Atty. Gerald A. Sumida
Gerald A. Sumida is a partner in Carlsmith Ball LLP's Honolulu office and Chair of the firm's Corporate & Business Practice Group.
Administrative & Regulatory Law & More Attorney · Serving Honolulu, HI
Profile Summary
About Gerald A. Sumida at a Glance
Gerald A. Sumida is a business, m&a, securities, government, and energy attorney based in Honolulu, Hawaii, practicing at Carlsmith Ball LLP. Admitted to practice in Hawaii, Hawaii State Bar, United States, U.S. Federal Courts, and United States, U.S. Supreme Court. Educated at Princeton University (BA). Recognitions include Best Lawyers in America — Administrative / Regulatory Law (2026), Best Lawyers in America — Antitrust Law (2026), and Best Lawyers in America — Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships) (2026). Serves clients in Honolulu, HI and the surrounding metropolitan area.
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About Gerald A. Sumida
- Gerald A. Sumida is a partner in Carlsmith Ball LLP's Honolulu office and Chair of the firm's Corporate & Business Practice Group
- He concentrates on business structuring and operations, including corporate, limited liability company, joint venture and partnership matters
- business acquisitions
- sales and mergers
- securities law
- start-up company and venture capital financing
- administrative and public utilities law
- energy law, including energy project development and project finance
- antitrust and trade regulation law
- intellectual property law
- federal, state and county legislative and administrative matters
- and international legal matters
- Mr. Sumida rejoined Carlsmith Ball LLP after serving from October 1999 to December 2002 as the General Counsel of the Asian Development Bank, a multilateral development bank established in 1966 to promote the economic and social development of the Asian and Pacific Region (ADB)
- ADB, based in Manila, Philippines, currently has 62 member countries, and provides development assistance to over 40 countries in this region
- He led a group of 28 international lawyers, drawn from 25 countries, who handle ADB's international legal, financing, lending, borrowing, investment and development work, as well as ADB's institutional matters, and undertake their own law and policy reform projects in various countries, and he advised ADB's senior management and board of directors
- Mr. Sumida is listed in Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business 2018 for Corporate/Commercial law (Band 1) and was named Lawyer of the Year—Energy Law—Hawai‘i by The Best Lawyers in America 2018
- He is also listed in Best Lawyers for Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships), Corporate Governance Law, and Securities / Capital Markets Law, and has been listed for these areas since 2010
- In 2009, he was elected to the position of Secretary-General of the Inter-Pacific Bar Association, an international association of more than 1,600 business and commercial lawyers focused on legal developments and regional legal cooperation in the Asia-Pacific Region
- Representative Matters Business Structuring & Operations Represented clients in forming ownership and operational structures to undertake specific business activities in commercial, real estate and other development
- Assisted clients with matters in renewable energy and clean technology, agricultural, technology and other areas
- Represented clients in structuring, forming and advising nonprofit organizations
- in establishing the legislative and organizational basis for a public corporation to administer the East-West Center, a national educational institution
- Represented start-up firms, including structuring and negotiating seed and venture capital financing arrangements
- Energy, Clean Technology and Project Development Represented firms in developing energy, including renewable energy projects and facilities that sell power to electric utilities, including structuring organizational arrangements, negotiating power purchase arrangements, completing site acquisition, undertaking permitting and land use matters, negotiating financing, including project finance arrangements, engaging in public utilities commission proceedings relating to energy projects
- Clients include Kalaeloa Partners (cogeneration), Puna Geothermal Venture (geothermal), First Wind (wind), Sea Solar International (OTEC), Oceanlinx (wave energy), and other solar photovoltaic, energy service, waste-to-energy and clean technology firms
- Acquisitions and Sales Represented clients in stock and asset sales and purchases and in mergers, including structuring the transaction, negotiating the transaction and preparing required documentation, structuring and negotiating financing arrangements, preparing and coordinating filing of all required federal and state notifications, and handling various post-closing matters
- Securities Represented corporations and limited partnerships in undertaking primarily private offerings of securities under SEC Regulation D, including structuring the securities offering, preparing all required offering memoranda and related documents, preparing and filing state and federal applications and notifications, and conducting post-offering work
- Represented a health care organization in conducting a State of Hawai‘i public registration of corporate securities and various limited partnerships in private placements of securities, including Hawai‘i's first research and development limited partnership offering
- Antitrust and Trade Regulation Counseled primarily corporations in federal and state antitrust and trade regulation matters
- Included counseling regarding proposed stock and asset acquisitions, corporate mergers and joint ventures, conducting antitrust compliance programs, and assisting in federal and state antitrust litigation
- Represented a Hawai‘i firm in a nationwide class action litigation involving almost all U.S. cement and ready mix companies
- The litigation was ultimately successfully settled in the defendants' favor
- State and Hawai‘i Agencies Represented the State in energy-related matters, including preparing preliminary and subsequent comprehensive analyses on the legal, financial and institutional aspects of developing a 150-mile undersea electric transmission cable to deliver power from the island of Hawai‘i to Oahu
- Represented various State agencies and quasi-public corporations on venture capital financing and high technology matters
- Intellectual Property Represented clients in state, federal and foreign intellectual property matters
- His experience includes advising on U.S. and foreign copyright trademark, service mark registrations, preparing applications for and obtaining U.S. copyright and trademark and service registrations, preparing documentation for international licensing arrangements for U.S. trademarks, and assisting in trademark and copyright infringement litigation
- Prior Work Experi
Practice Areas Explained
Gerald A. Sumida's Areas of Legal Practice
Each practice area below reflects the types of cases Gerald A. Sumida handles, with a practical overview of what that area of law involves and how it may apply to your situation in Honolulu.
