Regan M. Iwao

REGAN M. IWAO concentrates his practice in litigation, and represents plaintiffs and defendants in federal and state courts, arbitrations and mediations. Examples of his work include:

• Real Estate Litigation: Cases involving lease disputes, title disputes, foreclosures, mortgage disputes, insurance disputes and claims, quiet title, partitions, summary possession, real estate professional liability and purchase contract disputes.
• Commercial Litigation: Cases involving contract disputes, joint venture disputes, investment disputes, commercial disputes, injunctive and declaratory relief claims, unfair and deceptive trade practices, unfair competition, tortious interference claims, and monopolization claims.
• Construction Litigation: Cases involving owner, design professional and contractor liability, contract disputes, mechanic’s liens, ADA and FHA claims, property damage and products liability for residential, commercial and major real estate development projects.
• Personal Injury Litigation: Cases involving motor vehicle accidents, wrongful deaths, slips and falls, dog bites, premises liability, and products liability.
• Trust and Estate Litigation: Cases involving will and trust contests, undue influence, incapacitation, fraud, fiduciary breaches and other trust and estate issues.
• Other Litigation: Cases involving pre and post judgment collection claims, foreign judgments, replevin, lemon law claims, administrative citations and appeals, and recovery of health and benefits liens.

Mr. Iwao has been included in The Best Lawyers in America© and in Honolulu Magazine’s “Best Lawyers in Hawaii” for his work in the areas of “Commercial Litigation” (since 2020), “Litigation – Real Estate” (since 2018) and “Litigation – Trusts and Estates” (since 2019).  Mr. Iwao has also received an “AV Preeminent” rating (the highest level of professional excellence) from Martindale-Hubbell® (since 2015), and has been selected to Super Lawyers® as a “Super Lawyer” (since 2016) and a “Rising Star” (2013-2015).

While getting his law degree, Mr. Iwao was an editor for the University of Hawaii Law Review. His undergraduate degree is in mechanical engineering. He graduated with magna cum laude honors and is a member of Tau Beta Pi and Pi Tau Sigma, engineering honorary societies. He obtained his EIT certificate in 1997, and spent a year teaching English in Japan before entering law school.

Mr. Iwao has been committed to pro-bono and access to justice for decades.  He is currently the Treasurer and a Director for the Legal Aid Society of Hawaii and a Director for the Hawaii Justice Foundation.  He is also a member and former Chair of the HSBA’s Delivery of Legal Services to the Public Committee, a member of the Hawaii Access to Justice Commission, Pro Bono Initiatives Task Force, a Master of the Bench for the American Inns of Court, James S. Burns Aloha Chapter, and a 2014 HSBA Leadership Institute Fellow, and actively volunteers for Volunteer Legal Services Hawaii and with the Honolulu District Court Access to Justice Room.

Honors and Awards

• Martindale-Hubbell, AV Preeminent (since 2015)
• Best Lawyers in America, Commercial Litigation (since 2020)
• Best Lawyers in America, Litigation – Trusts and Estates (since 2019)
• Best Lawyers in America, Litigation – Real Estate (since 2018)
• Super Lawyers, “Super Lawyer” (since 2016)
• Super Lawyers, “Rising Star” (2013-2015)