Dennis is a partner in the Litigation Department of Cades Schutte.
His area of practice focuses on real estate and commercial litigation, arbitration, and mediation.
Dennis has served as lead counsel of record or co-counsel of record in numerous state and federal court actions involving, among other matters, regulatory, public use, takings, eminent domain, lease interpretation, quiet title, partition, class action, and complex commercial disputes.
He has extensive experience in land valuation and rent disputes and has served as lead counsel for landowners in all phases of such matters including negotiation, mediation, pre-arbitration litigation, arbitration, and post-arbitration litigation and appeals.
He also serves as the Chair of the firm’s Loss Prevention Committee and acts as the firm’s General Counsel.
Reported Decisions
Dennis played a significant role as counsel of record in the matters covered by the following reported decisions:
Trustees of Estate of Bishop v. Au
- 2019 WL 5678367
- Hawaii App., 2019
- October 31, 2019
Trustees of Estate of Bernice Pauahi Bishop v. Life of the Land Pacific, LLC
- 2019 WL 13081630
- Circuit Court of the First Circuit, State of Hawai‘i, 2019
- June 27, 2019
Trustees of Estate of Bishop v. Au
- 2017 WL 6816717
- Hawaii App., 2017
- December 22, 2017
Trustees of Estate of Bishop v. Au
- 141 Hawai‘i 248
- Hawaii App., 2017
- December 22, 2017
Trustees of Estate of Bishop v. Au
- 139 Hawai‘i 472
- Hawaii App., 2017
- April 28, 2017
Lewis v. A. Tagami, Inc.
- Slip Copy, 2013 WL 6043900
- Hawai‘i App., 2013
- November 15, 2013
Lindner v. Meadow Gold Dairies, Inc.
- Slip Copy, 2007 WL 3403534
- D. Hawai‘i, 2007
- November 15, 2007
City and County of Honolulu, v. Attractions Hawai‘i
- 104 Hawai‘i 461, 91 P.3d 1104 (Table)
- Hawai‘i App., 2004
- June 21, 2004
Wong v. General Telcourier, Inc.
- 92 Hawai‘i 209, 990 P.2d 107
- Hawai‘i App., 1999
- November 17, 1999
Kona Enterprises, Inc. v. Estate of Bishop
- 51 F.Supp.2d 1048
- D. Hawai‘i, 1998
- May 21, 1998
Paulson, Inc. v. Bromar
- 808 F.Supp. 736
- D. Hawai‘i, 1992
- December 10, 1992
Real Estate Litigation
- Lead counsel of record in numerous retail, industrial, agricultural, and other commercial landlord-tenant disputes filed in the Circuit Courts and District Courts of the State of Hawai‘i
- Lead counsel of record in State Court actions involving quiet title and partition matters
Land Value Litigation
- Lead counsel of record and co-counsel of record in numerous eminent domain actions brought in the Circuit Courts of the State of Hawai‘i
- Lead counsel for numerous landowners in rent-reopenings (including land value, rate of return, and market rent disputes) that have arisen under not less than 200 different commercial, industrial, multifamily residential, and single-family residential leases
Commercial Litigation
- Lead counsel and co-counsel of record in litigation, arbitration, and mediation involving a wide range of commercial and other business issues including, contract, tort, fiduciary duty, unfair competition, trade practices, and construction disputes
- Lead counsel for internal and external investigations with experience serving as both lead fact-finder for party conducting investigation as well as counsel for persons or entities being investigated
Awards
- Listed in Best Lawyers®, since 2023
Education
- J.D. (1991), University of California, Hastings College of the Law, cum laude (Dean’s Scholarship Recipient)
- B.A. (Double Major) Political Science and Russian Linguistics (1988), University of California, Los Angeles
Admissions
- Hawai‘i State Bar (1991)
- United States District Court for the District of Hawai‘i
- United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
Membership
- Hawaii State Bar Association
- American Bar Association
- Federal Bar Association
- HSBA Judicial Administration Committee (Committee Member Since 2011)
- Joint Judiciary-Bar Professionalism Program (Past Committee Member)
- Hastings Communication & Entertainment Law Journal
- Arbitrator, First Circuit Court (Hawai‘i), Court Annexed Arbitration Program
- Volunteer, ‘Iolani School Career Shadow Program
- Hastings Hawai‘i Scholarship Committee, Committee Member
- Alumni Mentor, Hastings College of the Law Alumni Mentor Program
- ‘Iolani School Sports Booster Club
- Wai-Kahala Athletic Club – Volunteer Baseball Coach
- Kalanianaole Athletic Club (KAC) – Volunteer Basketball Coach
- i9 Sports – Certified Coach
- Cal Ripken/Babe Ruth Baseball – Certified Coach
- Hawaii Elite 2G ProGear Baseball Club – Advisor
Clerkship
- Summer Law Clerk, Hon. Philip T. Chun, Civil Administrative Judge, Circuit Court of the First Circuit, State of Hawai‘i (1989)
- Full Time Judicial Extern, Hon. Harold Fong, Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Hawai‘i (1991)
- “The Lum Court and the First Amendment,” University of Hawai‘i Law Review, 14 U. Haw. L. Rev. 395 (Summer 1992) (Co-Author)
- “Bench-Bar Conference,” Judicial Administration Committee of the Hawaii State Bar Association, (2012, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021) (District Court Civil Group Lead Attorney)
- “Lease Rent Arbitration Process, Hawai‘i Chapter of the Appraisal Institute,” Annual Meeting (July 9, 2013) (Speaker)
- “Civil Forum,” Judicial Administration Committee of the Hawaii State Bar Association (2014, 2016, 2018, 2020) (Panelist/Topic Facilitator)
- “Recent Amendments to Haw. Rev. Stat. Ch. 466K,” Hawai‘i Chapter of the Appraisal Institute, Annual Meeting (July 12, 2011) (Speaker)
