HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-06-21 PL-INT-2025-010805 Law Offices of Sherry P. Broder - Category PL.7 DeVera, Ashley
From: sherry broder <sherrybroder@sherrybroder.com>
Sent: Saturday, June 21, 2025 6:49 AM
To: Planning Internet Mail
Subject: Statement of Qualification and Expression of Interest, FY 26, PL.7) Community
Planning (Land Use Hearing Officer: Attorneys, Planners or others with experience)
Attachments: Atty County of Hawaii Sherry P. Broder FY 26 Planning PL.7 Land Use Hearing
Officer.pdf; SPB CV 061225.pdf
Aloha Planning Director Darrow, I am submitting my Statement of Qualification and
Expression of Interest, FY 26, PL.7) Community Planning (Land Use Hearing Officer:
Attorneys, Planners or others with experience) and my most recent CV.
Aloha, Sherry P. Broder
Sherry P. Broder, Esq.
Sherry P. Broder, A Law Corporation
500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7400
Honolulu, HI 96813
808-342-1411
NOTICE: Information contained in this transmission to the named addressee is proprietary information and is subject to attorney-client
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1
SHERRY P. BRODER
Law Offices of Sherry P. Broder
Suite 7400, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu, HI 96813
Phone: 808-342-1411 Fax: 808-543-2010
sherrybroder@sherrybroder.corn
June 21, 2025
Mr. Jeffrey Darrow
Planning Director, Planning Department
County of Hawaii
101 Aupuni Street, Suite 3
Hilo, Hawaii 96720
email : planning@hawaiicounty.gov
RE : Statement of Qualification and Expression of Interest, FY 26,
PL. 7) Community Planning (Land Use Hearing Officer: Attorneys ,
Planners or others with experience)
Dear Planning Director Yee,
I am interested in providing professional services to the
Planning Department, County of Hawaii for FY 26 in the area of
PL. 7) Community Planning (Land Use Hearing Officer: Attorneys,
Planners or others with experience) . I am submitting this
statement of qualifications and interest, along with my
professional biography.
1 . Qualifications
I am the sole owner and solo practitioner of the Law Firm of
Sherry P. Broder, A Law Corporation. The principal place of
business is Seven Waterfront Plaza, Suite 7400, 500 Ala Moana
Blvd. , Honolulu, HI 96813 . I have been the sole owner of this firm
for over 40 years . The average number of employees over the last
five years is 2 to 3 .
The firm concentrates in serving as a mediator and arbitrator.
I have been appointed an arbitrator and mediator in at least 150
cases . I was appointed as an arbitrator in the security claims
resolution process pursuant to a $300, 000, 000 settlement between
the SEC and Prudential Securities by the District of Columbia
Federal Trial Court. I am on the list for arbitrators/mediators for
selection by the parties at the Hawaii Dispute Prevention and
RE : Statement of Qualification and Expression of Interest of
Sherry P. Broder, June 21, 2025
Resolution Center. I have served as a Disciplinary Hearings Officer
for the Hawaii Supreme Court and the Federal District Court on
numerous cases . Recently I was appointed as an International
Arbitrator in a very complex proceeding under the 1996 Arbitration
Act of England and Wales; this case involved a Taiwanese fishing
vessel with an Indian crew insured by Lloyds of London that went
aground on a remote atoll in Yap, Federated States of Micronesia. I
have been appointed as Hearings Officer for the County of Hawaii
Planning Department for several different contested cases . I have
served as an arbitrator in the Hawaii Circuit Court Annexed
Arbitration program many, many times . I have been appointed by the
Office of Disciplinary Counsel, Hawaii Supreme Court, as a
Hearings Officer, and have served as the Chairperson of several
panels .
I have been a hearings officer for the County of Hawaii in
several special management use permitting and subdivision cases .
In that capacity, I have made recommendations to the Hawaii
County Planning Commission. I acted as a hearings officer on the
following types of cases : application for a permit for a special
permit in the agricultural district, cell phone tower,
application for a permit to conduct commercial tours of a coffee
plantation in the agricultural district, subdivision request for
5-acre lot homes in the agricultural district, application for a
school to expand its facilities in the agricultural district,
contested case relating to a special management permit at the
Mauna Lani . I was appointed in 2019 as a mediator for two
matters before Planning Commissions : Kilohana Makai LLC SMA
amendment and Kulani LLC Application applications .
I have served as an arbitrator in Court Annexed Arbitration
Program in countless cases and am a member of several of the
Dispute Prevention and Resolution panels and have been selected
for several cases . See,
https : //dprhawaii . com/panel members/sherry-p-broder/ .
