Hotel & Resort

Hawaii Hotel Attorneys and Resort Transaction Specialists

Starn O’Toole Marcus and Fisher boasts extensive experience representing hotel, resort, and timeshare owners, operators, and developers, rivaling law firms many times its size. In addition, our deep and experienced team allows us to staff multiple hotel and resort transactions simultaneously, ensuring that even the most complex and time-sensitive projects receive the focused attention and resources they require.

Our Hawaii hospitality  attorneys have represented persons purchasing, operating, and developing hotels, resorts, and timeshares ranging from one of the largest world-class resorts in the country to boutique, specialized market properties. We have represented mid-size hotel management brands as well as assisted clients in negotiating management contracts with the largest brands in the world.

Our successful track record with foreign clients and counter-parties makes our attorneys extremely comfortable working with clients from all over the world. The firm’s global experience in the acquisition and development of hotels and resorts reflects a diversity of cultural experiences and sensitivities that we believe are unmatched in this State.

Duane R. Fisher is principal Hawaii counsel to one of the largest hotel companies in the world, which is also the owner of the largest hotel property in Waikiki. Mr. Fisher advises clients on a myriad of assignments, including real estate title issues, development issues, contracts with key vendors, concession agreements with the State Department of Land and Natural Resources, and similar matters. Mr. Fisher also represents another major hotel client overseeing a continually expanding hotel portfolio spanning multiple islands and internationally.  He regularly advises on operational matters such as tenant lease issues, real property tax appeals and land use/regulatory  matters involving Hawaii’s State and County agencies.

Ivan M. Lui-Kwan represents individual hospitality and hotel clients as well as hotel industry trade organizations, with a focus on government affairs work. His background in State and County government and deep involvement in our community are invaluable to clients navigating Hawaii’s unique business environment and governmental approvals processes. 

The law firm’s Managing Director, Norman H.Y. Cheng represents a wide range of hospitality industry clients, including international hotel owners, major hotel brands expanding their presence in Hawaii, hotel management companies acquiring and operating boutique properties throughout the State, and local private equity investors acquiring and developing hotel assets. He recently assisted a client in acquiring a Maui hotel that was subsequently used to house survivors of the Lahaina fires, underscoring the firm’s ability to support clients in transactions that are both commercially significant and impactful to the broader community.   

Christina N.Ohira serves as Hawaii counsel to some of the most prominent hotel and hospitality companies in the world as well as small boutique and family-owned establishments.  She has taken the lead on Hawaii projects throughout the islands that have included the sale and acquisition of resort properties, redevelopment and repositioning of properties for both hotel and time share project, resort expansion, and permitting issues regarding historical sites and shoreline properties.  She also serves as Hawaii counsel to an industry-leading hotel management, investment, technology and development firm, with a diverse portfolio of hotels across North America, Europe, the Caribbean, and Latin America.  In servicing the Hawaii properties, Ms. Ohira routinely manages property leasing, construction and renovations, management and vendor contracts, and other operational matters.

Lindsay E. Orman serves as Hawaii counsel to one of the world’s largest hotel owners, specifically spearheading resort expansion in Waikiki from acquisition to construction to project opening and advising on other real estate and land use issues on Oahu and the Big Island. She has also worked with other prominent hotel and hospitality companies on acquisitions, including of a resort property on Maui. She has a variety of experience in acquisitions, real estate title issues, project development and documentation, and permits and entitlements.    

Sara S.T. Strona serves as Hawaii counsel to hotel companies large and small.  She has worked closely with boutique owners to acquire and reposition properties in the bustling Waikiki area as well as niche properties in the more rural parts of Oahu.  Ms. Strona has helped owners implement condominium regimes into hotel projects and other complicated ownership structures.