Lisa has extensive experience in complex civil litigation matters at the trial and appellate level.
Lisa has represented clients in litigation matters, including several class action lawsuits, involving construction, health care, real estate, land use, and insurance disputes.
Lisa also regularly dedicates her time to advising on pro bono immigration matters, particularly those involving Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS).She was an integral part of the passage of a bill which passed in 2020 which aligned Hawai’i with the federal SIJS requirements by providing that the family courts in Hawai’i have jurisdiction over all individuals under the age of 21 for purposes of SIJS findings. Lisa and her colleagues drafted the bill and provided testimony, she has now represented two juveniles pro bono in seeking SIJS status.
Prior to joining Cades Schutte, Lisa was a Senior Associate at Hogan Lovells U.S. LLP. Before entering private practice, Lisa served as a law clerk to the Honorable Steven M. Colloton, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eight Circuit, and to the Honorable Alan C. Kay, U.S. District Court for the District of Hawai‘i.
Experience
- Representation of general contractor in major contract dispute related to a luxury condominium in Honolulu
- Representation of clients in state and federal appeals
- Secured a favorable judgment for the defendant in a one-week federal bench trial concerning a breach of contract claim with alleged damages exceeding five million dollars
- Representation of a leading global pharmaceutical company in defense of government investigations and class action litigation
- Representation of insurers in “bad faith,” breach of contract suits, and declaratory judgment actions
Awards
- Listed in Best Lawyers® Ones to Watch, 2021
- 2018 Fellow in the HSBA’s Leadership Institute
Community Involvement
- The Legal Clinic, Secretary (2024-Present), Board Member (2023-Present)
- Wahine Book Club, Co-Leader (2020-Present)
- Capitol Area Immigrants’ Rights (CAIR) Coalition, Pro Bono Liaison (2016-2017)
- Significant pro bono representation including counseling undocumented minors in immigration matters and representing women in civil protection and child custody proceedings
Education
- J.D. (2010), The George Washington University Law School, highest honors
- B.S. Accounting, Minor Economics (2007), Birmingham-Southern College, magna cum laude
Admissions
- Hawai‘i State Bar (2018)
- District of Columbia Bar (2013)
- Virginia State Bar (2010)
- The United States Supreme Court
- United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
- United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
- United States Court for the District of Columbia
Membership
- Hawaii State Bar Association
- The Eighth Circuit Bar Association
- The Virginia Bar Association
- District of Columbia Bar
- American Bar Association
- “Business Interruption Insurance Coverage and COVID-19,” Cades Schutte LLP ke kumu (October 2020) (Co-Author)
- “‘Freestanding Conceptions of State Sovereignty’: The Sebelius Decision’s Necessary-And-Proper Holding and Its Jurisprudential Impacts,” Chap. J. L. & Pol’y (2012-2013)
- “Does Business Interruption Insurance Apply to a Company’s COVID-19 Related Losses?” Cades Schutte Corporate Counsel CLE 2020 Seminar (September 2020) (Co-Presenter)