The firm also concentrates in complex and other civil
litigation, class actions, trial and appellate practice,
representation of clients before administrative and quasi-judicial
proceedings before state agencies, representation of governmental
bodies, constitutional law, Native Hawaiian rights, water law,
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RE : Statement of Qualification and Expression of Interest of
Sherry P. Broder, June 21, 2025
ocean law, public trust law, environmental law, land use, class
actions, and representation of luxury hotels in Hawai ' i .
I graduated from the University of California at Berkeley Law
School in 1976 and I earned the honor of Order of the Coif (top
100) . I was the first woman President in 1993 in the 92-year
history of the Hawai ' i State Bar Association. I was the 2016
President of the Federal Bar Association of Hawai ' i .
I concentrate in complex civil litigation, class actions,
constitutional law, appellate practice, international law, ocean
law, water rights, land use and environmental law, human rights,
and rights of Native Hawaiians and other indigenous people. I serve
as a mediator, arbitrator and hearings officer for state and
federal government agencies, Hawai ' i Supreme Court and other
courts, and private parties . I have been appointed as an
arbitrator and consultant in international ocean law matters . I
have been a consultant to the Foreign Ministry for the Republic of
Turkey and the United Nations Permanent Mission of the Federated
States of Micronesia.
I have received recognition for my professional work both
nationally and locally. In March 2015, I was awarded the Solo and
Small Firm Lifetime Achievement Award. The award recognizes solo
and small-firm attorneys who are widely accepted by their peers as
having significant lifetime distinction, exceptional achievement
and distinction in an exemplary way. Awardees are viewed by other
solo and small-firm practitioners as epitomizing the ideals of the
legal profession and of solo and small-firm practitioners .
I was awarded the first Cox Price Human Rights Award by the
Nanda Institute of International Law, University of Denver Law
School in 2007 and the Temple Emanuel, Honolulu, Justice Award
in 2007 . I was one of eight finalists for the Trial Lawyers for
Public Justice for three years (1994, 1996, and 1997) . I was
selected as Solo Practitioner of the Year (1993) by the General
Practice Section of the American Bar Association out of 255, 000
attorneys nationwide . I was selected Outstanding Woman Attorney
(1986) by the Hawai ' i Women Lawyers . I was the recipient of the
National Wildlife Federation, Conservation Service Citation
(1985) . In March 2018, I was awarded the Corporate Sector Award
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RE : Statement of Qualification and Expression of Interest of
Sherry P. Broder, June 21, 2025
by the Advocates for Public Interest Law for "continuously being
a voice for Victims and the Disenfranchised Communities in
Hawai ' i and Beyond. " I was recently selected to be Litigator in
Residence at the University of Denver Law School, Fall 2019 .
For over a decade, I have been designated as one of
Hawai ' i' s Best Lawyers by Woodward/White, Inc. , and by Honolulu
Magazine and as a Preeminent Attorney by Martindale Hubbell . I
was selected by the Star Bulletin as one of the individuals Who
Make a Difference in 1995 . I was on the front cover of Midweek
in October 6, 1992 . I have been featured in Hawai ' i Business
Magazine in 2 stories : Broder Ramifications, February 1992, and
Legal Eagles, March 1990 .
I teach International Law and International Ocean Law at
the William S . Richardson School of Law, University of Hawai ' i
at Manoa. I am the Founder and Director of the Jon Van Dyke
Institute of International Law and Justice . I served as an
Adjunct Senior Research Associate, Research Department for ten
years and was appointed as an Adjunct Senior Researcher at the
Pacific Islands Development Programs, both at the East-West
Center.
I have always very active in the community both at home and
nationally. I am currently the Chair of the Commission on Clean
Water and Natural Resources, City and County of Honolulu and I
have served as Chair for seven years . I was Secretary of the
Hawai ' i Justice Foundation (1994) , Vice President of the Hawai ' i
Trial Lawyers (1989-1992) , President of the Hawai ' i Women
Lawyers Foundation (1984) , President of Hawai ' i Women Lawyers
(1982) , and Treasurer of the Wellesley Club for many years . I
am a Director and Secretary of the Sam L. Cohen Foundation,
which has assets of over $36, 000, 000 and engages in charitable
activities . I am a Board Member of the Ved Nanda Institute for
Human Rights, University of Denver Law School the Kaleleonalani
Foundation, dedicated to the preservation and revival of Native
Hawaiian Culture, Honolulu Zoological Society, Hawai ' i
Appleseed, Hawai ' i Opera Theater, PowerPacPlus, and Protect Our
Defenders . I serve on the Finance Committees for several of
these organizations . I serve on the Hawai ' i State Bar
Association nominating committee for the Hawai ' i Supreme Court.
