FIRM OVERVIEW: Carlsmith Ball, founded in 1857, is one of Hawaii’s oldest and largest full service firms, with offices throughout Hawaii, in Los Angeles, and in Guam. The firm has a reputation for deep experience and skill, and strives at all times to provide the highest quality legal work and client service.For domestic and international clients, the firm is a bridge in developing key business relationships in industry sectors such as retail, banking, real estate, energy, hospitality, logistics, accounting, entertainment, and media.
MAIN AREAS OF PRACTICE:
Administrative Law: Carlsmith represents US and foreign business clients in their dealings with government agencies and regulatory bodies, including compliance with regulatory requirements; initiation of regulatory proceedings; applications for regulatory permits or approvals; responses to requests for proposals issued by government agencies for public works projects; administrative agency contested case proceedings; public-private partnerships for specific projects; and assistance with procurement of governmental contracts.
Admiralty & Maritime: The firm maintains a dominant admiralty and shipping practice throughout the Pacific,with an international client base spanning the shipping, maritime, transportation, and marine insurance industries. The group represents clients in all areas of admiralty and maritime law, and provides general and compliance advice along with litigation counsel.
Banking & Finance: The firm provides counsel to national, state-chartered and local financial institutions in California, Hawaii, and Guam, as well as to foreign financial institutions. Carlsmith has extensive experience and long-established working relationships with regulators at both the federal level and in its practice jurisdictions and provides counsel and representation in litigation involving financial institutions.
Bankruptcy & Creditors’ Rights: Carlsmith represents national, state-chartered and local financial institutions in California, Hawaii and Guam, regularly representing creditors in enforcing claims and recovering collateral.Carlsmith assists in workouts and/or restructurings of troubled loans, including on all tax aspects.
Corporate, Business & Finance (including Project Finance): Carlsmith represents profit and nonprofit, private and public domestic and international clients.Recently, the firm has been at the forefront of a number of complex and sophisticated energy projects. The firm’s geographic reach within the Pacific Rim (five offices in Hawaii and offices in Guam and Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in addition to Los Angeles) is unique among Hawaii firms.
Environmental & Land Use: The firm represents clients including major land owners and developers, agribusiness, energy, and banking clients, providing counsel and representation in matters regarding: allocation of environmental risk in business transactions; environmental permitting and compliance; clean-up of contaminated property (CERCLA, RCRA); oil spills (Oil Pollution Act); Endangered Species Act; defense of government enforcement actions; and advice and representation regarding the National Environmental Policy Act.
Entertainment & Media: Firm attorneys have been industry insiders as well as longtime counselors to the major studios, television networks, production companies, newspapers, music companies, radio stations, parks and resorts, entertainers and athletes, iconic toy companies, talent management companies, industry executives, and global entertainment conglomerates, providing clients with a unique and valuable perspective. The group’s litigation and arbitration experience allows it to provide keen insights into the best strategies for dispute avoidance.Counsel and advice covers non-litigation matters including intellectual property.
Labor, Employment & Immigration: Carlsmith provides proactive and preventive counsel to public and private, for profit and not-for-profit, business and government entities of all types and sizes, and have successfully represented them before government agencies and defended them in litigation. The firm has a geographic advantage of particular interest because of the incipient military buildup in Guam. The firm provides strategic counsel to employers and individuals in complex immigration matters.
Litigation & Dispute Resolution: Carlsmith is well regarded and has deep experience at trial in all aspects of litigating, arbitrating, and preventing and mediating business and other disputes, handling complex commercial and civil disputes and criminal matters, including matters related to: antitrust and unfair competition; business transactions and contracts; construction; creditor’s rights and bankruptcy; crisis management; employment; entertainment and media; environmental; governmental investigations; insurance coverage; intellectual property; entertainment and media; maritime; product liability; professional liability; real estate transactions; securities and investments; trusts,wills and probate; white collar crime; and workplace violence.
Real Estate, Land Use & Hospitality: The firm represents domestic and foreign clients in matters involving resort and hotel, commercial, retail, residential, governmental, agricultural and industrial projects, assists clients in complex real estate matters, including acquisition, disposition, construction, development and financing (including project finance). The firm has deep experience in areas such as land use, entitlement, zoning and planning; leasing and property management; environmental law;Hawaiian land claims; real property valuation and tax challenges; and permitting and licensing.
Renewable Energy & Clean Technology: Carlsmith has provided instrumental counsel on some of Hawaii's most important renewable and alternative energy projects, including wind, geothermal, solar, waste-to-energy and other energy projects. The practice encompasses developing, financing and operating energy projects selling electric energy to Hawaii’s electric utilities. Clients include generators using renewable energy resources - wind, solar, geothermal, biomass, OTEC (ocean thermal energy conversion), wave energy, hydroelectric, waste-to-energy and biofuels. The firm provides counsel and guidance in all areas related to the structure, operation and finance of energy and clean technology projects.
Tax: Carlsmith advises businesses and individuals on the tax-efficient structuring of organizations and transactions, represents clients in tax controversies at all levels, and assists taxpayers seeking administrative rulings from federal and state tax authorities.
Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation: The firm maintains the largest group of attorneys in Hawaii practicing in the highly specialized area of pension law, providing counsel on employee benefit and executive compensation matters for closely held organizations, public corporations, government entities, and profit and nonprofit organizations.
Estate Planning: Carlsmith provides a full range of estate planning services.The firm has extensive experience in advising clients in the creation, management, and operation of charities and other tax-exempt organizations.
White-Collar Crime & Criminal Defense: Carlsmith handles white collar criminal defense, internal investigations, complex civil litigation, crisis management, and appellate litigation. The firm has represented individuals and corporations in investigations conducted by the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Hawaii, the State of Hawaii Securities Enforcement Branch, and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. In its civil practice, Carlsmith has handled a variety of complex litigation matters in both federal and state courts.
CLIENTS: A. Bilbrough & Co., All Nippon Airways Co., Ltd., Bank of Hawaii, Borg-Warner Morse Tec, Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc., Dam Things Holding ApS, EMC Mortgage/JP Morgan First Wind, Gard (North America) Inc., Goodwill Industries of Hawaii, Inc., Grass Skirt Productions, LLC,Hawaiian Telcom Communications, Inc.,Horizon Lines, Inc.,Kalaeola Partners, LP, Penske Truck Leasing Company, L.P., Puna Geothermal Ventures, The Gas Company, The Salvation Army, Trump International Hotel Waikiki Beach Walk, Trustees of the Estate of James Campbell, Trustees of the Estate of Samuel Damon,United Airlines, University of Hawaii.
BRANCH OFFICES: The firm has offices in Guam, Hilo, Kona, Los Angeles and Maui