Stephen G. Dyer
Partner
Email: stephen.dyer@hawadvocate.com

Civil litigation, mostly defense. Provides legal assistance and problem-resolving advice, in both State and Federal Courts, particularly in tort litigation, including, medical malpractice, personal injury, premises liability, real property disputes, and construction defects. Niche practice areas include the defense of sex abuse allegations, Japanese-related litigation and military-related litigation. Agreed-upon binding arbitrator in over 40 matters. Mediates lawsuits/conflicts between Japanese individuals and entities, and sex abuse cases.

Education

Attended the University of Notre Dame, utilizing a four-year Army ROTC Scholarship, graduating with B.A. degrees in Japanese (summa cum laude) and Economics. Sophomore year abroad at Sophia University, Tokyo. Juris Doctor from The John Marshall Law School in Chicago. Two-year Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholarship, Tokyo. Completed the highest level of Japanese study at International Christian University, then a year at Chuo University’s Graduate Law Department, combined with an internship at Yuasa Hara Law Offices in Tokyo. Communicates in written and spoken Japanese. Black belt in Iaido. Attended the US Army’s Command and General Staff School and War College.

Experience

Career litigator, beginning with active duty in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps (“JAG”). In initial 27-month tour at Yongsan, ROK (Seoul) defended and advised soldiers accused of UCMJ violations (e.g., murder, rape, drugs, assault), to include 24 contested General Courts Martial trials, prevailing in all but one. Civil litigation experience began during a 3-year tour at Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu, investigating and defending medical malpractice claims, to include pairing with the US Attorney in four judge-alone trials in Federal District Court. Private practice in Hawaii since 1992. Have been counsel for defendants in 12 civil jury trials, to include 8 medical malpractice trails, prevailing in all.

One verdict, Canalez v. Bob’s Appliance, was appealed, affirmed, and made new law (sanctions on counsel for failure to negotiate in good faith): https://caselaw.findlaw.com/hi-supreme-court/1386952.html. Have prevailed in dispositive motions, or settled, over 500 lawsuits, mostly via mediation.

Have defended sex abuse allegation lawsuits on behalf of dioceses (over 100), private schools, (8), community organizations (2), and a religious leader (12), creating a mediation protocol, approved by the Courts, now universally used in Hawaii in this genre of case.

Have represented hotels and other businesses in claims/lawsuits brought by Japanese nationals, and have traveled to Japan to resolve same, both prior and subsequent to litigation. Have represented injured Japanese Nationals. Have been retained numerous times to depose military plaintiffs. Defended a prominent university, known for football, in a CTE allegation lawsuit. Have defended asbestos-related lawsuits for many years.

From 1994 through 2013, served as a reserve Army JAG Officer, with the Hawaii Army National Guard (2 years), then US Pacific Command (17 years), providing, inter alia, Law of War and Rules of Engagement (ROE) counsel in real-life events and multi-national exercises. Was member of PACOM JAG team putting on an annual International and Military Operational Law conference (MILOPS) for military counsel in Pacific Rim nations. Have deployed to Thailand (25x), Singapore (8x), Japan, Okinawa, Korea, Guam, Saipan, Fiji, Iwo Jima, Australia, New Zealand and Malaysia. Airborne qualified. Shellback. TS-SCI clearance.

Instrumental in the immediate aftermath of the Ehime Maru/USS Greeneville tragedy as the initial representative of USPACOM: https://www.jicuf.org/alumni-stories-no-15-mr-stephen-dyer/. Lead panelist on a US-Japan Council webinar commemorating its twentieth anniversary: Remembering the Ehime Maru. Featured on ThinkTech Hawaii’s podcast Law Across the Sea on 2/17/20: Somewhere Over the Rising Sun. Presented roundtable at 2021 Japan-America Student Conference on conflict resolution between the U.S. and Japan. Mentor for The International Business Council: https://ouribc.com/continuum-podcast/. Panelist on “I learned Japanese in a Classroom” Seminar at the University of Hawaii: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgJLai95PrU.

Affiliations

Licensed to practice law in Hawaii, Illinois (inactive), Federal Courts in Hawaii and Illinois, and all US Army courts. Hawaii Real Estate sales license since 1989 (currently inactive), with seven residential transactions. Member of Rotary International since 1991, to include many leadership positions, and is the immediate Past President of the Pearl Harbor Rotary Club (2023-24). Japan-America Society of Hawaii (“JASH”) Executive Board. President of the Hawaii Rotary Youth Foundation (“HRYF”) which awards $275,000 in merit-based college scholarships annually to over 50 Hawaii high school seniors. Leader in the US-Japan Council.