I am a Hearings Officer for the Office of Disciplinary Counsel,
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RE : Statement of Qualification and Expression of Interest of
Sherry P. Broder, June 21, 2025
Hawaii Supreme Court. I have been a member of boards of
directors of pro bono and other legal-related organizations,
other community entities, and Hawaii public television. I have
lectured and presented talks at the William S . Richardson School
of Law, the Palau Supreme Court, Seoul National University, Inha
University, Seoul, University of Denver, Global Oceans
Conference, OHA community meetings, William S . Richardson School
of Law, Global Oceans World Forum sponsored by UNESCO and
University of Delaware, Yeosu World Blue Technology Fair
Planning Session, PACON with the University of Hawaii,
continuing legal education in Hawaii, Kapi 'olani Community
College, and many other places .
I have been appointed an arbitrator and mediator by the courts
in at least 150 cases including: (1) security claims resolution
process pursuant to a $300, 000, 000 settlement between the SEC and
Prudential Securities by the District of Columbia Federal Trial
Court; (2) Court Annexed Arbitration Program, State of Hawaii; (3)
in the resolution process for uninsured/underinsured motorist
claims pursuant to automobile insurance policies; and (4)
arbitrator selected by the parties at the Dispute Prevention and
Resolution Center. I have been appointed by the Office of
Disciplinary Counsel, Hawaii Supreme Court, as a Hearings Officer,
and have served as the Chairperson of several panels .
I have been a hearings officer for the County of Hawaii in
several special management use permitting and subdivision cases .
In that capacity I have made recommendations to the County
Planning Commissions . I acted as a hearings officer on the
following types of contested cases : application to amend special
permit to allow a fitness center, refrigerated box truck parking
area, bakery, honey storage and distribution facility, butter
processing, storage and distribution facility, limited retail
sales area and related improvements in the State Land Use
agricultural district, application for a permit for a cell phone
tower, application for a permit to conduct commercial tours of a
coffee plantation in the agricultural district, subdivision
request for 5-acre lot homes in the agricultural district,
application for a school to expand its facilities in the
agricultural district, application for a special management
permit at the Mauna Lani .
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RE : Statement of Qualification and Expression of Interest of
Sherry P. Broder, June 21, 2025
In 2015-2016, I represented the County of Kauai Planning
Department in matters involving Transient Vacation Rental Non-
Conforming Use Certificates . I handled many cases where the
Kauai Planning Department had denied non-conforming use
certificates for transient vacation rentals . This is a matter
that is of great importance to the people of Kauai .
I have represented clients in land use matters before the
Board of Land & Natural Resources, the Land Use Commission, and
Planning & Permitting for the City and County of Honolulu. I
have been involved in several matters where land use /planning
were at issue . I have handled over 50 matters involving land use
issues .
Among other representations, I represented the Keana'aina
family in a contested case before BLNR relating to grave sites and
locations found at the Wal-Mart construction site at Kalia, Makiki
Ahupua'a, Honolulu {TMK: 2-3-16; 9 & 19) . Earlier proceedings in
which I represented the client were before the Oahu Island Burial
Council . I represented Na Lei Ali ' i Kawananakoa in federal court
litigation pursuant to the Native American Graves and Repatriation
Act regarding Native Hawaiian Forbes Cave artifacts that were taken
from the Bishop Museum and reburied on the Hawaii Island. This
case also involved input to the Hawaii Island Burial Council . I
have been involved in other cases involving the NAGPRA, and its
statutes and rules, including litigation involving the recovery of
the Ki ' i Laau from a museum in Rhode Island: I represented the
Office of Hawaiian Affairs in this case .
During 2004-2005, I represented Orangutan Foundation
International in its efforts to obtain permits for the construction
of an orangutan habitat for Rusti, the orangutan, who currently
resides at the Honolulu Zoo. Initial efforts were made to obtain
the necessary permits for Kualoa Ranch but a member of the public
filed a lawsuit opposing housing Rusti at the ranch. Later, the
decision was made to pursue a home for Rusti at the Honolulu Zoo.
Those efforts involved primarily working with the City Council for
the City and County of Honolulu.
I have represented the Office of Hawaiian Affairs before the
BLNR in its efforts to obtain fair compensation for the use of the
ceded lands at the Hilton Waikaloa on the Big Island. I represented
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RE : Statement of Qualification and Expression of Interest of
Sherry P. Broder, June 21, 2025
Aha Punana Leo, Hawaiian Language Immersion Schools, before the
Land Use Commission when Bencorp sought to reclassify lands in Kona
for the purpose of a Polynesian Cultural Center and Hawaiian
Language Education. There was an extensive EIS, including the
Archaeological Survey and Cultural Assessment involved.
