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Deirdre Marie-Iha is an appellate practitioner, appellate consultant, and civil litigator. Her appellate experience is extensive and spans more than 20 years in both federal and state court. She has argued numerous times before the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the Hawaiʻi Intermediate Court of Appeals. Deirdre has personally handled well over a hundred appellate proceedings as lead appellate counsel, and has consulted on hundreds more. Over the years, Deirdre’s appellate caseload has generated more than 40 published opinions in the state and federal appellate courts. Her current appellate work includes corporate governance, business matters, banking, and trust litigation. She also routinely handles complex civil matters in the trial courts, particularly business disputes and trust disputes.

 

In her appellate consulting practice, Deirdre advises existing teams of attorneys or solo practitioners on anticipated appellate issues and appellate procedure in the Hawaiʻi state appellate courts. Appellate consulting is a flexible, collaborative concept that adjusts easily to the needs of the client and the existing team of attorneys. It can range anywhere from assisting solo practitioners who are unfamiliar with the appellate process to collaborating with large groups of attorneys who are representing sophisticated national businesses. Appellate consulting can start as early as a proceeding begins in the trial court, especially when a novel legal issue might impact a case of substantial potential exposure. It can also start after the entry of judgment in trial court but before post-judgment motions are litigated. And appellate consulting can start anytime during the appellate process, including during certiorari or transfer proceedings at the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court, or in offering assistance in preparing for appellate oral argument.

 

Before joining Goodsill in 2018, Deirdre practiced for 14 years as a deputy attorney general at the Hawaiʻi AG’s office, where she handled a number of high-profile, high-stakes matters, in both trial court and on appeal. This included the furloughs during the 2008-2009 financial crisis; the enactment and subsequent defense of the Marriage Equality Act in 2013-2015; successfully defending against constitutional challenges to the State’s election and campaign finance laws; and complex litigation regarding the State’s retiree health benefits.

 

Deirdre has been practicing for more than 25 years. In 2003-2004, Deirdre clerked for the Honorable Corinne K. A. Watanabe, Associate Judge of the Hawaiʻi Intermediate Court of Appeals (now retired). Before that, Deirdre practiced in California. She graduated from the University of Colorado School of Law in 1999. Her undergraduate degree is in History, from Cornell University, where she graduated Phi Beta Kappa.

 

Deirdre served as the HSBA Appellate Section Chair during 2021-2023.

 

Deirdre is admitted to practice before all Hawai‘i state courts; the federal District Court for the District of Hawaiʻi; the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals; and the United States Supreme Court.

 

Deirdre has published two recent articles on appellate procedure in the Hawaii Bar Journal: