Atty. William "Bill" Meheula
William Meheula’s practice areas include complex commercial litigation, real estate litigation, legal malpractice, administrative law, divorce cases and Native Hawaiian rights. Mr.
Profile Summary
About William "Bill" Meheula at a glance
William "Bill" Meheula is a business, real estate, zoning, estate litigation, and litigation attorney based in Honolulu, Hawaii, practicing at Meheula Law LLLC. Educated at Suffolk University (J.D., 1978). Recognitions include Best Lawyers in America — Bet-the-Company Litigation (2026), Best Lawyers in America — Commercial Litigation (2026), and Best Lawyers in America — Land Use and Zoning Law (2026). Serands clients in Honolulu, HI and the surrounding metropolitan area.
Want to Get Service From This Attorney?
Sign up free and choose one of the two methods below.
Have a legal question? Sign up free, submit it through the Ask the Attorney module and receive a focused answer from a specialist.
- Free to ask a question
- Answers from specialist attorneys
- Optional private / anonymous question
Request an online video meeting or an in-person consultation at the attorney's office. Pick a time that works for you and share the details securely.
- Online video meeting
- In-person at the attorney's office
- Secure messaging and payment
About
- William Meheula’s practice areas include complex commercial litigation, real estate litigation, legal malpractice, administrative law, divorce cases and Native Hawaiian rights
- Mr. Meheula’s real estate litigation practice involves disputes concerning purchase and sale agreements, joint venture agreements, financial agreements, and regarding entitlement, condemnation, environmental, archaeological, and hotel and resort issues
- His administrative law practice includes proceedings before before the State Land Use Commission, DLNR Board, County Land Commissions, Hawaii Community Development Authority, Zoning Board of Appeals, State Historic Preservation Division, Public Utilities Commission and other contested case hearing venues
- Mr. Meheula’s legal malpractice and ethics practice involves defending and prosecuting claims by and against lawyers
- In addition Mr. Meheula served as the chairman of a federal and state bar committee that resulted in promulgation of the Hawaii Rules of Professional Conduct in 1994
- Between 2003 and 2011, Mr. Meheula served on the Committee to Revise the Hawaii Rules of Professional Conduct.?
- Mr. Meheula’s Native Hawaiian Rights practice started in 1992 when he served as lead counsel, pro bono, representing beneficiaries of the Hawaiian Home Lands Trust against the State of Hawaii
- This litigation took years of effort and resulted in a $600 million settlement payable to the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands
- The Hawaii State Bar Association awarded Mr. Meheula the “Justice Award” in 1994 for his work on this case
- Since then, Mr. Meheula has been extensively involved as counsel and as a community leader in significant legal victories for the interests of Native Hawaiians. ?One example was Mr. Meheula's work as lead counsel, pro bono, representing four individual Native Hawaiians from 1994 to enjoin the State of Hawaii from selling ceded lands pending resolution of Native Hawaiian claims to those lands
- In January 2008, the Hawaii Supreme Court enjoined the State from selling ceded lands until the claim to those lands was resolved through the political process
- In March 2009, the United States Supreme Court reversed and remanded the case to the Hawaii Supreme Court to decide whether an injunction was warranted under State law
- In July 2009, the case settled with the passage of Act 176, which prohibits the sale of ceded lands to third parties unless supported by a two-thirds majority vote of both houses of the Hawaii legislature.?
- In another matter, Mr. Meheula represented the Office of Hawaiian Affairs from 2003 to 2012 against the State to enforce OHA’s right to public land trust revenues
- With the passage of Act 15 in 2012, OHA obtained title to thirty acres of prime land in Kaka‘ako Makai valued at $200 million
- Mr. Meheula has lectured on commercial litigation, trial practice, legal ethics and Native Hawaiian Rights
- In addition to his law practice, Mr. Meheula has served as an adjunct professor at the William S. Richardson School of Law where he taught the Native Hawaiian Rights Clinic and coached the law school’s distinguished Native American Moot Court Team
Practice Areas Explained
William "Bill" Meheula's Areas of Practice
Each practice area below reflects the types of cases William "Bill" Meheula handles, with a brief overview of what that area of law covers.
Business attorneys advise founders and growing companies on entity formation, contracts, financing, M&A, and dispute resolution.
William "Bill" Meheula is one of 501,317 business attorneys indexed nationally. Browse business attorneys in Hawaii →
Real estate attorneys handle home purchases, sales, commercial transactions, title disputes, and landlord-tenant matters.
William "Bill" Meheula is one of 316,149 real estate attorneys indexed nationally. Browse real estate attorneys in Hawaii →
William "Bill" Meheula is one of 40,226 zoning attorneys indexed nationally. Browse zoning attorneys in Hawaii →
William "Bill" Meheula is one of 20,023 estate litigation attorneys indexed nationally. Browse estate litigation attorneys in Hawaii →
Civil litigation attorneys for breach of contract, business disputes, civil rights, and class action lawsuits.
William "Bill" Meheula is one of 454,532 litigation attorneys indexed nationally. Browse litigation attorneys in Hawaii →
Jurisdictional Context
Why local counsel matters in Hawaii
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 andnue, 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.
Looking for additional Hawaii attorneys? Browse all attorneys in Honolulu or all attorneys in Hawaii.
Frequently Asked
Common questions about William "Bill" Meheula
Where is William "Bill" Meheula's law office located?
What practice areas does William "Bill" Meheula handle?
Where did William "Bill" Meheula go to law school?
How can I contact William "Bill" Meheula for a consultation?
What awards or recognition has William "Bill" Meheula received?
Practice Areas
Education
Awards
Reviews
No reviews yet.