Jan K. Apo

Maui Attorney
Born and raised in Lahaina

WE STAND WITH MAUI

Together, We Will Hold HECO Accountable

"Like many on Maui, my family and I have been severely impacted and devastated by the Maui wildfires. Hawaiian Electric should have done more to prevent this tragedy, and they failed us. As an attorney who was born and raised in Lahaina, I decided I need to do my part to help our island recover. Our local Maui team will be here every step of the way to help guide and support you through this journey. We are ready to take on HECO and get our 'Ohana the justice they deserve. Mahalo nui loa."

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Our Team

As a lawyer practicing on Maui for the past 40 years, I knew I needed to do my part to help the island rebuild and recover. Lahaina is where I was born and raised. Hawaiian Electric’s negligence took that away from all of us. I knew I had to stand up and do my part to hold them accountable so that we can rebuild and work to ensure this never happens again.

I have assembled the best team possible to hold HECO accountable and get justice for our ‘ohana. Standing by my side are Maui attorneys Mark Reck and Naomi Kusachi, dedicated ground team members, all who live here, many of whom were born in Maui, fire experts, consumer advocate Erin Brockovich, and respected litigator Mikal Watts¹. Together, we will hold HECO accountable.

LEARN MORE ABOUT US

WE'RE HERE FOR THE LONG HAUL

Our Commitment
To You

We take our commitments seriously. We embody these values in everything we do, from professional work to personal lives. We are compassionate, dedicated, and empathetic individuals with a collective heart to mend what has been broken.

Meet with us, and you will feel the difference.

FIGHT TO GET YOU JUSTICE

We will fight for you to get you the justice you deserve.

TREAT YOU LIKE FAMILY

We approach this relationship like you are family. We will be there to provide a shoulder to lean on, encouragement, and thoughtfulness. We will tell you when things are good and when they are not, and always be there to help.

EXPERIENCE THAT MATTERS

We bring together experienced fire-origin experts, arborists, business valuation consultants, and advocates to advocate for our clients. As advocates for over 20,000 mainland wildfire victims and survivors across the United States, we know what it takes to build a successful case against a utility.

NEVER GIVE UP

Working together with experts, our team developed evidence to help demonstrate the cause and origin of one of the largest 2017 North Bay fires was equipment owned by the utility, helping to ensure thousands of victims and survivors received justice for their injuries and damages.

SUPPORT ON MAUI

The people who will be helping you on your path to recovery understand what you are going through. This is more than a job to them. They live here on Maui.

PROVIDE SAFETY

You will be sharing personal and private information that allows us to fight on your behalf. If there ever is a time you don’t feel confident and secure, please let us know. Your safety and comfort with our team is of the utmost importance.

About the Maui Fires

The Lahaina fires in Maui started on August 8th, 2023 and burned over 2,170 acres, took the lives of 99 individuals and damaged or destroyed 2,207 homes, commercial structures and businesses making it the deadliest fire in modern United States history. The Kula fires in Maui started on August 8, 2023, and burned 202 acres, injured nearly 20 individuals, and damaged or destroyed 544 homes, commercial structures, and businesses.

Despite National Weather Service warnings for high winds issued days before the fire started, on August 8, Hawaiian Electric (HECO) refused to de-energize its power lines. Photos and videos on social media clearly demonstrate multiple power pole failures leading to live wires coming into contact with flammable vegetation.

In 2019, Hawaiian Electric recognized, following the devastating events in California, a need to invest in safety measures to mitigate the risk of wildfires starting at their hands. They saw the upward trending risk of wildfires on the island and pledged to install sturdier conductors to prevent downed lines in heavy wind and invest in technology to sense when lines are down.
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HECO's mission is to "be one of the world's most progressive and forward-thinking energy companies." They failed when they spent less than $245,000 between 2019 and 2022 on wildfire safety measures following their initial safety pledge. Hawaiian Electric was acutely aware of the need for a robust safety protocol, including when to turn the power off to prevent wildfires.

The lack of power shut-off led a former Hawaii Public Utilities Commission member to say, "There should have been greater alarms raised for HECO to implement its own shut-down program", said Jennifer Potter, a former Hawaii Public Utilities Commission member, and Lahaina resident. "That plan should have been a priority given the growing frequency and intensity of wildfires on Maui during the past five years." Potter chillingly concluded with, "We did not follow best practices".
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Join the HECO Lawsuit to get justice and hold them accountable for their actions.

Experienced any of the following?
We are here to help.

Physical Injury/Emotional Distress

Reports indicated many people suffered personal injuries while fleeing the fire. Please seek medical attention if you suffered any injuries while fleeing the fire. You should also take care to keep track of any out-of-pocket costs associated with treating these injuries, including any co-payments to medical providers, medical supplies, and prescription drugs. You may have suffered emotional distress, as you were fleeing from the fast-moving fire. As with your physical injuries, please seek counseling or other medical attention if you are suffering emotionally from the fires. You should also consider keeping a diary of your daily activities since the fire, including writing down how you are feeling each day.

Wrongful Death

Tragically, we know that there has been a significant loss of life associated with the Maui fires. It is truly horrific and unprecedented in modern American history. If you have a family member who passed away in the fire or from health impacts from the fire, we extend our deepest condolences and sympathies. Our team has worked with many families who have faced the tragic outcome of someone passing away in a wildfire. We are here to ensure you and your loved ones get the justice deserved, while also protecting your family’s privacy as best we can.

Home/Property/Land Loss

If your property was damaged or destroyed, we work with rebuild, arbor, and appraisal experts to ensure you are able to rebuild, no matter your insurance.

