Henderson Gallagher & Kane

FIRM RESUME

          HENDERSON GALLAGHER & KANE is a civil litigation firm with emphasis on insurance defense and the defense of self-insured individuals and corporations. The firm is most active in the areas of automobile litigation, premises liability, product liability, construction defects, professional negligence, toxic torts, workers’ compensation, insurance coverage, bad faith litigation, commercial litigation, and other areas of civil litigation.

          HGK’s philosophy emphasizes quality of performance and speed of response. The firm’s blend of experience assures that civil litigation of all magnitudes can be handled effectively and efficiently. At the same time, the firm’s size assures clients that they will receive personal and individual attention on each case from HGK’s trusted partners and attorneys. The members of the firm are:

HARVEY E. HENDERSON, JR.

         HARVEY E. HENDERSON, JR. is a 1968 graduate of the University of California, Hastings College of Law where he was a member of the Hastings Law Journal and Order of the Coif. His undergraduate degree is from the University of California at Berkeley. He is admitted to practice in Hawaii and California (inactive). For over 30 years he has been an active civil litigator in the Hawaii Courts, both state and federal. His practice has concentrated on the defense of personal injury, products liability, professional negligence, construction defects, and commercial litigation cases. He also has extensive experience in insurance coverage matters and the defense of bad faith claims.

          Mr. Henderson has had numerous jury and jury-waived trials in all Circuit Courts in the State of Hawaii and the United States District Court for the District of Hawaii. He has handled many appeals to the Hawaii Supreme Court and the Intermediate Court of Appeals. He is a frequent speaker at CLE seminars on litigation-related matters and is often chosen as a mediator or arbitrator to attempt to resolve other attorneys’ cases short of trial.

          Mr. Henderson is a member of the Hawaii and California (inactive) State Bar Associations, the American Bar Association, Federal Bar Association, the Defense Research Institute and the American Board of Trial Advocates. He is past president of the Hawaii Defense Lawyers Association and currently sits on its Board of Directors. 

J. Patrick Gallagher

          J. Patrick Gallagher is a 1980 graduate of the University of Notre Dame School of Law.  He graduated cum laude from Cornell College in 1977 with a bachelor’s degree in both Mathematics and Political Science.  He attended the Centre for Human Rights and Responsibilities in London, England.  He is admitted to both the Hawaii and Illinois bars.  Mr. Gallagher practices primarily in the area of insurance defense and insurance law litigation.  He has experience with personal injury, insurance fraud, brain damage claims, psychiatric claims, premises liability, and commercial general liability claims.  He has represented defendants in construction defect and unfair competition claims.  He has also defended manufacturers in product liability actions and air carriers in aviation claims.  Mr. Gallagher is an experienced coverage counsel in declaratory relief and bad faith defense in both the first party and third party context.  He has served as an expert witness in first-party insurance coverage disputes.

          Mr. Gallagher has numerous jury trials, arbitration, and appellate experience before all Hawaii Circuit Courts, the United States District Court for the District of Hawaii, the Hawaii Supreme Court, Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the Superior Court of Guam. He also directs the firm’s no-fault insurance litigation practice before the Insurance Division of the DCCA.

          Mr. Gallagher is a member of the Board of Directors of the Hawaii Defense Lawyers Association. He is also a member of the Defense Research Institute and the Hawaii and Illinois State Bar Associations.

Joelle Segawa Kane

        JOELLE SEGAWA KANE received her law degree from the William S. Richardson School of Law, University of Hawaii, in 1995. Her undergraduate degree is from the University of Washington. Ms. Kane has extensive experience in civil litigation, with an emphasis in insurance defense, insurance coverage and insurance law, construction, premises liability, and personal injury. Her practice also concentrates in the areas of probate law, administrative law and government affairs at both the state and county levels.

          Ms. Kane is admitted to practice before all courts in the State of Hawaii, and has tried jury and bench trials and handled numerous arbitrations and appeals. She is a member of the American and Hawaii State Bar Associations and the Board of Directors of the Research Corporation of the University of Hawaii, and has served on the University of Hawaii Law School Alumni Board of Directors.

