Email: jared@yklawhawaii.com
Phone No: (808) 524-4501

Recognition

Best Lawyers in Hawaii
by Honolulu Magazine

Best Lawyer
by The Best Lawyers in America

Recognized as one of the Best Law Firms in America
by U.S. News and Best Lawyers for 2014

Best Oral Argument Award
University of San Francisco School of Law's 1992 Moot Court Competition

Education

Punahou School

Santa Clara University
Bachelor of Science in Commerce – Accounting

University of San Francisco
School of Law – Juris Doctorate

Admissions

State of Hawaii
U.S. District Court, District of Hawaii

Jared N. Kawashima has been practicing law since 1994, is the managing partner, and concentrates his practice in drafting estate plans for individuals/families. He also advises multi-employer Taft-Hartley trust funds and appears in probate court on a variety of trust and estate matters. Clients looking to draft an estate plan receive Mr. Kawashima’s combined drafting and litigation experience which may help to avoid future familial disputes.

In the Taft-Hartley area, Mr. Kawashima's experience allows him to act as both general and collection counsel to his clientele. He is one of the few Hawaii attorneys that act in both capacities for multiple Taft-Hartley clients. Including litigation for delinquent contributions, Mr. Kawashima has litigated third party liability claims on behalf of a Health & Welfare fund, litigated apprenticeship and training fund issues both at the First Circuit Court State of Hawaii and the State Apprenticeship level relating to apprenticeship program issues, appeared before the State Contractor's Licensing Board relating to unlicensed contractors, and submitted National Labor Relations Board complaints relating to double breasting and nonpayment of health & welfare contributions to the trust funds. Mr. Kawashima has also counseled and assisted trustees with many Department of Labor audits and corresponded on the Funds' behalf with DOL auditors. He successfully negotiated multi-million dollar investment contracts for his Taft-Hartley clients in a number of Hawaii based commercial developments including The Shops at Wailea, One Archer Lane and Waihonua at Kewalo. 

In addition to his litigation experience in the multi-employer context, Mr. Kawashima has also litigated on behalf of beneficiaries, trustees or personal representatives in the trust, probate, conservator and guardian contexts. He has successfully removed or defended trustees and personal representatives for alleged breach of fiduciary duties and assisted with claims of undue influence or lack of testamentary capacity in challenges to a Will or Trust. Mr. Kawashima has filed partition actions to assist clients with disputes amongst co-owners of real property, filed summary possession actions to evict both residential and commercial tenants, and assisted with collection of Judgments.

Mr. Kawashima graduated from Punahou School and received his Bachelors Degree in Accounting from Santa Clara University and his Juris Doctorate degree from University of San Francisco School of Law.  Mr. Kawashima holds an AV rating from Martindale Hubble which is the highest rating received by votes from fellow attorneys and has been recognized as one of the Best Lawyers® in America and Best Lawyers in Hawaii in the areas of trust and estate litigation and ERISA.

Publications and Presentations

Publications

"The Hawaii Uniform Real Property Transfer on Death Act –Another Tool in the Estate Planner's Arsenal" Vol 16, No. 13 of the Hawaii Bar Journal, page 43 (2013).

Presentations

• Domestic Asset Protection Trust Planning (ABA Section of Real Property, Trust and Estate Law, June 9, 2015)

• Power of Attorney Update (HPA 2015)• Legal Updates/Issues for Hawaii Taft-Hartley Funds – Hawaii Union Builders (2014)

• Ethical and Professional Behavior in the Estate Planning Practice (2012 and 2014)• Hawaii Probate Forms Manual (HSBA 2013)

• Affordable Care Act (2013)

• Hawaii Uniform Real Property Transfer on Death Deed Act and House Bill 2623 (2012)

• Practitioner's Guide to the Hawaii Uniform Real Property Transfer on Death Deed Act (2011)• Employment Law Issues/Expansion of Definition of Fiduciary – Hawaii Union Builders (2011)

• Joint Trust Fund Management Responsibilities for the Trustees and Non-Trustees (2011)

• How to Avoid Malpractice for Estate Planners (2009)

• Current Dept. of Labor Initiatives re Fee Disclosure and Reporting (2009)

• Should Reporting of ERISA Plan Service Provider Compensation Be Expanded? (2008)

• "What Every Taft-Hartley Trustee Should Know" (and then some) Refresher on Fiduciary Duty (2008)

• Taft-Hartley Trustee Responsibility for Investments (2007)

• Form LM-30 and LM-10 Update (2007)

Professional and Community Activities

Professional

Hawaii State Bar Association; The International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans; The Hawaii Estate Planning Council; The Estate Planning and Probate Section of the Hawaii State Bar Association; The American Bar Association.

Community

Board of Directors for the Bankruptcy Law Section of the Hawaii State Bar Association (2001-2003); Commissioner on the City & County of Honolulu Charter Commission (2005-2007); American Liver Foundation Hawaii Chapter Board of Directors (2005-2007); The Hawaii Campaign Spending Commission's Blue Ribbon Advisory Committee (2007-2008); Chairman for The Inspire the Keiki Foundation (2016-Present).