Kupchak Hastert, Do Androids Paint Electric Sheep? Copyright Issues and AI-Generated Art, Mark M. Murakami Elected Vice President of the Hawaii State Bar Association, What You Should Know Before You Enter Into A Commercial Lease and more…

Here’s the latest Fall/Winter 2022 edition of the Legal Alert, with stories on Legal Update for Investors Seeking U.S. Permanent Residency, Attorney Christopher H. Pang Brings Banking Experience and Impressive Language Skills to the Firm, Crooked Trustees: Bankruptcy May Not be a Safe Harbor for Those Who Misuse Trust Funds, Non-Profit Background Serves as Foundation for Attorney David H. Abitbol, Island Ties Draws Attorney Jonathan Niichi Marchuk to Damon Key and more…

Here’s the latest Summer/Fall 2022 edition of the Legal Alert, with stories on 30-Day Short-Term Rentals, Insurance-Related COVID-19 Issues: Where We Are, Where We Are Going, Protecting your Intellectual Property Online Starts with Warning, Estate Planning for Intellectual Property and more…

Here’s the latest Spring/Summer 2022 edition of the Legal Alert, with stories on Captain Mark Murakami’s Retirement From the U.S. Coast Guard After 30 Years of Distinguished Service, Local Expertise With Worldwide Reach, Leveraging Damon Key’s Membership in Meritas, R. Charles Bocken, A Celebration of Life, 2022 Legislative Update for Condominium and Community Associations, Christine Kubota Helps Mark the Milestone, Entering the United States to Direct and Develop a Business as a Foreign National: How Hard Can It Be?

Here’s the latest Winter/Spring 2022 edition of the Legal Alert, with stories on Mark Murakami Elected As Hawaii Member of Owner’s Counsel, Navigating the Probate Process from Overseas, Clint Hamada Brings Dedication & Intensity, Non-Compete Agreements Must Be for More Than Preventing Competition, Love of Reading Propels Toren Yamamoto into Law, Faster Might Not Be Better and Attorneys in the News.

Here’s the latest Fall/Winter 2021 edition of the Legal Alert, with stories on Gut and Replaced or Why Reading This Title is not Reading This Article, 2022 Lawyer of the Year & The Best Lawyers in America, What are Reverse Mortgages, Covid-19, Act 57, and Mediation, Again, New Attorneys Amber Yonamine and Max Kimura join the Firm and Attorneys in the News.

Here’s the latest Summer/Fall 2021 edition of the Legal Alert, with stories on Renting in the Time of Covid, 2021 Legislative Update for Condominium & Community Associations, Senate Bill No. 385 Unform Trust Code What Does it Mean?, 2021 Legislative Update and more…

Here’s the latest Spring/Summer 2021 edition of the Legal Alert, with stories on Workplace COVID-19 Vaccination, Damon Key’s 1979 Supreme Court Win Still Making Waves, Hawaii Legislators Used “Gut and Replace” to Increase Conveyance Taxes, With Little Practical Effect and more…

Here’s the latest Winter/Spring 2021 edition of the Legal Alert, with stories on Construction 2021, Twenty-Five Years Since PASH: A Look Back, Estate Planning Under President’s Biden’s Proposed Tax Plan and more...

Here’s the latest Fall/Winter 2020 edition of the Legal Alert, with stories on 2021 Lawyers of the Year and Best Lawyers, They Are Not “Pets”, Do Schools have the Authority to Address Off-Campus Speech and more...

Hawaii Department of Taxation Pursuing Aggressive Enforcement of Potential Transient Accommodation and General Excise Tax Violations…

Here’s the latest Summer/Fall 2020 edition of the Legal Alert, with stories on Aloha to Charlie Bocken, 2020 Legislative Update, Mask Up and Spam Up and more...

Here’s the latest Spring/Summer 2020 Special Edition of our quarterly Legal Alert devoted to addressing some of the more frequently-asked legal questions arising out of the pandemic.

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,” is how Damon Key attorney Greg Kugle started off his winning oral argument before the Hawaii Supreme Court. While the quote was from Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities, this case is the tale of two towers. Two new Ritz Carlton towers on Kuhio Avenue in Waikiki to be precise.

Here’s the latest Winter/Spring 2020 edition of the Legal Alert, with stories on Na Lan our New Director, The Tale of Two Towers: Damon Key Wins Important Hawaii Supreme Court Land Use Case, Damon Key earns Meritas Recertification and more...

