Carlsmith Ball Attorneys Recognized by Best Lawyers® and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in 2025

Carlsmith Ball LLP is proud to have 32 lawyers selected for inclusion in the 2025 edition of Best Lawyers in America® and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America, with nearly all recognized attorneys chosen in multiple practice areas.

Carlsmith was also honored with “Lawyer of the Year” distinctions in Honolulu in five practice areas, a designation awarded to only one attorney per practice area in each region.

"Lawyer of the Year" in Honolulu:

• Closely Held Companies and Family Business Law – David W. K. Wong
• Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law – Joanne Lo Grimes
• Energy Regulatory Law – Gerald A. Sumida
• Land Use and Zoning Law – Steven S. C. Lim
• Nonprofit/Charities Law – Joanne Lo Grimes
  

Best Lawyers in America®:

• Steven M. Egesdal – Antitrust Law | Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships) | Commercial Litigation | Corporate Law​
• Katherine Garson – Land Use and Zoning Law | Real Estate Law
• Joseph H. Goldcamp – Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships)
• Joanne Lo Grimes – Administrative / Regulatory Law | Corporate Governance Law | Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law | Nonprofit / Charities Law
• Catherine L. M. Hall – Commercial Litigation | Litigation - Real Estate | Real Estate Law
• William M. Harstad – Commercial Litigation | Litigation – Construction | Litigation - Real Estate
• John C. Khil – Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships) | Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law | Tax Law
• Karl K. Kobayashi – Administrative / Regulatory Law | Corporate Law | Land Use and Zoning Law | Project Finance Law | Real Estate Law
• Steven S. C. Lim – Administrative / Regulatory Law | Land Use and Zoning Law | Real Estate Law
• John P. (Pete) Manaut – Commercial Litigation | Litigation – Construction | Litigation – Environmental | Litigation – Insurance | Litigation - Land Use and Zoning | Litigation - Real Estate | Product Liability Litigation - Defendants
• Joy M. Miyasaki – Litigation - Trusts and Estates | Litigation and Controversy – Tax | Nonprofit / Charities Law | Tax Law | Trusts and Estates
• Arsima A. Muller – Administrative / Regulatory Law | Energy Law | Environmental Law | Litigation - Environmental
• Vicki Y. Nakahara – Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships) | Project Finance Law | Real Estate Law
• Craig G. Nakamura – Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships) | Commercial Litigation | Land Use and Zoning Law | Litigation – Construction | Litigation - Land Use and Zoning | Litigation - Real Estate | Real Estate Law
• Lawrence S. Okinaga – Administrative / Regulatory Law | Banking and Finance Law | Consumer Law | Corporate Law | Financial Services Regulation Law | Litigation - Banking and Finance | Project Finance Law | Real Estate Law
• Dean H. Robb – Admiralty and Maritime Law | Commercial Litigation
• Tom E. Roesser – Banking and Finance Law | Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law | Commercial Litigation | Financial Services Regulation Law | Litigation - Banking and Finance | Mortgage Banking Foreclosure Law
• Robert E. Strand – Administrative / Regulatory Law | Land Use and Zoning Law | Real Estate Law
• Gerald A. Sumida – Administrative / Regulatory Law | Antitrust Law | Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships) | Corporate Governance Law | Corporate Law | Energy Law | Energy Regulatory Law | Mergers and Acquisitions Law | Securities / Capital Markets Law
• Tom Van Winkle – Banking and Finance Law | Corporate Law | Mergers and Acquisitions Law
• Kai Wang – Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships) | Corporate Law | Real Estate Law
• David W. K. Wong – Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships) | Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law | Tax Law
• Patrick K. Wong – Administrative / Regulatory Law
• Jon T. Yamamura – Banking and Finance Law | Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships) | Project Finance Law | Real Estate Law
• Rodd H. Yano – Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships) | Land Use and Zoning Law | Real Estate Law

Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America:

• Alicia M. Fung – Administrative / Regulatory Law | Financial Services Regulation Law | Real Estate Law​• Avery C. Matro – Administrative / Regulatory Law | Real Estate Law
• Daniel J. Padilla – Banking and Finance Law | Financial Services Regulation Law | Real Estate Law | Tax Law | Trusts and Estates
• Derek B. Simon – Administrative / Regulatory Law | Land Use and Zoning Law | Real Estate Law
• Puananionaona (Onaona) P. Thoene – Administrative / Regulatory Law | Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships) | Energy Law | Environmental Law | Land Use and Zoning Law | Litigation – Environmental | Real Estate Law
• Ian R. Wesley-Smith – Alternative Dispute Resolution | Commercial Litigation | Litigation - Construction
• Shawn H. Yamada – Land Use and Zoning Law | Litigation - Trusts and Estates | Real Estate Law | Trusts and Estates
  
  Best Lawyers® is the oldest and most esteemed peer-review publication. Inclusion is based exclusively on merit, and signals excellence and professionalism in the ranked practice areas. The result is an unbiased ranking of leaders in the legal industry.