Ann H. Aratani
Partner
Email: ann.aratani@hawadvocate.com

Ann H. Aratani has been practicing law in Hawai`i since 1980. She joined Ayabe, Chong, Nishimoto, Sia & Nakamura in 1988, and became a partner in 1994. Her civil practice has focused on complex construction litigation, catastrophic injury litigation, and product liability litigation involving construction products and equipment. Other practice areas include general personal injury, dram shop, and condo or homeowners association litigation. Ms. Aratani also serves an Arbitrator with the Court-Annexed Arbitration Program in the Circuit Court of the First Circuit, State of Hawai`i.

Education

Ms. Aratani obtained her Juris Doctor degree from Northwestern University School of Law in Chicago, Illinois, in 1980.

She graduated with Honors from the University of Hawai`i in 1977, and majored in political science. Ms. Aratani was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa and the Phi Kappa Phi honor societies.

Experience

Prior to joining Ayabe, Chong, Nishimoto, Sia &Nakamura in 1988, Ms. Aratani obtained her litigation experience by working for six and a half years at the Department of the Prosecuting Attorney of the City and County of Honolulu. As a Deputy Prosecutor, she tried 40 felony jury trials to verdict, including numerous murder and attempted murder cases. In addition, she tried a dozen jury-waived or judge felony trials, and was a felony trials team supervisor.

She practiced general real estate law with a law firm formerly known as Case, Kay & Lynch between 1981 and 1982.

Ms. Aratani served as a law clerk for Hawai`i Supreme Court Justice Thomas S. Ogata from 1980 to 1981. Prior to graduating from Northwestern, she returned to Hawai`i each summer to work at the Hawai`i Supreme Court. In the summer of 1979, she was a law clerk for then retired and substitute Hawai`i Supreme Court Justice Masaji Marumoto. In the summer of 1978, she was a clerk for the Hawai`i Supreme Court staff attorney, and assisted in research and memos.

Affiliations

Ms. Aratani is a member of the Hawai`i State Bar Association. She has practiced in all Circuit Courts in the State of Hawai`i, the U.S. District Court for the District of Hawai`i, and the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Ms. Aratani has been a member of CLM (Claims & Litigation Management Alliance) since 2008, and was a Hawai`i Co-Chair from 2009-2013.