Here’s the latest Fall/Winter 2019 edition of the Legal Alert, with stories on Mark Murakami‘s recent honor as the U.H. Law School Alumnus of the Year, an introduction to the firm’s newest lawyer Casey Miyashiro, The Importance of Operating Agreements by Adam Miller, and more...

Here's the latest Legal Alert (Summer-Fall 2019), with stories on nuisance trees, the new Frank Damon Room at UH Law, the SECURE Act, "Red Flag" Law, Legislative Update, welcome to Adam Miller, and more.

Damon Key Secures Landmark Hawaii Supreme Court Insurance Law Victory Download the Legal Alert Breaking News

Here’s the Spring/Summer 2019 edition of the Legal Alert with stories on our Co-Founder Henry Shigekane, Christine Kubota honored by JCCH, Newly Passed Bill Rewrites Zoning Codes, New Hawaii Supreme Court Decision on Worker’s Injury Discrimination, What are the chances of being audited by the IRS and Insurance Companies and Climate Change and more...

Changes Ahead For Property Owners: After More Than 30 Years, Supreme Court Reopens Federal Courthouse Door To Property Rights Claims Download the Legal Alert Update

Here’s the Winter/Spring 2019 edition of the Legal Alert with stories on our new Director Madeleine Young, 2019 Lawyer of the Year, Best Lawyers and Super Lawyers, Notice of…

Here’s the Fall/Winter 2018 edition of the Legal Alert with stories on State and County Government Records, Transient Accommodations, Collection & Foreclosure 101 for New Directors or Property Managers,…

Here’s the Summer/Fall 2018 edition of the Legal Alert. With stories on The Mechanics of Mechanic’s Liens in Hawaii, Honolulu’s Sidewalk Obstruction Ordinance Goes Island-Wide, Hawaii’s Service Charge Law,…

By Tred R. Eyerly at te@hawaiilawyer.com. Tred provides tips for preparing and submitting claims for any loss caused by storms. Download the Legal Alert Update

By Na Lan at nl@hawaiilawyer.com. Na provides a recap on Employment, Confidential Personal Information, Liquor Licenses, Electronic Filing of Tax Returns and Real Estate Download the…

Here’s the Spring/Summer edition of Damon Key’s Legal Alert. With stories on insurance law and the volcanic eruption, construction law, Best Lawyers, Matthew Evans and “40 Under 40,” and…

Here’s the Winter/Spring 2018 edition of the Legal Alert. With stories on short-term rentals and choice of tenants, medical marijuana and condominium associations, construction law, and the federal tax…

The Zoning and Planning Law Report recently published Damon Key’s Robert Thomas‘s article on the U.S. Supreme Court’s regulatory takings decision….

Here’s the Fall/Winter 2017 edition of the Legal Alert. Introducing our new attorneys, and stories on condo law, tax and estate planning, and seawall maintenance.

By Christine A. Kubota What if you have a grand idea and you wish to put it into motion? Have you created the prototype of your product or do…

Here’s the Summer/Fall 2017 edition of the Legal Alert. With stories on new business formation, 2017 Legislative Update, the Diversity Visa Lottery, and more...

By Kelly Y. Uwaine kyu@hawaiilawyer.com The Department of State has released the instructions for the 2019 Diversity Visa (DV) program.  Online…

A special edition of the firm’s Legal Alert, dedicated to our founder, C.F. Damon, Jr. (1926-2017).

By Christopher J.I. Leong cjil@hawaiilawyer.com The Hawaii State Legislature concluded its 2017 Regular Session with 217 bills becoming law. Here are…

Here’s the Winter/Spring 2017 edition of the Legal Alert. With stories on New Administration, New Questions, Congratulations, Tred! Tred Eyerly…

Here’s the Fall/Winter 2016 edition of the Legal Alert. With stories on Access to Justice, What does a Trump Presidency mean for Hawaii contractors.

Here’s the Summer/Fall 2016 edition of the Legal Alert. With stories on Immigration, Conveyance Tax Planning.

Here’s the Spring/Summer 2016 edition of the Legal Alert. With stories on Insurance, A Revocable Living Trust.

Here’s the Winter/Spring 2016 edition of the Legal Alert. With stories on disclosure requirements in commercial property sales, BE-13 foreign investments, a pending Supreme Court election case, Accessory Dwelling Units, and more...

Here’s the Fall/Winter 2015 edition of the Legal Alert. With stories on Immigration Law, Bid Protests in Construction Cases, Land Use Variances, and Crowdfunding and the Law.

