Legal Solutions for You,
Your Family & Your Business
Find a Lawyer >
Business Law lawyers serving Hawaii County, HI >
Stephen D. Whittaker
Back to Search Results
Stephen D. Whittaker
Stephen D. Whittaker, Attorney at Law, A Limited Liability Company
73-1459 Kaloko Drive
Kailua Kona, HI 96740
Phone: (808) 960-4536 | Fax: (808) 325-7530
http://stevewhittaker.justia.net/
Over thirty years of experience in Hawaii's courts.
Legal Topic
Business Law
Preferred New Clients
I welcome individual and business clients with real estate issues, pending or threatened lawsuits and anyone in need of the services of an experienced mediator or arbitrator.
Sub-Categories
Business Law
- Mediation/Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)
- Antitrust Law
- Deceptive Trade Practices
- False Advertising
- Unfair Competition
- Commercial Banks & Loans
- Commercial Leasing
- Credit Unions
- Mortgages & Foreclosures
- Savings & Thrifts
- Directors' & Officers' Liability
- Limited Liability Companies (LLCs)
- Partnerships
- Professional Corporations
- Shareholders' Rights
- Breach of Contract
- Contract Disputes
- Contract Drafting & Review
- Franchises
- Lemon Law
- Non-Compete Contracts
- Secured Transactions
- Uniform Commercial Code
- Warranties
- Commercial Construction Contracts
- Construction Defects
- Construction Disputes
- Dangerous Property
- Government Construction Contracts
- Mechanics' Liens
- Government Construction Contracts
- State & Municipal Contracts
- Bad Faith
- Casualty Insurance
- Commercial Insurance
- Directors' & Officers' Liability
- Errors & Omissions
- Fidelity, Guarantee, & Surety
- Insurance Subrogation
- Motor Vehicle Insurance
- Property Insurance
- Creditor's Rights
- Garnishees
- Judgments
- Locating Funds
- Consumer Class Actions
- Credit Report Problems
- Debt Collection/Relief/Harassment
- Foreclosures
- Frauds, Scams, Hoaxes
- Repossessions
Legal Topic
Real Estate
Preferred New Clients
I welcome individual and business clients with real estate issues, pending or threatened lawsuits and anyone in need of the services of an experienced mediator or arbitrator.
Sub-Categories
Commercial Real Estate
- Architectural & Engineering
- Broker & Transaction Litigation
- Building Codes
- Buying & Selling
- Condominiums & Cooperatives
- Construction Contracts
- Construction Defects
- Homeowners' Associations
- Insurance
- Land Contracts
- Land Use & Zoning
- Mechanics' Liens
- Mortgages
- Property Taxes
- Real Estate Loans
- Renting & Leasing
- Title Insurance
- Title Litigation
- Tenants' Rights
- Architectural & Engineering
- Broker & Transaction Litigation
- Building Codes
- Buying & Selling
- Condominiums & Cooperatives
- Construction Contracts
- Construction Defects
- Homeowners' Associations
- Insurance
- Land Contracts
- Land Use & Zoning
- Mechanics' Liens
- Mortgages
- Property Taxes
- Real Estate Loans
- Renting & Leasing
- Title Insurance
- Title Litigation
- Landlord
- Tenant
- Tenants' Rights
Bar Admissions
HI, Apr 1978
Bar Number: 2191
Other Court Admissions
Supreme Court of Hawaii, United States District Court for the District of Hawaii, Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Association Memberships
Hawaii State Bar Association and West Hawaii Bar Association.
Continuing Education
Hawaii does not require continuing legal education hours. However, mandatory continuing legal education hours commences in 2010.
Example Cases
Brelle West Construction Management v. Great American Self Storage involving allegations of unlicensed conduct by a general contractor and Action Team Realty, Inc. v. Todd Hart involving fraud and misrepresentation in the sale of a real estate brokerage are "typical" cases.
Education
Degree:
Juris Doctor
School:
Stetson University College of Law
City:
Gulfport
State:
FL
Year:
1977
Honors:
Raphael Steinhart Award (Number 1 in my graduating class), American Jurisprudence Awards in Constitutional Law, Family Law, Civil Procedure, Equity, Estates and Trusts; Prentiss Hall Federal Tax Award.
Focus and Accomplishments:
Moot Court Champion 1976 and 1977; Client Counseling Champion in 1977.
Number of Attorneys
1
State Licensed In
Hawaii
Firm Focus and History
I specialize in representing businesses and individuals with disputes involving real property, business, insurance, accidents, wills and trusts, collections, etc.
My solo practice firm was established in January of 2004 when I left Whittaker, Lacy & Jackson to work out of my home. I worked for seventeen years with Case & Lynch, a statewide firm that dissolved in 1995, the last five years as Managing Partner of the Big Island Office in Kailua-Kona. In February of 1995, I formed The Law Offices of Stephen D. Whittaker, which over time became Whittaker, Lacy & Jackson. My experience in the large firm and my own smaller firm exposed me to a wide range of cases, as well as a wide variety of clients.
Previous Employment Summary
From 197 to 1983, I was employed as an associate with Case, Kay, Clause, & Lynch. From 1984 to 1995 I was a partner with Case & Lynch. From 1995 to 2003, I was the senior partner of Whittaker, Lacy & Jackson.
Activities and Awards
• Teen Court Judge
• Volunteer Legal Services Attorney
What is your opinion regarding clients educating themselves on legal issues?
I think clients should make their best efforts at "self-education" before engaging counsel, in part because I think it helps both parties learn what the layman does and doesn't know and to focus on areas where the lawyer can efficiently help.
Are you willing to review documents prepared by clients?
I am happy to review client prepared documents at my normal hourly rates.
Are you willing to coach clients who want to represent themselves?
As with reviewing client prepared documents, my time is for sale to clients who choose to represent themselves; I will not do pro bono coaching of indigents and, instead, refer such callers to Volunteer Legal Services Hawaii or Legal Aid.
Why did you decide to be a lawyer?
I decided before I was ten I would be a lawyer, not because of altruism but because I was already sure that my aptitudes were best suited to advocacy. In other words, I liked to argue and I was quite capable at the "art."
What work experience and education helps you be a better lawyer?
I have lived in Hawaii for over forty years, and I have experience in the islands doing all manner of work, from digging ditches to playing in piano bars, before attending law school. I have worked in large firms and small, with institutional clients and individuals at all levels of income and success and have been able to relate.
Why did you decide on your primary area of practice?
I chose trial work because I believed my skills were best utilized in a public speaking environment.
What do you like best about your career?
I most appreciate the opportunities my work gives me to help people solve their problems.
Tell us about your law firm:
I am a solo practitioner, so all my clients deal directly, and only, with me.
What are your strengths and style?
I have a commanding presence and am an articulate advocate for my clients' interests. My forte is oral argument at any level.
Personal Interests:
I enjoy gardening, animals, Pilates, and playing the piano.
Fax
(808) 325-7530
Office Hours
Monday through Friday
8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Emergency After Hours
No
Fixed-Price Services and Fees
I charge $250 for an office consultation, limited to an hour and a half.
Hourly Rates
$225.
Free Initial Consultation?
Telephone consultations not exceeding ten minutes are free.
Typical Retainer
Typical retainers for a demand letter is $500 and to file or appear in defense of a lawsuit.
Nolo's Licensing Check
Attorneys have passed a licensing check. Nolo has confirmed that every member attorney has a valid license and is in good standing with the applicable bar associations upon joining the directory.
Directory lawyers are required to notify Nolo immediately if they become the subject of any disciplinary action by any bar association.
