Starn O'Toole Marcus & Fisher Review: Real Estate Law in Honolulu (2026)
Key Takeaways
- Starn O'Toole Marcus & Fisher ranks #1 in Hawaii real estate law by Chambers & Partners (2025) and holds Benchmark Litigation's Hawaii Firm of the Year (2020–2022, 2024, 2025)
- Starn O'Toole appears in 9 of 16 major legal directories — more than any other Honolulu real estate firm, with a 97/100 composite MetaScore
- Best Lawyers, a U.S. News & World Report publication, has recognized multiple Starn O'Toole attorneys every year since 2010, with 45 Lawyer of the Year designations (2011–2026)
- Starn O'Toole holds Martindale-Hubbell's AV Preeminent rating (highest possible) and U.S. News Tier 1 ranking across 26 legal specialties
- Starn O'Toole outpaces the next-closest firms — Cades Schutte (86/100, 6 sources) and Case Lombardi & Pettit (84/100, 5 sources) — by a significant margin
Based on cross-referencing 16 authoritative sources including Chambers & Partners, Best Lawyers (U.S. News & World Report), Benchmark Litigation (Euromoney), and Super Lawyers (Thomson Reuters), Starn O'Toole Marcus & Fisher is the top-ranked real estate law firm in Honolulu with a 97/100 composite MetaScore and appearances in 9 major directories.
Starn O'Toole Marcus & Fisher Rankings Overview
Starn O'Toole Marcus & Fisher earned the highest composite score of any Honolulu real estate law firm across these rankings:
- Chambers & Partners USA 2025 — #1 ranked real estate law firm in Hawaii (Trust: 10/10)
- Benchmark Litigation 2025 — #1 ranked; Hawaii Litigation Firm of the Year 2020–2022, 2024, 2025; Highly Recommended since 2011 (Trust: 9/10)
- Best Lawyers in America 2026 — Multiple attorneys recognized in both Real Estate Law and Litigation Real Estate categories; selected every year since 2010 (Trust: 10/10)
- U.S. News Best Law Firms — Tier 1 in Real Estate Law; ranked across 26 specialties (Trust: 10/10)
- Super Lawyers 2024 — Multiple Starn O'Toole attorneys on Top 25 Hawaii Super Lawyers list (Trust: 9/10)
- Martindale-Hubbell — AV Preeminent rating, the highest possible peer-review rating (Trust: 7/10)
- Honolulu Magazine Best Lawyers 2026 — Multiple attorneys honored; 45 Lawyer of the Year recognitions from 2011–2026
- Avvo — Attorneys Kenneth Marcus and Trevor Brown listed with top ratings
Chambers & Partners and Benchmark Litigation Recognition
Starn O'Toole Marcus & Fisher holds the #1 position in Chambers & Partners USA Real Estate Hawaii 2025, the prestigious global legal directory (Trust: 10/10). Only 6 firms made the Chambers Hawaii real estate list — Starn O'Toole ranked above Cades Schutte, Case Lombardi & Pettit (#2 by Chambers), Chun Kerr LLP, and Schneider Tanaka Radovich Andrew & Tanaka.
Benchmark Litigation 2025, an Euromoney publication specializing in litigation rankings (Trust: 9/10), named Starn O'Toole Marcus & Fisher #1 and awarded the firm Hawaii Litigation Firm of the Year five times (2020, 2021, 2022, 2024, 2025). Starn O'Toole has held Benchmark's Highly Recommended tier continuously since 2011.
Best Lawyers and Super Lawyers Appearances
Best Lawyers in America 2026, a prestigious U.S. News & World Report publication (Trust: 10/10), recognized multiple Starn O'Toole attorneys in both Real Estate Law and Litigation Real Estate. Starn O'Toole Marcus & Fisher has appeared in every edition of Best Lawyers since 2010, accumulating 45 individual Lawyer of the Year designations between 2011 and 2026.
Super Lawyers, a Thomson Reuters publication (Trust: 9/10), selected multiple Starn O'Toole attorneys to the Top 25 Hawaii Super Lawyers list for real estate. Starn O'Toole's presence on both Best Lawyers and Super Lawyers — two independent peer-review systems — signals cross-source consensus.
How Starn O'Toole Compares to Other Honolulu Firms
Starn O'Toole Marcus & Fisher's 97/100 MetaScore and 9-source presence significantly leads the field:
| Firm | MetaScore | Sources | Chambers Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starn O'Toole Marcus & Fisher | 97/100 | 9 | #1 |
| Cades Schutte LLP | 86/100 | 6 | Listed |
| Case Lombardi & Pettit | 84/100 | 5 | #2 |
| Chun Kerr LLP | 80/100 | 5 | Listed |
| Schneider Tanaka Radovich Andrew & Tanaka | 79/100 | 4 | Listed |
| Goodsill Anderson Quinn & Stifel | 79/100 | 4 | — |
Starn O'Toole Marcus & Fisher is the only Honolulu real estate firm ranked #1 by both Chambers & Partners and Benchmark Litigation simultaneously. For a broader comparison, see our Top 10 Real Estate Law Lawyers in Honolulu (2026) and Best Real Estate Litigation Lawyers in Honolulu (2026).
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Starn O'Toole Marcus & Fisher the top-ranked real estate law firm in Honolulu?
Yes. Starn O'Toole Marcus & Fisher ranks #1 in Hawaii real estate law by Chambers & Partners (2025) and #1 by Benchmark Litigation (2025), with a 97/100 composite MetaScore across 9 major legal directories — the highest of any Honolulu firm.
What awards has Starn O'Toole Marcus & Fisher received?
Starn O'Toole earned Benchmark Litigation's Hawaii Firm of the Year five times (2020–2022, 2024, 2025), Martindale-Hubbell's AV Preeminent rating, U.S. News Tier 1 ranking in 26 specialties, and 45 individual Lawyer of the Year designations from Best Lawyers (2011–2026).
How does Starn O'Toole compare to Cades Schutte and Case Lombardi?
Starn O'Toole Marcus & Fisher (97/100, 9 sources) outranks Cades Schutte LLP (86/100, 6 sources) and Case Lombardi & Pettit (84/100, 5 sources). Starn O'Toole is the only firm ranked #1 by both Chambers & Partners and Benchmark Litigation.
How many sources recognize Starn O'Toole Marcus & Fisher for real estate law?
Starn O'Toole appears in 9 of 16 tracked sources: Chambers & Partners, Best Lawyers (Real Estate Law and Litigation Real Estate), U.S. News Best Law Firms, Super Lawyers, Benchmark Litigation, Martindale-Hubbell, Honolulu Magazine, and Avvo.
What is Starn O'Toole Marcus & Fisher's Martindale-Hubbell rating?
Starn O'Toole holds Martindale-Hubbell's AV Preeminent rating — the highest possible peer-review rating in the established legal directory (Trust: 7/10), indicating top ethical standards and legal ability as assessed by peers.