Here’s the Summer/Fall 2015 edition of the Legal Alert. With stories on Hawaii’s New Environmental Court, the ban on noncompetes for tech workers, administrative procedures, and more...

The Spring/Summer 2015 edition of the Legal Alert has been published, with articles about the Differences Between Wills and Trusts, Permitting Commercial Use of State Waters, Hawaii’s New Medical Marijuana Dispensary Law, Welcoming Ikaika Jobe, and more...

The Winter/Spring 2015 edition of the Legal Alert has been published, with articles on Honolulu Rail and property rights, Matt Evans is the firm’s newest…

The Fall/Winter 2014 Legal Alert has been published, with articles on Understanding Residential Property Management Agreements, Conducting an Internal I-9 Audit, the Importance of Pre-…

Here’s the latest Legal Alert, with articles on Eminent Domain, Hawaii’s Uniform Information Practices Act (open records), Alternative Energy Farming, the Uniform Power of Attorney Act, and more...

Damon Key lawyer Robert H. Thomas has published an article in the September 2014 edition of The Practical Real Estate Lawyer. Despite its grand…

Here’s the latest Legal Alert, with articles on “Answers to Frequently Asked Questions from Chinese Clients,” “Assisting the Japanese Investor,” “Immigration News – Overview of…

Damon Key lawyers Mark Murakami, Bethany Ace, and Robert Thomas have co-authored an article in The Urban Lawyer,…

Here’s the Winter/Spring 2013 Edition of Legal Alert, with articles on the firm’s tradition of community service, an update on the Group Builders…

Anna H. Oshiro (aho@hawaiilawyer.com) & Tred Eyerly (te@hawaiilawyer.com) Earlier this week, the Intermediate Court of Appeals (ICA) issued an important decision, concluding…

Here’s the pdf of the recently-published book about our firm’s two founders, C. Frank Damon and Henry Shigekane. “Founded in Honolulu in 1963…

The current issue of the University of Hawaii Law Review includes an article co-authored by Damon Key attorney Tred Eyerly entitled, “Key Issues in…

The State of Hawaii Department of Taxation (“DOT”) recently issued temporary administrative rules that will affect anyone planning on installing and placing in service a…

The Summer 2012 issue of the Urban Lawyer, the law review published quarterly by the…

Damon Key lawyer Robert H. Thomas authored the Hawaii Chapter in the recently-published book The Law of Eminent Domain….

The firm’s final Legal Alert for 2011, available for download here.

The ABA has published a new article Local Government and the First Amendment at the Supreme Court: Legislative Voting…

The firm’s first Legal Alert for 2011, available for download here.

The firm’s third Legal Alert for 2010, available for download here.

The firm’s second Legal Alert for 2010, available for download here.

The firm’s first Legal Alert for 2010, available for download here.

Damon Key construction lawyers Kenneth Kupchak, Anna Oshiro, Christi-Anne H. Kudo Chock, and Tred Eyerly teamed together to write the Hawai`i chapter for the recent…

Each summer, The Urban Lawyer (the ABA’s Section of State and Local Government Law‘s peer-reviewed law review), devotes an issue to…

The firm’s third Legal Alert for 2009, available for download here.

A few months ago, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published new regulations relating to the unlawful hiring or continued employment of aliens who are…

Tred Eyerly’s article critiques the Fifth Circuit’s post-Hurricane Rita decision in Arctic Slope Regional Corp. v. Affiliated FM Ins. Co. The case involved insurance…

The firm’s second Legal Alert for 2009, available for download here, carries articles on our New Generation of Associates, C. Kubota and the Wahine…

The first Legal Alert for 2009, available for download here, carries articles on the firm’s Real Estate and Construction Practice, Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and…

Many homeowners assume a homeowner’s policy provides hurricane and flood coverage. This is typically not the case, as hurricane and flood coverage must be purchased…

The last Legal Alert for 2008, available for download here, begins with a Tribute to our Founders. Other articles cover Construction in Risky Times,…

The firm’s third Legal Alert for 2008, available for download here, discusses the New Dept. of Homeland Security Pre-Boarding Requirement for 90-Day Visitors, Worksite…

Our second Legal Alert for 2008, available for download here, carries articles on our Legal Bloggers, our Maritime and…

The firm’s first Legal Alert for 2008, available for download here, carries articles on Insurance 101 (basic considerations regarding insurance policies), our own Insurance…