Michelle M. M. Ogata

Michelle M. M. Ogata is an attorney with Estate Planning Partners whose practice focuses on Estate Planning, Trust and Estate Administration, and elder-related planning. She helps clients organize personal and financial affairs, create planning documents, and address administration issues that arise after incapacity or death. Her work requires attention to family objectives, asset ownership, fiduciary duties, and Hawaii law.

Ogata earned a B.A. in Finance from the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa and a Juris Doctor from the William S. Richardson School of Law. She later clerked for Judge Eden Elizabeth Hifo, adding judicial experience to an academic background that combines finance and legal analysis. This background supports Ogata’s ability to analyze legal and factual issues carefully, communicate options clearly, and approach client matters with practical judgment.

Before focusing on estate planning, she practiced with Bays Deaver Lung Rose & Baba on real-estate and construction litigation and insurance disputes. That litigation background gives her additional perspective on how unclear documents, ownership conflicts, and contested rights can develop into disputes, reinforcing the value of careful planning and administration. Across these matters, Ogata focuses on understanding the record, identifying the legal issues that matter most, and helping clients move through the relevant legal process with a clear strategy.

Michelle M. M. Ogata advises clients on estate, trust, and elder-related matters with experience that spans planning, administration, judicial work, and civil litigation. Her finance education and prior dispute work support practical advice on documents, fiduciary responsibilities, property interests, and the implementation of long-term planning decisions. The practice reflects a practical approach to legal service, with attention to the facts, applicable law, and the decisions clients must make as a matter progresses.

Law Office Affiliations

• Attorney, Estate Planning Partners, A Limited Liability Law Firm
• Member, Hawaii State Bar Association
• Member, Probate and Estate Planning Section of the Hawaii State Bar Association
• Member, Elder Law Section of the Hawaii State Bar Association

Licensed State

• Hawaii

Education

• William S. Richardson School of Law
  Juris Doctor (JD)
• University of Hawai‘i at Manoa
  Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Finance

Awards & Badges