Leavitt, Yamane & Soldner — Local services in Honolulu

I wish I could leave a 10 star rating for this law firm. In October 2020 I was involved in a very serious car accident caused by a driver whose father has influence on island. I was a passenger of the vehicle I was in and had absolutely zero control over the outcome of this incident. I called a very reputable lawyer while I was suffering my injuries in the hospital and explained my situation, this particular lawyer had told me he was confident he could take my case, however the following day I received a call from this lawyer stating that he cannot take my case as he is a friend of the driver’s father. He further told me that I would not be able to find a reputable lawyer in Hawaii to represent me because of who the drivers father is. This made me extremely nervous and stressed out, until my father introduced me to Stuart Kodish. I briefed Stuart Kodish about my situation and Stuart assured me that he can take my case without any issues or conflict from the opposing side. Stuart Kodish has a paralegal named Rachel Otto who was absolutely amazing throughout the entire duration of my case. Rachel is extremely helpful, super organized and super responsive. Both Stuart and Rachel would respond back to any questions or concerns that I had within 24 hours or less. My case had a lot of parts to it, the driver who caused the accident only had the state minimum requirement of $20k liability which was penny’s compared to the medical bills I had incurred from my injuries caused by this individual. Stuart and Rachel worked magic on my case and was able to recover an amazing amount for me. I had been told by several lawyers prior to working with Stuart that I was not going to recover anything from my case because the driver who hit me is a bum and has no assets in addition to minimal insurance. Even Stuart was a bit skeptical on what I would recover due to the extent of medical expenses, medical lien and the minimal insurance coverage that both drivers in the incident held. Fortunately Stuart Kodish and Rachel Otto and their team have worked a bit over 2 years on my case to finally get it settled. Although my case did not settle for the amount it is worth, the amount that I was receiving was significantly more than what I was told I would recover due to the other drivers being broke, irresponsible and having minimal insurance. At the beginning of my situation everything was looking bad, it was looking like I would be stuck with medical liens and life long injuries that I would not get compensated for. Today, Stuart has flipped that upside down and has recovered a tremendous amount for me. Not only did Stuart assist with the insurance part of my case, he also answered and advised me on parts of the criminal case that he could answer. (Please note that Stuart is not a criminal attorney and he only answered general questions that he knew answers to) Stuart and Rachel have both gone above and beyond to ensure I was taken care of during my case. I have no words for how thankful I am to have hired Stuart Kodish to represent me. Stuart had many hoops to jump through that many other lawyers wouldn’t have the knowledge of doing. I believe Stuart is the only lawyer that would have been able to assist me in my case in the way and the amount that he did. When briefing other lawyers on my case, they were all telling me I wouldn’t recover anything and that I might even owe money on any medical liens that I was incurring. I’ll say it over and over again, I can’t thank Stuart and his team enough for the work they did for me. I truly hope I never need a lawyer for this type of situation again, but if I ever do, Stuart and his team are the first on my...

I live on the island of Maui and unexpectedly woke up in a hospital on Oahu after having been run over by a bus. I spent two months hospitalized and had multiple fractures throughout my body and a number of other wounds. Needless to say, getting hit by a bus is highly traumatic for the person being hit, as well as their family and friends, and there was no shortage of uncertainty about what the future may hold for me.

Thankfully, over the years my wife and I had seen Leavitt Yamane & Soldner advertisements on TV and elsewhere, and when friends came to visit me in the hospital nearly every one of them said, "I hope you called Leavitt Yamane & Soldner." So for us, not knowing the road ahead, we called LYS in search of some strategy and comfort in dealing with what we assumed would eventually be a lawsuit. ( As a side note, I thought if I had been seeing their advertisements in prime time ad slots, they are clearly doing something right for their clients. Being able to pay for that ad space for so many years should say something about how they treat their clients and perform for their clients.)

While I was still immobile due to multiple spinal fractures and all the rest of my injuries, John Yamane appeared at my hospital bedside after my wife reached out to them. He is a kind and professional gentleman who clearly knows how to navigate all the hurdles and nuance of the legal system and do so while keeping his clients clearly informed as to what is taking place and why, each step of the process. He has a wonderful supporting team who all helped provide us with comfort, kindness, and the confidence they were here to help us find our way through the thorny brambles of personal injury and into the flowery meadows of physical recovery and financial compensation. Kaui, Jamie, Brenda (and I know there are others I may be omitting here and for that I apologize) were all involved in my case and were a wonderful supporting cast along the way. I simply can't thank them enough. I should also point out that after I had recovered enough to come home to Maui, John flew over to meet with me at the scene of the accident to better understand what took place. He also utilized other experts to support my case. So in addition to their own legal team, there are other third party experts LYS have at the ready to support a case as needed. In short, they spared no effort or expense to ensure the best possible outcome for their client.

For those who may be reading this as a source of information because of a situation you'd rather not be in, I am sorry for whatever circumstance you may be dealing with and wish you all the best. If you are in search of legal representation, I can attest to the fact that John Yamane and his team are top-notch. The legal system is a beast for those, like me, who have never had to deal with it. This team of professionals are exceptional at keeping their clients informed and educated throughout the process of helping you find some peace of mind amidst the most trying of circumstances. They know the law, the system, and the best strategies for guiding you to an outcome that helps you move forward with your life.

Mahalo nui loa once again to John, Kaui, Jamie and Brenda....and others behind the scenes...who helped me and my family find some...

In 2015 I was hit head on by a vehicle that crossed the center line. I suffered multiple injuries, injuries that will never completely heal and my life changed in more ways than one. I had months and then years of physical therapy, multiple surgeries and I will have issues with my neck, back, wrist and knee for the rest of my life. Unfortunately, due to the injuries of the offending drivers passengers, there wasn’t anywhere near the ability to fairly compensate me for my injuries. I called Leavitt, Yamane and Soldner and was invited to meet with Attorney Michael Cruise. The first person I met when I arrived at their office was Kanani Akina-Lee. She would end up being someone, that for the 6 years we worked towards getting my case resolved, was my anchor. I want to equally distribute praise between Kanani and Michael. I never once felt uninformed of what my cases status, confused about what was happening and I was alway supported. Throughout, Kanani always made sure that I had questions answered in a timely manner, she went out of her way to help me through securement of documents and she has the most positive energy. Michael Cruise was the perfect fit for me as an attorney. Calm in a way that is never condescending and very respectful. He understands what it’s like to be injured and need help. I’d also like to mention Ana Buenlaflor, she helped me on more than one occasion and was always very pleasant, and patient! My case wrapped up this past June and it was better than I could have ever expected. The best decision I ever made was trusting the lawyers and staff at Leavitt, Yamane and Soldner. Many thanks...