I represented the Office of Hawaiian Affairs in a contested
case before the Land Use Commission involving a petition by the
Knudsen Trust to reclassify lands at Koloa, Poipu. There was an
extensive EIS, including the Archaeological Survey and Cultural
Assessment and I extensively cross-examined the archaeologist
and his staff as well as other expert witnesses about the
reports in the EIS . The case involved sensitive archaeological
sites, some of which were from 1400 A. D. Had the development
proceeded, most of the sites would have been the subject of data
recovery using current methods and then demolished and
destroyed. After several days of contested hearing and
testimony, Knudsen withdrew the petition.
I worked with and assisted Professor Jon Van Dyke on water
cases in which he represented OHA and the County of Maui . See,
e. g. , In re Wai 'ola 0 Molokai, Inc. , 103 Hawaii 401, 83 P. 3d 664
(2004) ; In re Contested Case Hearing on Water Use Permit
Application Filed by Kukui (Molokai) , Inc. , 116 Hawaii 481, 174
P. 3d 320 (2007) ; Kauai Springs, Inc. v. Planning Com'n of County
of Kauai, 133 Hawaii 141, 342 P. 3d 951 (2014) ; In re Iao Ground
Water Management Area High-Level Source Water Use Permit
Applications, 128 Hawai ' i 228, 287 P. 3d 129 (2012) . I have
continued to represent the Office of Hawaiian Affairs on issues
relating to water resources in Kualapu'u on Molokai and I
recently prepared all the memoranda and briefs for the Office of
Hawaiian Affairs and argued before the Hawaii Supreme Court in
In the Matter of the Contested Case Hearing on the Water Use
Permit Application Filed by Kukui (Molokai) , Inc. , Now Refiled
as a New Ground Water Use by Molokai Public Utilities, LLC,
S .Ct. No. 17-0000184 .
I have in-depth knowledge and experience in the legal
issues relating to the operation and conduct of business of
governmental entities from my 17 years of representing OHA and
its Board of Trustees . I have responded to inquiries relating
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RE : Statement of Qualification and Expression of Interest of
Sherry P. Broder, June 21, 2025
to the sunshine law, uniform information practices act, OHA' s
bylaws, policies and procedures, OHA' s financial manual of
guides, employment law, procurement code, and contracts and
memorandum of understanding with federal and state governments,
the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands and others . I have
analyzed issues relating to leases that OHA has entered into,
including the self-insured status of OHA and indemnification
clauses . I have rendered opinions on procurement issues and
other types of contracts on issues arising under the Uniform
Information Practices Act (HRS Chapter 92F) , the Sunshine Law
(HRS Chapter 92) , and OHA' s policies and procedures . I have
acted as contract monitor for other attorneys retained by OHA.
I have also represented OHA in various personnel matters and
employment disputes .
I have represented many clients in hundreds of mediations
in efforts to settle cases . I have had over 35 years of
experience in mediation on behalf of clients . These cases have
involved every kind of civil case, including land use issues,
community disputes, family disputes, personal injury, medical
malpractice, issues involving authority of state and county
governments, civil rights, insurance bad faith, and complex
civil litigation. I was also appointed in 2019 as a mediator for
the Planning Commission in a matter relating to the Kilohana
Makai LLC SMA amendment application.
I am currently an arbitrator and mediator for Dispute
Prevention and Resolution, available at
https : //dprhawaii . com/panel members/sherry-p-broder/ .
I have had over 30 years of experience in civil rights
litigation, constitutional law and other civil litigation
including complex litigation and appellate practice . I have
handled more than 2, 000 civil cases both at the trial and
appellate levels . These experiences have provided me with an
understanding of legal disputes and invaluable insight that
enables me to do a better job as a hearings officer and/or
mediator. Many of these cases involved mediation.
I have handled hundreds of complex cases and have been
court-approved class counsel in several class action cases,
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RE : Statement of Qualification and Expression of Interest of
Sherry P. Broder, June 21, 2025
representing thousands of people . I have litigated civil cases
in other jurisdictions, including California, Philadelphia, New
York City, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, San Francisco and other
places . I have litigated cases in other countries including the
Republic of the Philippines, Switzerland, and Singapore . I have
been engaged in appellate litigation at the Hawaii Supreme
Court, Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, California Supreme Court,
and the United States Supreme Court. I have represented clients
in many civil rights cases, including the First, Fourteen and
Fifteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution and
pursuant to the international law principles governing human
rights . I have handled cases before the EEOC, the Hawaii Civil
Rights Commission, and the United Nations Commission on Human
Rights .
I am co-counsel for the victims of torture in the Marcos human
rights litigation. The judgment of almost $2 billion is believed
to be the largest personal injury verdict in history. In that
case, I represent the 10, 000 victims of torture during the Marcos
regime from 1972 to 1986. I was co-counsel with Robert A. Swift of
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for the Defendant Estate of
Ferdinand E . Marcos . A federal jury found the Defendant Estate
of Ferdinand E . Marcos liable to the class and awarded a verdict
of 1 . 2 billion dollars in exemplary damages and 776 million
dollars in compensatory damages . See Hilao v. Estate of Marcos,
103 F. 3d 767 (9th Cir. 1996) . The National Law Journal reported
that in 1994 the exemplary damages verdict was the second
highest verdict in the United States . I was featured on the
front page in the February 6, 1995 issue of the National Law
Journal for my work in this case . In February 2011, there was a
first distribution in the Philippines to the victims . One of the
collection cases was argued before the United States Supreme
Court and I was one of the counsels of record. See Philippines
v. Pimentel, 553 U. S . 851 (2008) . Efforts to collect more funds
on this judgment are still ongoing in the courts of New York
State, Republic of the Philippines and Singapore .
I have co-counseled with Jon Van Dyke and successfully
defended the City and County of Honolulu against certain T-shirt
vendors who claimed violation of their civil rights . I have
represented the County Council of Maui in their efforts to
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RE : Statement of Qualification and Expression of Interest of
Sherry P. Broder, June 21, 2025
resolve the matter of which governmental institution (the
executive or the legislator) has the power under the Maui County
Charter to hire special counsel . That case went to the Hawai ' i
Supreme Court.
In addition, I have represented numerous clients in personal
injury cases and medical malpractice cases .
3. Description of Staff & Facilities
I have a very competent staff and access to library
resources and Westlaw. I would devote my personal attention to
an assignment from the County of Hawai ' i and it would be one of
my top priorities . be assigned to this project. The law firm
consists of one principal attorney (myself) , one or more
attorneys on an as needed basis, one or more paralegals on an as
needed basis, and several regular part-time law students . I
have the immediate capability of retaining additional attorneys
and support staff whenever needed and I regularly retain
additional highly qualified attorneys, law clerks, and
additional support staff when the need arises . My hourly rates
range from $450 to $575 . Hourly rates for associates are $200 to
$275 per hour and for law clerks and paralegals, $100 per hour.
General excise tax is added to the bill . Costs incurred on
behalf of the client include computer research charges, travel
expenses, including airfare, accommodations, and per diem,
messenger and courier fees, filing costs and the like . My law
office can provide electronic case files during and following
the conclusion of the case . My office is always prepared to
complete the work in the required time .
4 . Teaching and Publications
I have been teaching International Law and International
Ocean Law at the William S . Richardson School of Law, University
of Hawai ' i and at other schools for decades . I have lectured and
presented talks on issues relating to the rights of indigenous
peoples, environmental law and other human rights and social
justice issues at the William S . Richardson School of Law, Guam
Supreme Court, Palau Supreme Court, Columbia University,
Hokkaido University, Seoul National University Law School, Inha
University, European University Florence, Fifth Global World
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Re : Statement of Qualification and Expression of Interest of
Sherry P. Broder, June 19, 2020
Ocean Conference, Qindao Ocean University, University of Denver
Law School, Sho Sato Institute UC Berkeley Law School,
California Western Law School, Hawaii Federal District Court
Conference, OHA community meetings, continuing legal education
in Hawaii, Kapi 'olani Community College Paralegal Program, and
other places .
My recent publications include The LOSI in Hawai 'i : Ocean
Law and Policy Debates, 1977-96, Ocean Law Debates, THE 50-YEAR
LEGACY AND EMERGING ISSUES FOR THE YEARS AHEAD, Scheiber, Oral and Kwon
(eds . ) (2 01 6) ; GOVERNING OCEAN RESOURCES, A TRIBUTE TO JUDGE CHOON-HO
PARK edited by Jon Van Dyke, Sherry P. Broder, Seokwoo Lee, Jin-
Hyun Paik, Martinus Nijhoff Publishers (2013) ; Responsibility
and Accountability for Harm Caused by Nuclear Activities, 35 U.
Haw. L. Rev. 575 (2013) , Straits Used For International
Navigation And Emerging Norms Of Customary International Law To
Protect The Environment And Human Health And To Improve Safety,
Ocean University, Qindao, China School of International Ocean
Law (2013) , Geoengineeering: Ocean Iron Fertilization and the
Challenges for International Regulatory Action, in REGIONS,
INSTITUTIONS, AND LAW OF THE SEA: STUDIES IN OCEAN GOVERNANCE, (2013) ,
Shipping Industry and the Imperative to Reduce Its Air Pollution
and Black Carbon Emissions, in THE REGULATION OF INTERNATIONAL
SHIPPING: INTERNATIONAL AND COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVES : ESSAYS IN HONOR OF
EDGAR GOLD, edited by Aldo Chircop, Norman Letalik, Ted L.
McDorman, Susan Ralston, Martinus Nijhoff Publishers (2012) ,
Particularly Sensitive Sea Areas; Protecting The Marine
Environment In The Territorial Seas And Exclusive Economic
Zones, 40 Deny. J. Int' l Law & Pol' y 472 (2012) , Regional
Maritime Cooperation in the South China Sea : COBSEA and PEMSEA,
MAJOR LAW AND POLICY ISSUES IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA, EUROPEAN AND AMERICAN
PERSPECTIVES, edited by Yann-huei Song and Keyuan Zou, Ashgate
Publishing Ltd. (2014) . See also, my published article on
Plastics in the Arctic from the North Pacific Arctic Conference,
which was selected to be posted on the EWC website .
https : //www.eastwestcenter.org/news-center/east-west-
wire/plastic-and-microplastic-litter-serious-problem-in-the-
arctic-ocean.
5 . References
The following are names and phone numbers of clients who
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Re : Statement of Qualification and Expression of Interest of
Sherry P. Broder, June 19, 2020
you may contact for whom services were rendered recently and the
subject matter area of services rendered:
Joshua D. Walsh, Esq. , Civille & Tang, PLLC
330 Hernan Cortez Ave . , Ste . 200
Hagatna, Guam 96910 (671) 472-8868
Appointed international arbitrator,
TERAKA 168 - Underwriters v. People of
Eauripik, State of Yap, Federated States of
Micronesia; appointed DPR arbitrator, Guam
Medical malpractice claims [current]
Stacey Ferreira. Ka Pouhana, CEO [current]
Office of Hawaiian Affairs (808) 829-0911
James Kaheakulani Hakuole (808) 927-1137
Quiet title and Partition Action, County of
Hawai i
Alan Cohen and Dee Winn (808) 889-0794
Real property dispute, County of Maui
2021-2022 Maui Charter Commission
Chairman Grant Chun grantchun4@gmail . com
Commission Analyst
Hawaii County Planning Commission
Hannah Springer former Commissioner (808) 325-5126
Former OHA Trustee
Please do not hesitate to contact me should you have any
questions .
Sincerely,
9`€'75. (1.1"'"
SHERRY P . BRODER
12
Sherry P. Broder, Attorney at Law
A Law Corporation
500 Ala Moana Blvd. #7400
Honolulu, Hawaii 96813
Sherrybroder@sherrybroder.com
808-342-1411
Sherry P. Broder concentrates in complex civil litigation, real estate and business
matters, class actions including mass tort complex litigation,personal injury,
international law, domestic and international ocean law and water rights, land use and
environmental law, human rights, and rights of Native Hawaiians and other indigenous
people, and appellate practice. She has represented clients in real estate, land
development and business transactions and litigation She represents some of the largest
and finest hotels and land owners in Hawaii. She has represented clients in litigation in
the Hawaii, California, Colorado and New York, state and federal courts, several federal
district and circuit courts, United States Supreme Court, and the courts of the Philippines,
Switzerland, and Singapore.
She has served as a mediator, arbitrator and hearings officer for federal, state and
county government agencies, Hawaii Supreme Court, federal courts and private parties.
She has served as an international arbitrator under The Arbitration Act 1996, for
arbitration in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Ms. Broder graduated in 1970 from
Wellesley College as a Wellesley Scholar and in 1975 from U.C. Berkeley Law School
with highest honors, Order of the Coif(top 10%).
Ms. Broder was the first woman President of the Hawaii State Bar Association
and the 2016 President of the Federal Bar Association for the District of Hawaii. She
also has been the one of the founders and President of Hawaii Women Lawyers and the
Hawaii Women Lawyers Foundation. She is currently the Chair of the Commission on
Clean Water and Natural Resources, City and County of Honolulu, appointed by the
Mayor of Honolulu.
