Lawrence S. Okinaga

Lawrence S. Okinaga is a partner at Carlsmith Ball LLP in Honolulu, HI, with a practice focused on corporate law, banking and finance, and administrative law. Okinaga advises banks, companies, and individuals on financing, regulations, business transactions, and commercial property matters. The practice addresses the documents and legal standards that shape the client’s responsibilities and options. This can involve reviewing an existing arrangement, preparing for a transaction, or evaluating a contested claim.

Okinaga earned a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center and a B.A. in Economics from the University of Hawaii. The education provides a foundation for legal research, evaluation of evidence, and work involving corporate law, banking and finance, and administrative law. These are areas in which precise language and an understanding of applicable law can make a material difference. Legal training also supports the assessment of competing interpretations, procedural requirements, and the steps involved in preparing a matter for resolution.

The matters handled by Okinaga include financial institution regulation, mergers, credit transactions, and administrative legal matters. These assignments show the range of issues that can arise within the practice and the need to consider each client’s position carefully. Work in this area can include document review, legal research, negotiations, and preparation for proceedings when a dispute cannot be resolved informally. The relevant facts and legal standards guide how each matter is approached.

Lawrence S. Okinaga brings particular experience through his Chambers USA recognition in Corporate/Commercial: Finance and his longstanding representation of financial institutions. The work calls for close attention to legal obligations and a practical understanding of the outcomes clients are seeking. Okinaga considers how the applicable law, supporting records, and timing of decisions affect the options available. By concentrating on the specific legal task and its surrounding circumstances, the practice helps clients approach important decisions with a clearer account of the issues involved.

Law Office Affiliations

• Partner, Carlsmith Ball LLP
• Secretary & Member, Board of Directors, Hawaii State Bar Association (1981)
• Member, House of Delegates, American Bar Association (1991 – 1993)
• Chair, Federal Judicial Selection Commission Working Group (2005)
• Chairman, Hawaii Federal Judicial Selection Commission (2005 – 2013)
• Chairman, Commission on Judicial Conduct, State of Hawaii (1991 – 1994)
• Board of Visitors, Georgetown University Law Center (1993 – Present)
• Chairman, American Judicature Society (2017 – Present)
• Trustee, Moiliili Community Center (1992 – Present)
• Chairman, Board of Directors, Carole Kai Charities, Inc., Great Aloha Run (2001 – Present)
• Member, National Advisory Council, U.S. Small Business Administration
• Member, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, State of Hawaii, Investment Advisory Committee (2008 – Present)

Licensed State

• Hawaii

Education

• Georgetown University Law Center
  Juris Doctor (JD)
• University of Hawaii
  Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Economics

Awards & Badges