Atty. William M. Harstad
William Harstad is a Partner in the firm's Litigation and Alternative Dispute Resolution practice group. He has experience in numerous arbitrations and litigations, with amounts in dispute ranging from the tens of thousands of dollars to hundreds of millions of dollars.
Profile Summary
About William M. Harstad at a glance
William M. Harstad is a business, real estate, construction, estate litigation, and litigation attorney based in Honolulu, Hawaii, practicing at Carlsmith Ball LLP. Admitted to practice in Hawaii, Hawaii and New York, New York. Educated at Grinnell College (B.A.). Recognitions include Best Lawyers in America — Commercial Litigation (2026), Best Lawyers in America — Litigation - Construction (2026), and Best Lawyers in America — Litigation - Real Estate (2026). Serands clients in Honolulu, HI and the surrounding metropolitan area.
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About
- William Harstad is a Partner in the firm's Litigation and Alternative Dispute Resolution practice group
- He has experience in numerous arbitrations and litigations, with amounts in dispute ranging from the tens of thousands of dollars to hundreds of millions of dollars
- Mr. Harstad has also represented both secured and unsecured creditors in bankruptcy proceedings on both the East Coast and in Hawai`i, including in various adversary proceedings.Mr
- Harstad's litigation experience is broad and varied
- In addition to Fortune 500 companies in multi-million dollar lawsuits, he has represented and counseled smaller businesses and individuals in a wide range of legal issues, ranging from partnership dissolutions to state and federal regulatory proceedings
- In addition, Mr. Harstad has experience representing creditors, including financial institutions, insurance companies and corporations, in bankruptcy proceedings ranging from multi-billion dollar Chapter 11 cases to individual Chapter 7 cases
- Mr. Harstad also has experience coordinating and compelling discovery, including "e-discovery," in a number of matters, including both federal and state litigations and arbitrations under AAA and ARIAS guidelines
- Some examples of his work include: representation of the commercial general liability insurer of a large chemical company in coverage disputes concerning multi-million dollar asbestos and environmental claims
- representation of a medical equipment manufacturer in core proceedings and litigation arising from the Chapter 11 filing of a major healthcare finance company
- representation of ceding insurers and reinsurers in various disputes, including issues arising under the Federal Arbitration Act
- representation of a partner in a medical practice in arbitration involving dissolution of partnership and partition and distribution of partnership assets
- representation of landowner in lawsuit concerning dispute over purchase agreement
- and defense of employer against claims brought by former executive
- representations of contractors in payment and construction defect cases
- Mr. Harstad was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawai`i
- He received his B.A. from Grinnell College, and his J.D. from Washington University in St. Louis, where he was a recipient of the Scholar in Law Award and Managing Editor of the Washington University Law Quarterly (now Washington University Law Review)
- Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Harstad was an associate in the litigation department at Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP in New York City
Practice Areas Explained
William M. Harstad's Areas of Practice
Each practice area below reflects the types of cases William M. Harstad 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 M. Harstad 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 M. Harstad is one of 316,149 real estate attorneys indexed nationally. Browse real estate attorneys in Hawaii →
William M. Harstad is one of 40,689 construction attorneys indexed nationally. Browse construction attorneys in Hawaii →
William M. Harstad 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 M. Harstad 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.
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