John R. Love, a partner at Cades Schutte LLP who was named Chair of the firm’s Finance, Real Estate, and Corporate Department earlier this year, spoke to Pacific Business News (PBN) regarding recent developments in the real estate and construction industry in Hawai‘i. This feature accompanied PBN’s annual list ranking real estate and construction law firms in Hawai‘i by number of attorneys, in which Cades Schutte was proud to once again place first.
Are there any trends or emerging issues in real estate and construction law that your firm is monitoring or addressing?
In both the real estate and construction sectors, expedited development is poised to become a key trend. This includes the focus on constructing affordable housing, driven by the current governor’s initiatives and emergency proclamations. Economists also anticipate increased construction activity in Hawai‘i, propelled by various initiatives such as planned government construction contracts, the rebuilding of Lahaina post-Maui wildfires, and the expansion of the Honolulu rail system.
How does your firm contribute to the broader legal community in Hawai‘i, particularly in real estate and construction law?
Many of our attorneys contribute through their leadership positions within the Hawaii State Bar Association, or HSBA. For example, partner Andrea K. Ushijima currently serves as a director for the real property and financial services section, and both my colleague Christopher T. Harrison and I, as well as our recently-retired partner Grace Nihei Kido, have served as chair of that section in the past. Our attorneys also are committed to providing continuing legal education seminars for both in-house and outside counsel and authoring thought leadership. For example, a recent contribution by Keola R. Whittaker, of counsel in our finance, real estate and corporation department, to the Hawaii Bar Journal included an article regarding the governor’s emergency declarations on housing and [Maui County] Mayor [Richard] Bissen’s emergency proclamations on Maui.
What is your firm’s outlook of real estate and construction law for 2024?
In addition to the increased construction activity previously mentioned, we are optimistic regarding the planned conversions of office space into mixed-use developments in Downtown Honolulu. Both sectors could also be further boosted if the Federal Reserve moves forward with interest rate cuts later this year. We look forward to working closely with our clients through these dynamic times and far into the future.
For the full feature, please see PBN’s original article here.