1
Ms. Broder concentrates in complex civil litigation, land use and environmental
law, rights of Native Hawaiians and other indigenous people, human rights,public
international law, and domestic and international ocean law and water rights. Ms. Broder
was the Deputy Chief Attorney at the Hawaii Constitutional Convention of 1978 and
was assigned to the Committees on Hawaiian Affairs and Natural Resources and the
Environment. She drafted the constitutional provisions creating the Office of Hawaiian
Affairs and the establishing the certain public trust and environmental protections. Ms.
Broder has represented the Office of Hawaiian Affairs for over four decades. She was the
attorney for the 1982 Charter Commission for the City & County of Honolulu and the
legislative analyst for the 2011-2012 and 2021-2022 Maui Charter Commissions.
Ms. Broder teaches Public International Law and International Ocean Law at the
William S. Richardson School of Law, University of Hawaii at Manoa. She is the
Director of the Jon Van Dyke Institute of International Law and Justice and Adjunct
Senior Fellow, Pacific Islands Development Program, East-West Center, and previously
for the Research Program. Since 2011, the Jon Van Dyke Institute has organized a yearly
conference in partnership with the Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology and
collaborations with the East-West Center and William S. Richardson School of Law and
others focusing on international ocean science, law and policy issues in the Pacific and
the development of international human rights law and the rights of indigenous peoples.
The Institute has been a co-sponsor for other International Ocean Law conferences. The
Jon Van Dyke Institute was a co-organizer of the 2022 Asia Pacific Ocean Law
Institutions Alliance ("APOLIA") Conference, "UNCLOS in Asia-Pacific: 40 Years and
Onwards," and a regular co-sponsor of the Law of the Sea Conferences organized and
hosted by the UC Berkeley School of Law and the Center for Korean Studies, University
of Hawaii.
She has been appointed an arbitrator and consultant in international ocean law
matters. Ms. Broder has been a consultant to the Foreign Ministry for the Republic of
Turkey, United Nations Permanent Mission of the Federated States of Micronesia, and
State of Chuuk. She assisted in investigating and litigating the claims of Micronesian
people relating to exposure to atmospheric nuclear radiation and in litigating these claims
on behalf of the people of Enewetok before the U.S. Court of Claims.
Ms. Broder serves as counsel for the 9,500 victims of torture during the
dictatorship of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos and with the team won a$2 billion
verdict, believed to be one of the largest personal injury verdicts in U.S. history. This
case has been presented as a case study in many International Law textbooks, showing
the development of human rights law and been cited by Justices of the United States
Supreme Court. Approximately $40,000,000 has been collected and the efforts continue
in the state and federal courts of New York and the Republic of the Philippines.
Ms. Broder represented a class of 850,000 Hawaii consumers who were exposed
to the organochlorine Heptachlor in excess of EPA levels in the milk and milk products
and achieved a multi-million-dollar settlement. These funds were used to establish a
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research, education foundation to research through epidemiological studies the children
of Oahu who were exposed to fund other scientific studies and to provide educational
materials for elementary schools.
She has represented the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, State of Hawaii, in litigation
involving land rights, customary and traditional rights, entitlement claims, restoration of
endangered language, fresh water rights and preservation of archaeological sites. She has
represented other Native Hawaiians in land claims, claims under the Native American
Grave and Repatriation Act, and complex probate and inheritance matters.
She has been in Best Lawyers in America for over 30 years (Woodward/White
publishers) and a Super Lawyer of Hawaii for decades. She was selected Finalist-Trial
Lawyer of the Year Award 1994, 1995, and 1997, 1992 Solo Practitioner of the Year by
the ABA, 2015 Solo and Small Firm Lifetime Achievement Award by the ABA, 2019
Nanda Center Practitioner-in-Residence for Outstanding Accomplishments as a Human
Rights and Social Justice Champion and 2007 Cox Price Human Rights Awardee from
the University of Denver Law School. She was honored in 2019 at the Hawaii Women's
Legal Foundation for her social justice work and commitment to the community. In
March 2018, she was awarded the Corporate Sector Award by the Advocates for Public
Interest Law for"continuously being a voice for Victims and the Disenfranchised
Communities in Hawaii and Beyond." She was selected Outstanding Woman Attorney
(1986) by the Hawaii Women Lawyers and awarded the Conservations Service Award,
National Wildlife Federation (1985).
She is a Director, Secretary and member of the Finance Committee of the Sam L.
Cohen Foundation with assets of over $40,000,000 in Maine. Ms. Broder is the Chair of
the Commission on Clean Water and Natural Lands for the City and County of Honolulu.