Lynn B. K. Costales

         LYNN B.K. COSTALES is a 1991 graduate of the University of Hawaii, William S. Richardson School of Law. She earned her bachelor’s Degree from the University of Hawaii at Hilo. She served as a Law Clerk for the Honorable Marie N. Milks and the Honorable Simeon R. Acoba in the First Circuit Court of the State of Hawaii. She was a trial attorney with the Honolulu Prosecutor’s Office for four years before entering private practice with Reinwald O’Connor & Playdon in the field of insurance defense. She practices in the areas of bodily injury defense with an emphasis in the civil litigation defense of automobile claims and commercial general liability claims involving all varieties of liability and medical defenses, as well as professional liability claims. She has defended wrongful death claims, multiple joint tortfeasor claims, governmental entities, excess exposure, and punitive claims.
 
             Ms. Costales is an experienced litigator in both jury trials, arbitrations and serves as an arbitrator for the Court Annexed Arbitration Program. She is a member of the Hawaii State and American Bar Associations.

Jacqueline W. S. Amai

         JACQUELINE W.S. AMAI is a 1992 graduate of the William S. Richardson School of Law at the University of Hawaii, Manoa, where she also received her undergraduate degree. Ms. Amai served as a law clerk to the Honorable Patrick K. S. L. Yim (ret.) when he was the Civil Administrative Judge in the Circuit Court of the First Circuit, State of Hawaii. Before joining the firm, Ms. Amai was an associate for six years with the law firm of Kessner Duca Umebayashi Bain & Matsunaga where her practice focused upon workers’ compensation insurance defense in both state and federal forums.
 
          Ms. Amai’s current practice continues to concentrate on workers’ compensation insurance defense, which includes the representation of employers, insurance carriers, and third-party administrators in workers’ compensation claims, the management and direction of defense litigation at administrative and appellate levels in state forums, and providing legal analyses of compensability and liability issues. She is a member of the Hawaii State Bar Association and serves as a moderator and speaker for seminars on workers’ compensation issues.

Leah M. Reyes

         LEAH M. REYES received her law degree from the Seattle University School of Law in 2000. Her undergraduate degree is from the University of Hawaii, Manoa. Ms. Reyes held paralegal and law clerk positions with the law offices of Hirai Lum Tomita & Higa as well as Gallagher & Associates providing legal support in matters involving workers’ compensation, personal injury, insurance defense, and insurance coverage issues before joining Henderson Gallagher & Kane as an associate in 2000.

           Ms. Reyes concentrates her practice in the area of insurance defense and insurance law litigation with an emphasis in insurance coverage, construction defect, products liability, asbestos, and toxic tort litigation. She has also defended wrongful death claims, personal injury claims, and automobile accident claims. Ms. Reyes has handled appeals to the Hawaii Supreme Court and the Intermediate Court of Appeals. She is a member of the Hawaii State and American Bar Associations.

Jeffrey Y. Higashi

            Jeffrey Y. Higashi is a 1979 graduate of the Law Center of University of Southern California. His undergraduate degree is from the University of Hawaii. Mr. Higashi is admitted to practice before all courts of the State of Hawaii. He is a former partner of Burke Sakai McPheeters Bordner & Gilardy, a former Senior Trial Attorney for AIG Insurance, and recently was Head Staff Counsel for GEICO in Honolulu. He concentrates his practice in the area of personal injury defense, including the defense of products liability, commercial general liability and auto accident cases.

               Mr. Higashi has handled jury trials in the Hawaii courts and has considerable experience in arbitration of personal injury claims involving medical testimony on injuries and diagnostic procedures of all varieties. He is a member of the Hawaii State Bar Association.

Merideth Q. McEntire

           MERIDETH Q. MCENTIRE is a 2007 honors graduate of the William H. Bowen School of Law at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Ms. McEntire was a member of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Law Review Editorial Board as the National Conference of Law Reviews Editor and authored sections of the 2007 Annual Survey of Caselaw. She received a Bachelor of Arts cum laude with distinction in Politics from Hendrix College in 1998.

            Ms. McEntire has experience in recruiting and employee relations in information technology, light industrial, call center, and transportation industries. Additionally, she was a law clerk at several Little Rock law firms where she worked in the areas of labor and employment, employment discrimination, commercial litigation, and insurance defense. Ms. McEntire’s practice includes cases in the areas of workers’ compensation, insurance coverage, and insurance defense

           Ms. McEntire is admitted to practice in all state and federal courts of Hawaii and is a member of the Hawaii State Bar and the American Bar Associations.

