John S. Edmunds

Attorney John S. Edmunds is nationally recognized as one of the leading trial attorneys in the country, Mr. Edmunds devotes his practice to plaintiff personal injury law, business litigation and criminal defense. In 2013, Best Lawyers in America picked him as Hawaii Lawyer of the Year in White-Collar Criminal Defense. He has achieved notable success advocating on behalf of the accused as well as those who suffered an injury or loss as the result of someone else's negligence.

Born in Los Angeles, California, Mr. Edmunds graduated from Stanford University in 1964 (where he was in the honors program in philosophy). He obtained his Juris Doctor from the University of Southern California in 1967 and honored as 1 of 4 moot court competition finalists (out of 160 students). He is admitted to practice in the State of Hawaii and before the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaii, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and in the Republic of the Marshall Islands (where he served as Acting Chief Justice in 1980-81). Throughout his career, Mr. Edmunds has proven himself a dedicated and tireless advocate for those he serves who aggressively pursues the most favorable outcome possible for his clients. Recognized for his professionalism and service, he holds an AV-Preeminent peer review rating* from Martindale-Hubbell, and he has received numerous other accolades from his peers along with many positive testimonials and referrals from his satisfied clients.

A leader in his field, Mr. Edmunds served in a number of leadership roles for various legal organizations and judicial commissions. He is also a member of American Bar Association and the Hawaii Academy of Plaintiff's Attorneys, where he has served on the board of governors from 1982 to 1983 and then again, each year since 1995. He is also a Master of the Bench for the American Inns of Court and once served as president of the American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaii.

Mr. Edmunds authored "Prepaid Legal Service: Its Development and Future" for the Hawaii Bar Journal, and he has served on the adjunct legal faculty at the University of Hawaii School of Law. He has also served on the board of directors for the Legal Aid Society of Hawaii, and he has served as chairman of the Prepaid Legal Services Committee of the Hawaii State Bar Association.

*AV®, AV Preeminent®, Martindale-Hubbell Distinguished and Martindale-Hubbell Notable are certification marks used under license in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies. Martindale-Hubbell® is the facilitator of a peer review rating process. Ratings reflect the anonymous opinions of members of the bar and the judiciary. Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Rating™ fall into two categories – legal ability and general ethical standards.