Douglas S. Chin
Director
Contact
- dchin@starnlaw.com
- 808-537-6100
- 808-537-5434
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What People Say About Douglas S. Chin
Hawaii litigation lawyer Douglas S. Chin has extensive experience in state and federal courts, from Hawaii to the United States Supreme Court, and experience in managing state and local government agencies at the highest levels.
Mr. Chin focuses his practice in commercial litigation, administrative law, and government relations.
Mr. Chin is rated AV Preeminent® by Martindale-Hubbell®; the highest rating possible, for his skill and integrity.
Mr. Chin has been named to the The Best Lawyers in America® list in the practice areas of Appellate Practice, Commercial Litigation, Government Relations Practice, Administrative/Regulatory Law and Civil Rights Law. Mr. Chin has been named the "Lawyer of the Year" in Honolulu by The Best Lawyers in America®, in the practice areas of Civil Rights Law (2023) and Administrative/Regulatory Law (2025).
Mr. Chin has been selected to the Hawaii Super Lawyers® list in 2024, in the practice area of Business Litigation.
Mr. Chin has been recognized as a "Litigation Star" by Benchmark Litigation.
Mr. Chin is recognized by Chambers and Partners USA Leading Lawyers for Business in the practice area General: Commercial Litigation.
Litigation Highlights
In 2024, Mr. Chin appeared before the Hawaii Supreme Court representing the State Land Use Commission in a case examining the use of agricultural lands or farm dwellings for short-term vacation rentals.
Three Buckets for Evaluation of Land Use: Watch Mr. Chin’s argument at 13:15.
In September 2024, the Hawaii Supreme Court unanimously upheld Rosehill v. State of Hawai’i, Land Use Commission, where farm dwellings in agricultural districts could not to be used as short-term vocation rentals. Mr. Chin, Christina Ohira, Eric Robinson and Cori Terayama acted as Special Deputy Attorneys General representing the Land Use Commission.
In 2020, Mr. Chin, on behalf of a major international auto distributor, obtained a unanimous jury verdict in a federal trial reducing the damages sought by plaintiffs from $42 million to one dollar ($1), in addition to being awarded substantial counterclaim damages.
As a state and Honolulu County prosecutor for more than 15 years, Mr. Chin tried approximately 50 jury cases to verdict.
Mr. Chin was recognized with a “Top Gun” award for winning the most trials in a calendar year out of 100 Honolulu prosecutors. In 2006, Mr. Chin was appointed First Deputy Prosecutor and then became Acting Prosecuting Attorney in 2010.
Attorney General, State of Hawaii
As Hawaii Attorney General, litigated against executive orders banning travel from certain Muslim-majority countries in a case that received national exposure and was eventually heard by the United States Supreme Court. For his efforts, Mr. Chin in 2017 was recognized by the Hawaii State Bar Association as its “Champion for Social Justice”, and by the Council on American Islamic Relations as a “Defender of Liberty”. (Mr. Chin participated in the panel discussion, "Does Hawaii Welcome Immigrants?" hosted by Zocalo/Daniel K. Inouye Institute. Watch video here. Mr. Chin also posted about the case in The American Constitution Society’s Expert Forum blog, “Getting Front and Center to Confront Prejudice”.
Implemented new state law granting licenses for the first time to medical cannabis dispensaries in Hawaii. Co-chaired a national working group through the National Association of Attorneys General made up of 29 states with various forms of legalized cannabis legislation.
During Mr. Chin’s term as the state’s Attorney General from 2015-2018, he was the first Hawaii Attorney General to chair the Conference of Western Attorneys General, the first to serve on the Executive Committee of the National Association of Attorneys General, and the first to serve as the policy chair for the Democratic Attorneys General Association.
Other Government Experience
Mr. Chin served as the Hawaii Lieutenant Governor in 2018. From 2010 to 2013, under Honolulu Mayor Peter Carlisle, Mr. Chin served as the Managing Director for the City & County of Honolulu, during which he was responsible for 23 municipal government agencies and more than 10,000 employees.
Community
Mr. Chin has served on multiple boards outside of work, including the national Leadership Center for Attorney General Studies, the Hawaii Book and Music Festival, the American Judicature Society, and the local Easter Seals, YMCA and American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) chapters. In 2020, Mr. Chin was appointed and unanimously confirmed to serve a five-year term on the Honolulu Police Commission.