Jeffrey H. K. Sia
Partner Email: jeffrey.sia@hawadvocate.com
Jeffrey H. K. Sia is a partner in the law firm of CHONG, NISHIMOTO, SIA, NAKAMURA, & GOYA, LLLP. He joined the law firm in July 1982, when it was then known as Libkuman, Ventura, Ayabe & Hughes. Mr. Sia became a partner with CHONG, NISHIMOTO, SIA, NAKAMURA, & GOYA, LLLP, in July 1987 and has been primarily involved in litigation work involving third-party and first-party insurance coverage claims, personal injury, medical and other professional liability, product liability, sexual harassment, and construction cases.
He serves as an arbitrator within the Court-Annexed Arbitration Program for the Hawaii State Judiciary. He also provides mediation and arbitration services for other parties upon their request.
Education
Mr. Sia pursued his undergraduate studies at Brown University, where he majored in political science. He graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1978. He then attended the Garey School of Law, Villanova University, from 1978 to 1981. He was admitted to the Hawaii Bar in 1981.
Experience
After serving as a law clerk and bailiff for the Honorable Philip T. Chun, First Judicial Circuit Court, State of Hawaii, from June 1981 to June 1982, Mr. Sia joined CHONG, NISHIMOTO, SIA, NAKAMURA, & GOYA, LLLP, as an associate on July 26, 1982. Since joining the firm, he has been involved in jury and nonjury trials in state and federal courts, appellate work before the Hawaii Supreme Court, the Hawaii Intermediate Court of Appeals, and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, state administrative hearings before the Medical Claims Conciliation Panel and Insurance Division, and CAAP arbitrations.
He is an “AV Preeminent 5.0 out of 5” peer review rated in Martindale-Hubbell. He has been listed in Super Lawyers® since 2008 in the area of personal injury defense: general and was selected for inclusion in the 2010 through 2013 editions of The Best Lawyers in America®, being recognized in 2012 as a “Lawyer of the Year” in the area of insurance.
He is an “AV Preeminent 5.0 out of 5” peer review rated in Martindale-Hubbell. He has been listed in Super Lawyers® since 2008 in the area of personal injury defense: general and was selected for inclusion in the 2010 through 2013 editions of The Best Lawyers in America®, being recognized in 2012 as a “Lawyer of the Year” in the area of insurance.
Affiliations
Mr. Sia is currently a member of the Hawaii State Bar Association (and the Insurance Law Section of the association) and the Defense Research Institute. He was a member and participant of the select Federal Court Judicial Conference sponsored by the U. S. District Court, District of Hawaii, pursuant to two three-year terms (1995-1998 and 2005-2008), and was again appointed to serve as a member/participant of the Conference for another three-year term (2014-2017).
He also served a three-year term as one of the five lawyer representatives for the Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference for the District of Hawaii (2009-2011). In 2001, he served the Hawaii State Bar Association as its elected secretary; in 2002, he served the association as its elected treasurer. Elected president of the association in 2008, he served the association as president-elect in 2007 and then as its president in 2008.
In 2009, he continued to serve as a member of the HSBA Board of Directors in an ex officio status. He also served as Chair of the HSBA committee relating to the eventual establishment of the Hawaii State Bar Foundation and then served as the new foundation’s initial president and now as a director on its board.
Since 2009, he has been serving as a member of the Federal Judicial Selection Commission, an advisory commission established to assist Hawaii’s U.S. senators in the selection of candidates to serve as District Judge in the Federal District Court in Hawaii, and participated in that capacity to assist in the selection of candidates for two judgeships for the District.
He also served a three-year term as one of the five lawyer representatives for the Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference for the District of Hawaii (2009-2011). In 2001, he served the Hawaii State Bar Association as its elected secretary; in 2002, he served the association as its elected treasurer. Elected president of the association in 2008, he served the association as president-elect in 2007 and then as its president in 2008.
In 2009, he continued to serve as a member of the HSBA Board of Directors in an ex officio status. He also served as Chair of the HSBA committee relating to the eventual establishment of the Hawaii State Bar Foundation and then served as the new foundation’s initial president and now as a director on its board.
Since 2009, he has been serving as a member of the Federal Judicial Selection Commission, an advisory commission established to assist Hawaii’s U.S. senators in the selection of candidates to serve as District Judge in the Federal District Court in Hawaii, and participated in that capacity to assist in the selection of candidates for two judgeships for the District.
Other Professional Experience
Mr. Sia has participated in numerous continuing legal education seminars and workshops as a speaker or faculty member, including work as an instructor/faculty member for the Hawaii College of Trial Advocacy, the training of arbitrators for the Court-Annexed Arbitration Program sponsored by the Hawaii State Judiciary, and guest speaker at the annual update on tort law in Hawaii, the annual meeting of the Hawaii Claims Association, and at monthly meetings of the Hawaii Insurance Claims Managers Association.
He was one of two guest speakers on insurance law for the justices and judges of the State of Hawaii Judiciary in 2006. He was a co-author of “Fundamentals of Liability Insurance Law,” published by Sterling Education Services, LLC (2004); a co-author of “Insurance Law In Hawaii,” published by Lorman Education Services (1999); and a co-author of “Effective Motion Practice in Hawaii,” published by Lorman Education Services (1998).
He was one of two guest speakers on insurance law for the justices and judges of the State of Hawaii Judiciary in 2006. He was a co-author of “Fundamentals of Liability Insurance Law,” published by Sterling Education Services, LLC (2004); a co-author of “Insurance Law In Hawaii,” published by Lorman Education Services (1999); and a co-author of “Effective Motion Practice in Hawaii,” published by Lorman Education Services (1998).