State’s Legal Expenses For Maui Wildfires Topped $6 Million
Updated: Hawaiian Electric agreed to pick up many of those expenses.
Hawaii may have avoided costly litigation when it reached a $4 billion settlement with Maui wildfire survivors this week, but the state has already spent millions of dollars on legal advisors since fires engulfed Lahaina last August.
Lawyers hired to represent the state in wildfire litigation and advise the government on other issues like public financing and bankruptcy litigation received more than $6 million in state payments between October 2023 and June, according to wildfire expense reports Civil Beat obtained through a public records request.
The Hawaiian Electric Co. agreed to pay the state’s costs for legal advisors, according to the Attorney General’s Office. Spokeswoman Toni Schwartz said in an email that HECO has paid $8.8 million to cover those costs so far, and that the state will bill the utility $9.6 million in the coming months.
Two law firms that served on Gov. Josh Green鈥檚 climate advisory team accounted for a majority of those expenditures. They include the law firm Hueston Hennigan, a key player in negotiating the recent $4 billion settlement. The state paid the firm $1.7 million as of June 30.
In a news release, Michael Purpura, who worked with Green鈥檚 administration through the negotiation process, said that it was an honor to work on what he called a historic settlement.
鈥淚t is a privilege for us to provide counsel to Gov. Green and execute his vision for Hawaii,鈥 his statement said.
Multinational law firm O’Melveny & Myers, which also sat on Green鈥檚 climate advisory team, received $3.9 million from the state through May.
The firm was originally contracted to provide legal services and advise the state on a possible Hawaiian Electric Co. bankruptcy, according to from the Attorney General鈥檚 Office.
Bankruptcy now seems unlikely given the recent settlement, which would see HECO paying $1.9 billion.
The contracts for O’Melveny & Meyers and Hueston Hennigan were paid out of unused coronavirus relief funds, according to the budget testimony.
The state also paid Honolulu firm nearly $629,000 to represent it in the numerous wildfire lawsuits that name the state as a defendant.
Hawaii paid law firm more than $92,000 for legal services related to public financing. The Honolulu firm O’Connor Playdon Guben & Inouye also received $5,300 for legal advice on a possible HECO bankruptcy.
The AG鈥檚 office paid for consultants in areas besides legal services.
California wildfire consultant Randy Lyle鈥檚 company received $12,250 from the state in May.
The AG鈥檚 office also paid more than $171,000 in April to Skyhill Group Inc. for media communications related to the wildfire.
One of the office鈥檚 largest pay-outs has gone to the investigation of Maui County officials鈥 response to the Lahaina fire. The Fire Safety Research Institute is handling that investigation for the state.
Underwriters Laboratories Inc., the institute鈥檚 parent company, has so far received $2.1 million for its services.
Civil Beat’s coverage of Maui County is supported in part by a grant from the Nuestro Futuro Foundation.
