PARTNERS
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 jury trial 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 dispute.
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 insurance coverage litigation practice before the Federal District Court and the Insurance Division of the DCCA and served on the Governor’s search committee for the State Insurance Commissioner. He is an annual speaker at the University of Hawaii Law School’s Torts & Insurance Law classes and a sought after speaker in the Hawaii Bar Association’s continuing legal education seminars on Civil Litigation practice.
Mr. Gallagher is a member of the Hawaii State Bar Association and Illinois Bar Association (inactive). He is on the Board of Directors of the Hawaii Defense Lawyers Association and a member of the Hawaii Federal District Court Bar Association. He is a member of the Defense Research Institute and serves as a member of the Insurance Law Committee of the Defense Research Institute.
Mr. Gallagher is married with three children and serves as a high school and Pop Warner Football referee and is a member of the Hawaii Football Officials Association.
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 insurance coverage litigation practice before the Federal District Court and the Insurance Division of the DCCA and served on the Governor’s search committee for the State Insurance Commissioner. He is an annual speaker at the University of Hawaii Law School’s Torts & Insurance Law classes and a sought after speaker in the Hawaii Bar Association’s continuing legal education seminars on Civil Litigation practice.
Mr. Gallagher is a member of the Hawaii State Bar Association and Illinois Bar Association (inactive). He is on the Board of Directors of the Hawaii Defense Lawyers Association and a member of the Hawaii Federal District Court Bar Association. He is a member of the Defense Research Institute and serves as a member of the Insurance Law Committee of the Defense Research Institute.
Mr. Gallagher is married with three children and serves as a high school and Pop Warner Football referee and is a member of the Hawaii Football Officials Association.
Joelle Segawa Kāne
Joelle Segawa Kāne earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Washington and is a 1995 graduate of the William S. Richardson School of Law at the University of Hawai’i, Mānoa. She served as law clerk to the Honorable James R. Aiona, Jr. (ret.) of the Circuit Court of the First Circuit, State of Hawaii, during the inaugural year of the Hawai’i Drug Court. She now assists individuals, families, businesses, beneficiaries and fiduciaries with a wide variety of legal needs. Her practice areas include insurance, estate and trusts, probate, conservatorships, guardianships, elder law and civil litigation. Ms. Kāne has represented clients in numerous state and federal court actions at all phases, including negotiations, mediations, arbitrations, discovery, pre-trial litigation, trials and appeals. She has extensive litigation and dispute resolution experience before all courts in the State of Hawai’i and has tried both jury and bench trials and handled numerous arbitration proceedings. Ms. Kāne has also served as arbitrator and Kõkua Kānāwai for proceedings within the First Circuit, State of Hawaii.
Ms. Kāne’s insurance practice includes insurance defense and coverage matters, focusing on commercial general liability, construction defect litigation and personal injury claims. Her estate and trust practice concentrates on estate planning, guardianships and conservatorships, probate and trust administration and litigation, and elder law.
Ms. Kāne is a member of the American Bar Association, the Probate and Estate Planning and Elder Law Sections of the Hawai‘i State Bar Association, Hawai’i Estate Planning Council, a Director of the William S. Richardson School of Law Alumni Association, and former Chair of the Research Corporation of the University of Hawai’i. She is also an active member of her community and supports many local organizations such as HUGS, Daughters of Hawai’i, ‘Io Society, Hawai’i Community Foundation, ‘Ahahui Koa Ānuenue and Spike and Serve.
Ms. Kāne’s insurance practice includes insurance defense and coverage matters, focusing on commercial general liability, construction defect litigation and personal injury claims. Her estate and trust practice concentrates on estate planning, guardianships and conservatorships, probate and trust administration and litigation, and elder law.
Ms. Kāne is a member of the American Bar Association, the Probate and Estate Planning and Elder Law Sections of the Hawai‘i State Bar Association, Hawai’i Estate Planning Council, a Director of the William S. Richardson School of Law Alumni Association, and former Chair of the Research Corporation of the University of Hawai’i. She is also an active member of her community and supports many local organizations such as HUGS, Daughters of Hawai’i, ‘Io Society, Hawai’i Community Foundation, ‘Ahahui Koa Ānuenue and Spike and Serve.