Chris is a partner at Cades Schutte practicing in the areas of commercial and real property litigation, insurance coverage, and insurance defense and professional liability.
He earned his law degree cum laude from the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa, William S. Richardson School of Law, where he was a member of the law review and national environmental law moot court team. He received a number of academic awards and wrote three law review articles. Following law school, Chris clerked for Associate Justice Steven H. Levinson of the Supreme Court of Hawai‘i and Senior Judge Alan C. Kay of the United States District Court for the District of Hawai‘i.
Chris has argued before the Supreme Court of Hawai‘i and the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. He has served as the Chair of the Appellate Section of the Hawai‘i State Bar Association and as a lecturer in law at the Richardson School of Law, teaching a first-year appellate advocacy course.
In his free time, Chris teaches Kendo (Japanese fencing) and has competed four times at the World Kendo Championships.
Commercial and Real Estate Litigation
- Litigation in state court defending development permit challenged based on archeological and constitutional issues
- Litigation in state court defending special use permit challenged based on compliance with prior permit conditions and constitutional issues
- Litigation in state court representing commercial landlords in breach of lease cases
Insurance Defense and Professional Liability
- Coverage opinions for insurers and insureds on CGL, E&O, and automobile insurance policies
- Litigation in state court and related arbitration defending insurer against third-party bad faith claim based on investigation of claim
- Litigation in state court representing insurer in declaratory judgment and reimbursement action
- Litigation in state and federal courts defending law firms against claims challenging procedures in non-judicial foreclosure proceedings
Decisions
- Argued in Arc in Hawaii v. DB Ins. Co., CV 20-00112-ACK-WRP, 2021 WL 2481672 (D. Haw. June 17, 2021). The district court awarded $2.3 million to the insured based on coverages for forgery and employee dishonesty
- Argued in Hungate v. Law Office of David B. Rosen, 139 Hawai‘i 394, 391 P.3d 1 (2017). The Hawai‘i Supreme Court upheld dismissal of claims by a mortgagor against an attorney who conducted the non-judicial foreclosure
- Argued in Lima v. Deutsche Bank Nat’l Tr. Co., 690 F. App’x 911 (9th Cir. 2017). The Ninth Circuit upheld dismissal of claims by a mortgagor against an attorney who conducted the non-judicial foreclosure
- Contributing brief author in Hotelco HI HO LLC v. Thyssenkrupp Elevator Corp., No. CV 16-00625 KJM, 2017 WL 10647375, at *1 (D. Haw. Dec. 31, 2017). The court granted summary judgment on elevator company’s claims and granting summary judgment on the vast majority of the customer’s claims
- Contributing brief author in Kaheawa Wind Power, LLC v. County of Maui, 146 Hawai‘i 76, 456 P.3d 149 (2020). The Hawai‘i Supreme Court held that the county could not tax wind towers and turbines as “real property” under the Hawai‘i Constitution
- Contributing brief author in Trustees of Estate of Bishop v. Au, 141 Hawai‘i 248, 407 P.3d 1284, 2017 WL 6614566 (Ct. App. 2017) (unpublished summary disposition order). The appellate court upheld summary judgment in favor of the landlord, terminating the lease, awarding damages, and dismissing the tenant’s counterclaims
- Contributing brief author in Au v. Trustees of Estate of Bishop, No. CV 20-00218 JAO-WRP, 2020 WL 5550388, at *1 (D. Haw. Sept. 16, 2020). The district court dismissed claims under the Rooker-Feldman doctrine, because the claims were a de facto appeal of a prior state court case
- Contributing brief author in Hart v. TICOR Title Insurance Co., 126 Hawai‘i 448, 272 P.3d 1215 (2012). The Hawai‘i Supreme Court held that the insurer had improperly refused to defend the insured in litigation
- Contributing brief author in Amina v. WMC Mortgage Corp., 554 F. App’x 555 (9th Cir. 2014). The Ninth Circuit upheld the district court’s dismissal of the mortgagor’s claims for failure to prosecute
- Contributing brief author in Burlington Insurance Co. v. Panacorp, Inc., 758 F, Supp. 2d 1121 (D. Haw. 2011). The district court stayed insurance litigation pending outcome of related case filed in state court pursuant to abstention doctrine
Awards
- Best Lawyers® Lawyer of the Year, Litigation – Real Estate, Honolulu, 2023
- Listed in Best Lawyers® since 2020
- Pacific Century Fellows, Class of 2019-2020
- Pacific Business News “40 Under 40” Class of 2017
- Super Lawyers® Rising Stars 2016
- Hawaii State Bar Association 2016 Leadership Institute Fellow
- Bernard Levinson Memorial Award for the outstanding constitutional law paper in Second-Year Seminar
- Best Oralist Award in Appellate Advocacy
- CALI Excellence for the Future Awards for earning the highest grades in Real Property I, Appellate Advocacy, Advanced Torts and Insurance Law, and Evidence
Education
- J.D. (2006), University of Hawai‘i, William S. Richardson School of Law, cum laude
- B.A., University of Hawai‘i, Shidler College of Business, with distinction
Admissions
- Hawai‘i State Bar (2006)
- Hawai‘i State Courts
- United States District Court for the District of Hawai‘i
Membership
- Hawai‘i’s Annual United States District Court Judicial Conference, U.S. District and Bankruptcy Courts, Lawyer Delegate (2022 – 2025)
- Hawaii State Bar Association
- American Bar Association
- Federal Bar Association
Clerkship
- Law Clerk to The Honorable Alan C. Kay, Senior U.S. District Judge, U.S. District Court for the District of Hawai‘i (2009)
- Law Clerk to the Honorable Steven H. Levinson, Associate Justice, Supreme Court of Hawai‘i (2007-2008)
- Dolan v. City of Tigard and the Distinction Between Administrative and Legislative Exactions: A Distinction Without A Constitutional Difference, 28 U. Haw. L. Rev. 139 (2005) (Commentator)
- The Status of Nollan v. California Coastal Commission and Dolan v. City of Tigard After Lingle v. Chevron U.S.A., Inc., 40 J. Marshall L. Rev. 539 (2007) (Co-Author with Professor David L. Callies)
- The Role and Content of the Character of the Governmental Action Factor in a Partial Regulatory Takings Analysis, 29 U. Haw. L. Rev. 437 (2007), reprinted in 2008 Zoning and Planning Law Handbook 219 (Patricia E. Salkin & William D. Bremer eds., 2008) (Author)
- “Chapter on Attorneys’ Fees and Costs,” Hawai‘i State Bar Association’s Federal Appellate Practice Manual (2013) (Author)
- “Changes and Potential Challenges to Hawaii’s Short-Term Rental Laws,” Cades Schutte Corporate Counsel In-House Seminar (September 27, 2024) (Co-Presenter)
- “Transit Oriented Development,” 2022 Hawaii Land Use Law Conference (May 25, 2022) (Moderator)
- “Recent Developments and Practice Points for In-House Attorneys,” Cades Schutte Corporate Counsel seminar (October 2021) (Speaker)
- “Attorneys’ Fees Motions Under Local Rule 54.2,” Federal Bar Association Hawai‘i Chapter (August 25, 2021) (Co-Presenter)
- “Recent Developments on Ethical Issues for In-house Counsel,” Cades Schutte Corporate Counsel seminar (September 2020) (Speaker)
