Family Law

• Divorce
• Child Custody and Visitation
  Pro Bono. Representation of a Hawaii non-profit in the analysis and revision of its Articles of Incorporation and By-Laws. Representation of several low-income families in matters related to adoption, child custody, and divorce issues.
• Adoption

Criminal Law

• Criminal Defense
  "The "very talented" Judy Pavey has over 40 years' experience, with notable expertise in white-collar criminal matters, in addition to legal and medical malpractice, personal injury, construction and contract litigation."”
• Wrongful Death
  Trust & Estate Litigation. Favorably resolved claims against a major land-owning trust. Successfully represented an estate in the prosecution of claims relating to fraud and wrongful death.
• Fraud
  Commercial Litigation, Professional Negligence, Personal Injury, Medical Malpractice, Wrongful Death, Substantial Economic Loss/Product Defects, Corporate and Commercial, Shareholder Derivative and Direct Claims in Closely Held Corporations, White Collar Criminal Defense, 3rd Party Aspects of Work Injuries, Consumer Fraud, Unfair Deceptive Business Practices
• Theft
• Misdemeanors
• Drug Crimes
  Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Brown served as a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney for the City & County of Honolulu. He prosecuted more than 20 felony jury trials on charges ranging from drug possession to murder.  He has also been a guest lecturer at the William S. Richardson School of Law, where he taught the Space Law and Policy class.
• Murder
  Mr. Brown earned his Juris Doctor from William S. Richardson School of Law, University of Hawaii at Manoa. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Brown served as a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney for the City & County of Honolulu. He prosecuted more than 20 felony jury trials on charges ranging from drug possession to murder.
• Internet Crimes
  At the William S. Richardson Law School, Ms. Ohira graduated among the top students in her class. While in law school Ms. Ohira was a Casenote Editor and the Resource Manager of the University of Hawaii Law Review. She received the CALI Excellence for the Future Award in Property I (2005), Internet Law & Policy (2005), State & Local Government (2006) and Secured Transactions (2006). Ms. Ohira also published an article with Professor David L. Callies, Public Use/Public Purpose After Kelo v. City of New London: What’s Happened Since, in the Institute on Planning, Zoning, and Eminent Domain in 2007.

Business and Corporate Law

• Corporate Law
  Ms. Pavey was one of the lead litigators representing minority shareholders in a closely held corporation involving a federally regulated institution in which both direct and derivative claims were prosecuted. That was successfully resolved in 2008.  That lawsuit brought her to Starn O’Toole Marcus & Fisher in September 2008 where she continues to work on commercial and corporate litigation matters, as well as professional negligence cases involving serious physical and economic damages.
• Mergers and Acquisitions
  The Best Lawyers in America© for Business Organizations, Commercial Finance, Mergers & Acquisitions and Real Estate Law, and named
• Business Formation
  Represents clients in the areas of real estate purchases and sales, leasing, development, and land use. Her practice also includes commercial transactions and business formation and structuring. She is admitted to the Hawaii Bar, and earned her Juris Doctor from the University of Hawaii, William S. Richardson School of Law.
• Business Disputes
  Starn O’Toole Marcus & Fisher is a leader among Hawaii’s litigation, real estate and business law firms.  Our firm was founded on the principles of hiring the best and the brightest talent and ensuring fair treatment for all our people - attorneys, staff and clients.
• Business Transactions
  Starn O’Toole Marcus & Fisher’s financial practice focuses on the representation of borrowers and lenders who require a sophisticated command of complex real estate acquisitions and business transactions.
• Limited Liability Companies
  Firm transactional attorneys represent clients located in Hawaii, the US and internationally in the purchase and sale of business entities and business assets that range from acquisition of membership interests in closely held limited liability companies, to the acquisition of majority control of publicly held and traded corporations.
• Construction Contracts
  Duane R. Fisher has represented hotel owners, general contractors, Wall Street investment firms, telecommunication companies and energy development companies...“is a 'very solid corporate and real estate attorney,’ say interviewees. He is further described as a ‘go-to guy,’ particularly for construction contracts and related issues.”
• Intellectual Property
  Business Transactions.  Handles business acquisitions from negotiations through closing.  Assists clients with a variety of commercial contracts relating to loans, asset and equity sales and acquisitions, intellectual property licensing, and management and consulting services.
• Unfair Competition
  Since returning to Hawaii Mr. Kelly has assisted a number of clients, from individuals and startups, to large and established corporations with a wide range of intellectual property matters.  Mr. Kelly has advised local clients on domestic and international trademark registration, maintenance and enforcement, including litigating matters before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB), state, federal, and administrative tribunals.  His work also includes assisting business clients with issues relating to copyright, domain names, rights of publicity and unfair competition.  Some of Mr. Kelly’s clients include local leaders in the food and beverage, hospitality, fashion, retail, luxury and tech industries in Hawaii.
• Antitrust

