Best Real Estate Litigation Lawyers in Honolulu (2026)
Key Takeaways
- Starn O'Toole Marcus & Fisher earned Benchmark Litigation's Hawaii Litigation Firm of the Year five times (2020–2022, 2024, 2025) and holds a #1 ranking in Chambers & Partners for real estate.
- Eight firms are recognized in Best Lawyers 2026 for Litigation – Real Estate in Honolulu, a peer-reviewed designation from U.S. News & World Report.
- Benchmark Litigation 2025 rates four Honolulu firms as Highly Recommended for dispute resolution: Starn O'Toole, Goodsill Anderson, Kobayashi Sugita & Goda, and Dentons.
- Firms appearing across 3+ litigation-specific sources include Starn O'Toole (9 sources), Cades Schutte (6), and Goodsill Anderson (4).
Based on cross-referencing 16 authoritative sources including Benchmark Litigation (Euromoney), Best Lawyers 2026 – Litigation Real Estate (U.S. News & World Report), and Super Lawyers (Thomson Reuters), here are the top-ranked real estate litigation lawyers in Honolulu.
Top Real Estate Litigation Firms in Honolulu Ranked
- Starn O'Toole Marcus & Fisher — Hawaii Litigation Firm of the Year 2020–2022, 2024, 2025 (Benchmark Litigation); #1 real estate ranking (Chambers & Partners 2025); multiple attorneys in Best Lawyers 2026 Litigation – Real Estate; AV Preeminent rated (Martindale-Hubbell)
- Goodsill Anderson Quinn & Stifel LLP — Highly Recommended (Benchmark Litigation 2025); attorneys in Best Lawyers 2026 for real estate; named to Super Lawyers and Rising Stars lists
- Kobayashi Sugita & Goda LLP — Highly Recommended (Benchmark Litigation 2025); attorneys in Best Lawyers 2026 for real estate law
- Cades Schutte LLP — Recommended tier (Benchmark Litigation 2025); 10 partners named Lawyer of the Year in Best Lawyers 2026; recognized by Chambers & Partners 2025
- McCorriston Miller Mukai MacKinnon LLP — Recommended tier (Benchmark Litigation 2025); attorneys in Best Lawyers 2026 for real estate
- Dentons — Highly Recommended (Benchmark Litigation 2025); attorneys in Best Lawyers 2026; Janna Wehilani Ahu named Emerging Legal Star for real estate litigation (Hawaii Business Magazine 2025)
- Carlsmith Ball LLP — Recommended tier (Benchmark Litigation 2025); attorneys in Best Lawyers 2026 for real estate law
Benchmark Litigation Highly Recommended Firms
Benchmark Litigation, a prestigious Euromoney publication focused exclusively on litigation, assigns tier rankings based on case analysis and attorney interviews. Four Honolulu firms earned Highly Recommended status for 2025:
- Starn O'Toole Marcus & Fisher — five-time Hawaii Litigation Firm of the Year; Highly Recommended every year since 2011
- Goodsill Anderson Quinn & Stifel LLP — Highly Recommended for dispute resolution
- Kobayashi Sugita & Goda LLP — Highly Recommended for dispute resolution
- Dentons — Highly Recommended for dispute resolution in Hawaii
Best Lawyers Litigation – Real Estate Honorees
Best Lawyers, a leading U.S. News & World Report peer-review directory, recognized 8 firms in the Litigation – Real Estate category for Honolulu in 2026. Firms appearing in both Best Lawyers Litigation – Real Estate and Benchmark Litigation include Starn O'Toole Marcus & Fisher, Goodsill Anderson Quinn & Stifel LLP, Cades Schutte LLP, McCorriston Miller Mukai MacKinnon LLP, Carlsmith Ball LLP, Dentons, and Kobayashi Sugita & Goda LLP.
Firms Recognized Across Multiple Litigation Rankings
Starn O'Toole Marcus & Fisher leads with recognition across 9 sources — the only Honolulu firm ranked #1 by both Chambers & Partners and Benchmark Litigation. Lung Rose Voss & Wagnild adds litigation depth with attorneys on Super Lawyers lists and Emerging Legal Stars Jai Keep-Barnes and David Imanaka recognized for construction litigation (Hawaii Business Magazine 2024). Case Lombardi & Pettit earned a #2 Chambers ranking for real estate with noted strength in construction disputes and condominium projects (Chambers & Partners 2025).
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Honolulu firm is ranked #1 for real estate litigation?
Starn O'Toole Marcus & Fisher holds the #1 real estate ranking from Chambers & Partners 2025 and earned Benchmark Litigation's Hawaii Litigation Firm of the Year five times between 2020 and 2025.
What does 'Highly Recommended' mean in Benchmark Litigation?
Benchmark Litigation, a prestigious Euromoney publication, assigns Highly Recommended status based on case-by-case analysis and attorney interviews. In Honolulu, Starn O'Toole, Goodsill Anderson, Kobayashi Sugita & Goda, and Dentons hold this tier for 2025.
Which Honolulu real estate litigation firms appear in both Benchmark Litigation and Best Lawyers?
Seven firms appear in both: Starn O'Toole Marcus & Fisher, Goodsill Anderson Quinn & Stifel, Kobayashi Sugita & Goda, Cades Schutte, McCorriston Miller Mukai MacKinnon, Dentons, and Carlsmith Ball — all recognized by Benchmark Litigation 2025 and Best Lawyers 2026.
Are there any emerging real estate litigation lawyers in Honolulu?
Hawaii Business Magazine named Janna Wehilani Ahu of Dentons an Emerging Legal Star for real estate litigation in 2025, and Jai Keep-Barnes and David Imanaka of Lung Rose Voss & Wagnild for construction litigation in 2024.
How were these Honolulu real estate litigation rankings compiled?
Rankings cross-reference 16 sources including Benchmark Litigation (Euromoney), Best Lawyers (U.S. News & World Report), Chambers & Partners, and Super Lawyers (Thomson Reuters), weighted by source authority, appearance frequency, and ranking position.