Leighton M. Hara represents clients in a wide range of high-stakes litigation, including disputes related to employment matters, contracts, personal injury, medical malpractice and commercial transactions. Hara’s clients have included numerous high-profile corporations, executives, agencies, and organizations, including major airlines, hospitals, and hotels. He has significant litigation experience, having participated in jury and non-jury trials in both state and federal courts.
Prior to founding Ota & Hara, LLC, he was a partner at Marr Jones & Wang LLLP, where he handled numerous employment litigation matters, conducted in-house trainings on best employment practices, and participated in corporate investigations. He also practiced commercial litigation at Watanabe Ing, LLLP, where he defended numerous corporations, governmental entities, and individuals in civil actions, and medical malpractice litigation at Robbins & Associates. He served as a law clerk at the Circuit Court of the Third Circuit, State of Hawai‘i, to the Honorable Riki May Amano and the Honorable Terence T. Yoshioka.
In addition to his litigation practice, Hara devotes a considerable amount of time to pro bono matters and serving the community. He has served as a member of the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai‘i Board of Governors, Board of Directors of the Arthritis Foundation of Hawaii, Board of Directors of the Hawaii Baptist Academy Alumni Association, and the Board of Bar Examiners of the Hawai‘i Supreme Court.
Hara holds Martindale-Hubbell’s highest possible rating (AV Preeminent) in both legal ability and professional ethics, based on ratings submitted by peers with personal knowledge of his work, reputation, and integrity. He has also been selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© based on an exhaustive peer-review survey of over 50,000 leading attorneys.