She is a board member of the Ved Nanda Center for International and Comparative Law
at University of Denver Sturm School of Law, Kaleleonalani Foundation, dedicated to the
preservation and revival of Native Hawaiian culture, and Protect Our Defenders, a
national organization advocating for victims of sexual assault and harassment in the
military. Ms. Broder has served on the boards of Hawaii Public Television, Hawaii
Opera Theater, East-West Center Foundation (including as a member of the Finance and
Investment Committee) and Honolulu Zoological Society. She has served on the Hawaii
State Bar Association Nominating Committee for the Hawaii Supreme Court and the
International Law committee. She has been selected as a delegate to the Ninth Circuit
Judges-Lawyers Conferences. She is a Hearings Officer for the Office of Disciplinary
Counsel, Hawaii Supreme Court. Ms. Broder has worked with the International Union
for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), member of the IUCN Specialist Group on Oceans,
Coasts and Coral Reefs and IUCN World Commission on Environmental Law and was
one of the attorneys researching and drafting the briefs submitted to the International
Tribunal for the Law of the Sea and the International Cout of Justice by the IUCN.
Her recent publications include Review:How Martial Law Came to Hawai`i,
Book Review BAYONETS IN PARADISE: MARTIAL LAW IN HAWAI`I DURING WORLD
WAR II, Harry N. Scheiber and Jane L. Scheiber University of Hawaii Press, California
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Supreme Court Historical Society Review, Fall/Winter 2021; The Battle Against Ocean
Acidification in the United States, RESEARCH HANDBOOK ON OCEAN ACIDIFICATION
LAW AND POLICY, David VanderZwaag, Niliifer Oral, and Timothy Stephens (eds.) ,
Edward Elgar (pub.) (2021);Plastic Pollution and Microplastics in the Arctic
2019 NORTH PACIFIC ARCTIC CONFERENCE, East-West Center and Korea Maritime
Institute: Plastic And Microplastic Litter:A Serious Problem In The Arctic Ocean, East-
West Center Wire (2019), https://www.eastwestcenter.org/news-center/east-west-
wire/plastic-and-microplastic-litter-serious-problem-in-the-arctic-ocean; The LOSI in
Hawaii: Ocean Law and Policy Debates, 1977-96, Ocean Law Debates, THE 50-YEAR
LEGACY AND EMERGING ISSUES FOR THE YEARS AHEAD, Scheiber, Oral and Kwon
(eds.) (2016); International Governance of Ocean Fertilization and other
Geoengineering Activities, Ocean Law and Policy, TWENTY YEARS OF DEVELOPMENT
UNDER THE UNCLOS REGIME, edited by Carlos Esposito, James Kraska, Harry N.
Scheiber, Moon-Sang Kwon (2017); GOVERNING OCEAN RESOURCES, A TRIBUTE TO
JUDGE CHooN-Ho PARK edited by Jon Van Dyke, Sherry P. Broder, Seokwoo Lee, Jin-
Hyun Paik, Martinus Nijhoff Publishers (2013); Responsibility and Accountability for
Harm Caused by Nuclear Activities, 35 U. Haw. L. Rev. 575 (2013); Straits Used For
International Navigation And Emerging Norms Of Customary International Law To
Protect The Environment And Human Health And To Improve Safety, Ocean University,
Qingdao, China School of International Ocean Law (2013); Geoengineering: Ocean Iron
Fertilization and the Challenges for International Regulatory Action, in REGIONS,
INSTITUTIONS, AND LAW OF THE SEA: STUDIES IN OCEAN GOVERNANCE, (2013),
Shipping Industry and the Imperative to Reduce Its Air Pollution and Black Carbon
Emissions, in THE REGULATION OF INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING: INTERNATIONAL AND
COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVES: ESSAYS IN HONOR OF EDGAR GOLD, edited by Aldo
Chircop, Norman Letalik, Ted L. McDorman, Susan Ralston, Martinus Nijhoff
Publishers (2012); Particularly Sensitive Sea Areas;Protecting The Marine Environment
In The Territorial Seas And Exclusive Economic Zones, 40 Deny. J. Int'l Law& Pol'y
472 (2012);Regional Maritime Cooperation in the South China Sea: COBSEA and
PEMSEA, MAJOR LAW AND POLICY ISSUES IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA, EUROPEAN AND
AMERICAN PERSPECTIVES, edited by Song and Zou, Ashgate Publishing Ltd. (2014);
CHECKLISTS FOR SEARCHES AND SEIZURES IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS, edited by Jon M. Van
Dyke, Sherry P. Broder and Melvin M. Sakurai (2014 ed. & 2015-2016 ed.).
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