Neal T. Gota

Neal T. Gota is a partner at Kobayashi Sugita & Goda, LLP whose practice includes estate planning, probate and trust administration, estate and trust litigation, and liquor-license matters. He joined the firm in 2007 and advises clients on planning documents, fiduciary administration, probate procedures, disputes involving estates or trusts, and licensing issues for businesses.

Gota earned a B.B.A. in Finance from the University of Hawai‘i Shidler College of Business in 2003 and a J.D. from the William S. Richardson School of Law. His finance and legal education provides a useful foundation for estate planning, asset-related decisions, fiduciary work, and the administration of property and financial interests. This background supports Gota’s ability to analyze legal and factual issues carefully, communicate options clearly, and approach client matters with practical judgment.

His professional involvement has included leadership in the Hawaii State Bar Association’s Elder Law Section and service with the Probate and Estate Planning Section and the Hawaii Estate Planning Council. These activities complement his day-to-day work with planning, probate, trust administration, and estate-related disputes. Across these matters, Gota 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.

Neal T. Gota combines planning and administration work with experience in contested trust and estate matters and liquor licensing. His practice supports clients before and after major life events, from creating plans to administering estates and trusts or resolving disagreements that arise over fiduciary decisions and property rights. 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

• Partner, Kobayashi Sugita & Goda, LLP
• Member, Hawaii State Bar Association
• Past Chair, Elder Law Section, Hawaii State Bar
• Current Officer, Probate and Estate Planning Section, Hawaii State Bar
• Member, American Bar Association
• Member, Hawaii Estate Planning Council

Licensed State

• Hawaii

Education

• William S. Richardson School of Law
  Juris Doctor (JD)
• University of Hawaii Shidler College of Business
  Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) in Finance

Awards & Badges