Joel D. Kam

Joel D. Kam is a co-managing partner at McCorriston Miller Mukai MacKinnon LLP in Honolulu, HI, with a practice focused on real estate development, zoning, and land use. Kam counsels businesses and owners on development approvals, ground leases, and financing. The issues often call for close evaluation of the governing rules, the relevant records, and the positions of those involved.

Kam’s educational background includes a J.D. from Stanford Law School in 1993 and a B.A. from the University of Hawaii at Manoa in 1989, with distinction. That academic preparation informs work on real estate development, zoning, and land use by providing a grounding in legal reasoning and the analysis of detailed records. The training is applicable to interpreting contracts, understanding statutory or procedural requirements, and evaluating the factual questions a matter presents.

Kam works on matters such as development permits, zoning entitlements, lease rent negotiations, and administrative proceedings. These issues often involve substantial records, differing legal positions, or several parties with competing interests. An effective response calls for understanding the documents and chronology, identifying the controlling questions, and considering the available procedures. Whether a matter is advisory or contested, the legal work must account for both immediate requirements and possible longer-term consequences.

Joel D. Kam has a professional background marked by his leadership of the firm and work on real estate projects involving governmental review. In each engagement, Kam focuses on the documents, facts, and legal rules that matter to the issue presented. This often means explaining complex questions in terms of the choices and obligations facing the client. The combination of subject-matter experience and careful analysis supports a practical approach to counseling, negotiation, and litigation where those services form part of the practice.

Law Office Affiliations

• Managing Partner, McCorriston Miller Mukai MacKinnon LLP
• Member, Hawaii State Bar Association
• Director, Real Property and Financial Services Section, Hawaii State Bar Association (2011-2014)
• Director, Hospice Hawaii (2013-2015)

Licensed State

• Hawaii

Education

• Stanford Law School
  Juris Doctor (JD)
• University of Hawaii, Manoa
  Bachelor of Arts (BA)

Awards & Badges