Business & Corporate Law in Honolulu
Business attorneys advise founders and growing companies on entity formation, contracts, financing, M&A, and dispute resolution.
Gerald A. Sumida is one of 497,491 business attorneys indexed nationally. Browse business attorneys in Hawaii →
Mergers & Acquisitions in Honolulu
Gerald A. Sumida is one of 49,430 m&a attorneys indexed nationally. Browse m&a attorneys in Hawaii →
Securities Law in Honolulu
Gerald A. Sumida is one of 64,075 securities attorneys indexed nationally. Browse securities attorneys in Hawaii →
Government & Administrative Law in Honolulu
Attorneys for administrative law, agency hearings, government contracts, licensing, and public benefits.
Gerald A. Sumida is one of 131,162 government attorneys indexed nationally. Browse government attorneys in Hawaii →
Energy & Utilities Law in Honolulu
Energy attorneys for oil & gas, renewables, utility regulation, and energy sector transactions.
Gerald A. Sumida is one of 35,985 energy attorneys indexed nationally. Browse energy attorneys in Hawaii →
Jurisdictional Context
Why Local Counsel Matters in Honolulu
Practicing law in Hawaii. Legal matters in Hawaii are governed by state-specific rules of civil and criminal procedure, statutes of limitations, and substantive law. Cases originating in Honolulu are typically filed in the local municipal court or the appropriate Hawaii state district court, depending on subject matter and amount in controversy. An attorney licensed in Hawaii brings working knowledge of local procedural deadlines, judicial practices in this venue, and the substantive law that applies to cases brought here. Out-of-state attorneys generally cannot represent clients in Hawaii courts without local counsel or pro hac vice admission.
Honolulu Courts and Legal Process
Choosing a Honolulu-based attorney means your counsel already knows the local docketing timelines, preferred filing formats, and how individual judges typically rule on procedural motions — details that only come from practicing in this jurisdiction day after day. That local familiarity can translate to better strategy, faster filings, and fewer costly surprises.
Looking for additional Hawaii attorneys? Browse all attorneys in Honolulu or all attorneys in Hawaii.
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Professional Profile
Why Clients in Honolulu Choose Gerald A. Sumida
Selecting an attorney is one of the most consequential decisions you can make when a legal matter arises. Below are the core qualities that distinguish Gerald A. Sumida's practice in the field of business, m&a, securities, government, and energy.
Multi-State Bar Admission
Licensed in Hawaii, Hawaii State Bar, United States, U.S. Federal Courts, and United States, U.S. Supreme Court, Gerald A. Sumida can represent clients in cases that span state lines or require counsel in multiple jurisdictions.
Broad Practice Area Coverage
Covering business, m&a, and securities, Gerald A. Sumida can address the full spectrum of a client's legal needs without requiring referrals to separate specialists for each issue.
Local Presence in Honolulu
A Honolulu-based practice means Gerald A. Sumida attends hearings in the same courthouses, knows the local clerks, and understands the unwritten scheduling norms that affect every case filed here.
Case Types
Common Legal Issues Gerald A. Sumida Handles in Honolulu
Below is a representative sample of the types of matters Gerald A. Sumida has experience with under Hawaii law. If your situation involves one of these case categories, this attorney may be well positioned to help you understand your options.
This list is illustrative, not exhaustive. Contact Gerald A. Sumida directly to discuss the specifics of your situation.
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How People Find Gerald A. Sumida Online
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Gerald A. Sumida's Practice Areas & Specializations
Education & Law School Background
Awards & Professional Honors
Bar Admissions & Licensed Jurisdictions
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