Employment Law

• Wrongful Termination
  Labor/Employment Disputes. Successfully represented an employer in federal court involving claims of fraud and wrongful termination. Resolved claims relating to covenants not to compete on behalf of a private corporation through arbitration.
• Employment Discrimination
  Wrongful Termination/Employment Disputes.  Represented employers and employees in actions involving sex, race and age discrimination and wrongful termination.
• Employment Contract
  Commercial Litigation. Successfully represented a large financial institution involving employment contract related claims. Successfully resolved partnership claims involving a multi-million dollar real estate development company. Represented both individual land companies in arbitration resolving leasehold interests, ejectment and foreclosure claims.
• Employment Litigation
• Sexual Harassment
  Hawaii Commercial Litigation and Honolulu Personal Injury attorney, Judith Ann Pavey has over 45 years of experience in litigation and litigation related alternative dispute resolution. She began her litigation career while still in law school where she received a special certification from the Indiana Supreme Court to act as a prosecutor on criminal cases in Marion County juvenile, misdemeanor and felony courts. Upon graduation she was hired by a high-profile litigator in Hawai‘i, where she established her reputation as a skilled and successful lawyer in criminal, personal injury and other civil litigation matters.  After 7 years, in 1985 Ms. Pavey started her own firm and continued to focus primarily on plaintiffs’ personal injury cases, including those involving medical/legal malpractice and defective products causing substantial physical and/or economic damages. She also continued to handle selected criminal, wrongful termination and sexual harassment cases and worked on construction and contract litigation as well.

Property Law

• Real Estate Litigation
  Starn O’Toole Marcus & Fisher is a Honolulu-based real estate law firm built on a foundation of focus and experience in, but not limited to, Hawaii real estate law. Our transactional attorneys represent owners, developers, buyers and sellers of developed and undeveloped real estate property in Hawaii, the US mainland and internationally.
• Construction Litigation
  The Best Lawyers in America©, selected to the “Top 25” Hawaii Super Lawyers ® list, in Chambers and Partners USA Directory of Leading Lawyers for Business and is recognized for his expertise in real estate, corporate and construction law.
• Real Estate Transactions
  Ms. Strona is a Director of the firm. Ms. Strona focuses her practice in the areas of commercial real estate transactions, leasing, commercial asset
• Eminent Domain
  "Duane Fisher is an experienced real estate development counsel, recently noted for activity in eminent domain proceedings.  "He has provided a calm, thoughtful oversight on all of our major business matters," says a client.  He advised ProsPac Holdings on the purchase and assemblage of parcels of land in the Honolulu urban core, and continues to represent them in connection with development of the land."
• Easement
• Land Use and Zoning
  Duane R. Fisher – Mr. Fisher leads the Firm’s Sea Level Rise Practice Group. He has more than 30 years of professional experience in real estate, land use, development and regulatory work in Hawaii. He anticipated many of the potential legal issues surrounding sea level rise and its impact on coastal development and shoreline setbacks several years ago.  Mr. Fisher works with multiple coastal landowners, on all the major Hawaiian Islands, to seek to shape changing State and County laws relating to coastal land use and development, and to assist clients in obtaining entitlements for development. Clients include owners of resort properties, commercial properties and residential properties.
• Landlord-Tenant Disputes
  Volunteer work experience includes serving the Legal Aid Society and its Access to Justice program where she assisted with client intake and researched Hawaii Civil Codes (focusing on TRO, debit and landlord tenant disputes).
• Condominium Law
  Represented the purchasers of 49 whole ownership and fractional condominiums in three separate litigation matters alleging misrepresentations and unfair and deceptive acts and practices in the sale of units in the luxury condominium development formerly known as The Ritz-Carlton Club & Residences at Kapalua Bay.

Health Law

• Personal Injury
  Pavey is considered a crucial part of the team by those in the market and regularly appears on high-profile international disputes. Her practice incorporates personal injury litigation, as well as product liability disputes."
• Medical Malpractice
  ©, in the practice areas of Litigation-Banking & Finance(twice), Product Liability Litigation (twice) and Medical Malpractice Law, selected to the "Top 25" Hawaii

Trusts and Estates

• Estate Planning
  We represent clients in disputes involving trusts, wills, probates, and closely held companies and partnerships. We advise clients about structuring their business and real estate acquisitions to address privacy, legacy and asset protection concerns, and assist in those acquisitions. We work with other attorneys who specialize in estate planning and trust creation when our clients have those needs.
• Wills
• Trusts
  "Trevor Brown divides his practice between litigation and transactional matters. In the litigation sphere, he possesses considerable experience in real estate disputes, as well as securities and trusts and estates cases. Market sources praise him as "very knowledgeable," noting that "he does excellent work. He's talented, smart and hard-working."
• Probate

Finance Law

• Foreclosure
  The Best Lawyers in America©, in the practice area of Mortgage Banking Foreclosure Law, and works closely with firm transactional attorneys.
• Tax Law
  Real Property Tax Appeals. Represents owners with Hawaii real tax appeals concerning valuation and assessment. In one case, Mr. Fisher was lead negotiator in settlement discussions with the real property tax office, and successfully negotiated a settlement resulting in tax savings of more than $650,000 per year. The two-year settlement saved the client more than $1.3 million.
• Debt Collection
  Representation of national banks in State and Federal Court, in defending wrongful foreclosure suits, pursuing multimillion dollar commercial foreclosures, and defense in fair debt collection practices, and other suits.