Personal Property Loss

This includes everything from the standard items in your home, your vehicles, cherished items, family heirlooms, exceptional items, and collectibles. While there are some things money can’t bring back, we have personal property experts who will work with you to get everything cataloged to position us to fight effectively to get HECO to compensate you.

Personal Income Loss

The Maui fires have destroyed hundreds of buildings that housed active businesses. As a result, many community members have lost their jobs through no fault of their own. Working with our clients to gather the proper documentation, we will seek to recover personal income losses.

Business Income Loss

If you lost your business, we work with business experts who help you determine the value of what you lost. In turn, we will seek to recover these losses on your behalf.

Out of Pocket Expenses

In the days, weeks, months, and years that follow this tragedy, you will likely incur out-of-pocket expenses for things like housing, food, travel, clean-up costs, and other unforeseen costs. You should immediately start keeping track of all of these expenses as best you can. All of these will be a part of what we fight to get you compensated for.

Things to Know As You Learn More

As you learn more about how lawyers can help you, there are a lot of misconceptions about who we can help. Here are some things you should know as you think about getting involved.

We can help you whether you have insurance or not. Your status as insured or uninsured does not impact your ability to participate in this litigation.
You do not need to own property. We will work with renters as well as homeowners. You may also qualify if you were simply an occupant (guest), living in someone’s home.
You do not have to be injured for us to help.
We know many of your important documents were destroyed. You don't need to have all of those in order to get started with us. We understand, as will a Court, that you likely lost everything you owned in a catastrophic and tragic fire. Over time, you will be able to re-acquire some of your important documents such as a driver's license or your passport. But there are some things that you won’t be able to get back. We will work with the Court and the defendant in this case to establish rules to help ease some of your burden of document production.

What We Recommend Doing Whether You Choose Us to Help You or Not:

If you are insured: reach out to your insurance company to report all losses and to request a copy of your insurance policy. Keep any documents you receive from your insurance company. Take notes of any conversations you have with your insurance company representatives or adjusters.
Make sure to keep track of all out-of-pocket expenses that relate in any way to the fire, including any medical expenses, groceries, cost for shelter, clothes, relocation expenses, flights to the Mainland or other islands, gasoline, or the purchase of a replacement vehicle.
If you are able, try to take photographs of any property damage.
Start creating a list of anything damaged or destroyed on paper or, better yet, if you can access a computer in a digital database like Excel.
Consider starting a journal of your daily activities and how you are feeling each day.

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WE STAND WITH MAUI

Together, We Will Hold HECO Accountable

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Our Team

Jan K. Apo

Mark D. Reck

Naomi M. Kusachi

Trevor Tamashiro

Tia Rivera

Suzanne Conlon

Junior Leoso

Malama Minn

Davida Ogden

Brittany Harris

Astrid Magallon

Mikal Watts

Erin Brockovich

Douglas Boxer

Jon Givens

Join the HECO Lawsuit

WE'RE HERE FOR THE LONG HAUL

Our CommitmentTo You

Previous Client Testimonials

About the Maui Fires

Experienced any of the following? We are here to help.

Things to Know As You Learn More

Media Coverage

The Most Detailed Account So Far Of The Lahaina Fire Points To One Termite-Damaged Utility Pole

EPA begins sewer line inspections, drinking water sampling in Lahaina

A popular tavern becomes the first business to reopen on Lahaina’s main street

Three Permanent Disposal Site locations under consideration

Bill To Speed Construction Of Ohana Houses On Maui Adopted

Maui County To Open A Special Permitting Office To Help Lahaina Rebuild

Survey for local businesses affected by August wildfires

Maui Renters Face ‘Increasingly Hostile Housing Market’ Despite Eviction Moratorium

Fire prevention, Maui recovery top the agenda for Hawaii lawmakers

Heavy Rain Washed Fire-Related Contaminants Into The Ocean Off Lahaina. How Bad Is It?

A focus on mental health during this phase of Maui's recovery

Maui residents' post-fire rebuilding plans caught in insurance payout limbo

Maui residents' post-fire rebuilding plans caught in insurance payout limbo

Gov. Green extends Emergency Proclamation on Wildfires

Credit Unions of Maui donate $50,000 toward laptops for fire survivors

UH researchers seek help from fire survivors to better understand health impacts of Maui blazes

Attorneys for wildfire victims push back against governor’s payoff offer

Attorney Jan K. Apo Assigned to Liaison Committee in Ongoing Maui Wildfire Litigation

A Major Power Outage In Lahaina The Day Of The Fire Likely Saved Lives

Hundreds seek details on fire recovery

Before Lahaina Burned, Hawaiian Electric Was Slow to Replace Poles That Posed Fire Risk

Biden Boosts Disaster Aid For Maui Fire Recovery

Why Is Hawaiian Electric (HE) Stock Down 17% Today?

Hawaiian Electric Accused Of Inaction Causing Maui Wildfire In Negligence Lawsuit

Hawaii’s top power utility accused of years of mismanagement before the deadly wildfires

Videos might show start of the Maui wildfire: Engulfed ‘in a matter of minutes’

Video footage points to fallen utility lines as possible cause of Maui wildfires

HECO Kept The Power Flowing In Lahaina Even As Poles Toppled

Hawaii utility faces scrutiny for not cutting power to reduce fire risks

Maui wildfire before-and-after photos show complete destruction, homes razed by flames

Our Commitment
To You

Experienced any of the following?
We are here to help.