ERIN I. MACDONALD

           ERIN I. MACDONALD is a 2007 graduate of the University of California, Hastings College of the Law. She graduated from Punahou School in 1999 and received a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and French from the University of Oregon in 2004. Ms. Macdonald served as a law clerk to the Honorable Karen S.S. Ahn in the Circuit Court of the First Circuit, State of Hawaii. She also worked as a law clerk at firms in Hawaii and California and was a clinic counselor at the San Francisco Legal Aid Society Employment Law Center’s Workers’ Rights Clinic.

             In an addition to practicing law, Ms. Macdonald is an assistant coach of cross country and track and field at Punahou School. She participated in cross country and track and field at Punahou, the University of Oregon, and post-collegiately.

                Ms. Macdonald is admitted to practice in all state and federal courts of Hawaii and is also a member of the California bar (inactive).

HIRO S. TAKEI

           HIRO S. TAKEI is a 2008 graduate of the William S. Richardson School of Law at the University of Hawaii. For his third year of law school, he attended the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law at Yeshiva University as a visiting student. Mr. Takei received his bachelor’s degrees in Journalism and Psychology (honors) from New York University where he graduated magna cum laude. He is a 2001 honors graduate of Punahou School.

            Mr. Takei held law clerk positions with the Honorable Michael D. Wilson of the Circuit Court of the First Circuit, State of Hawaii, the Honorable David Cohen of the New York City Civil Court, Housing Part, and a private practice attorney, Terry Nui Yoshinaga, before joining Henderson Gallagher & Kane as an associate in 2008. Outside of the legal profession, Mr. Takei is also director of Odoriko Restaurant, est. 1972.

                Mr. Takei is admitted to practice in all state and federal courts of Hawaii and is a member of the Hawaii State Bar and American Bar Associations.

JON S. JACOBS

           Jon S. Jacobs is a 2003 graduate of the Saint Louis University School of Law and the John Cook School of Business where he received his Master’s Degree in Business Administration.  His undergraduate degree in psychology is from Creighton University.

          Prior to attending law school, Mr. Jacobs served on active duty for four years as a U.S. Army officer.  After graduating from law school, Mr. Jacobs worked for over one year at an insurance defense law firm in Honolulu before joining the Department of the Prosecuting Attorney for the City and County of Honolulu.  There, he enjoyed over three years of intense trial practice as a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney where he obtained extensive jury and jury-waived trial experience.

                Mr. Jacobs is admitted to practice in all state and federal courts in Hawaii and is a member of the Hawaii State Bar and the American Bar Associations.

Donald C. Machado, Jr

          DONALD C. MACHADO, JR. is a 1986 graduate of Georgetown University Law Center. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame where he graduated magna cum laude. His practice has been largely in the insurance defense area including the defense of a boiler manufacturer in asbestos litigation for over 20 years in Hawaii, Guam, Saipan, and the Philippines (over 3,000 cases). In addition to a law degree, Mr. Machado is a certificated flight instructor with an airline transport pilot rating and type ratings in jet aircraft. Using this expertise, he has handled numerous aviation-related legal matters including the representation of companies following aircraft accidents/incidents.
 
            Mr. Machado is admitted in both the Hawaii and Guam Bars. His professional memberships include the Hawaii State Bar Association, Guam Bar Association, and the Lawyer Pilot’s Bar Association.. 

Gaye L. Chun Dickey

         GAYE L. CHUN DICKEY received her law degree from the William S. Richardson School of Law at the University of Hawaii in 1986. She also earned her Bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Hawaii. She has served as a Foreign Service Officer for the United States Department of State. She is a member of the Hawaii and American Bar Associations and the Hawaii Estate Planning Council. She recently served as the Chair of the Tax Section of the Hawaii Bar Association. 
 
          Ms. Dickey concentrates her practice in the areas of estate and business planning, including wills, trusts, corporations, family limited partnerships, limited liability companies, probate, guardianships, and related real estate law.

Clientele

Representative clients are: