Hawaii County, HI
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Litigation Division
The Office of the Corporation Counsel provides legal representation on behalf of the County of Hawaiʻi, its officers, representatives and employees in resolving disputes such as lawsuits, arbitration, mediation and claims, filed against the County of Hawaiʻi and its officers, representatives and employees.
- Lerisa L. Heroldt
- Mark Disher
- Steven K. Idemoto
- Justin C. Lee
- Ryan Thomas
- Hannah McKee
- Demetri Lametti
- Sherilyn Tavares
Counseling and Drafting Division
The Counseling and Drafting Division of the Office of the Corporation Counsel advises all departments, boards, agencies, and commissions on legal matters, which impact that particular County entity. The Division drafts appropriate legislation for consideration by the County Council or the State Legislature. The Division also provides legal representation on behalf of the County of Hawaiʻi in administrative proceedings, including contested case hearings and agency appeals.
- Diana Mellon-Lacey
- Jean Campbell
- Sinclair Salas-Ferguson
- Sylvia Wan
- Keyra K. Wong
- Cameron Takamura
- William Jarrett
Attorneys
Renee N.C. Schoen - Corporation Counsel
Ms. Schoen was appointed as Corporation Counsel in January 2025. Prior to her appointment as Corporation Counsel, Renee served in the following roles: Per diem judge for the State of Hawai‘i Judiciary and Assistant Corporation Counsel and Deputy Corporation Counsel for the County of Hawai‘i.
Ms. Schoen also worked at the Legal Aid Society of Hawai’i handling family court matters, the State of Hawai‘i Office of the Attorney General handling tort and civil rights litigation, the State of Hawai‘i Office of the Public Defender handling criminal matters, and in private practice handling personal injury and insurance defense matters.
Renee has been licensed to practice law in the State of Hawai‘i since 1993. She is admitted to appear before the United States Supreme Court, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and the United States District Court for the District of Hawai‘i. Renee serves as an Arbitrator for the Court Annexed Arbitration Program and is a member of the Hawai‘i State Bar and Hawai‘i County Bar Associations.
J Yoshimoto - Assistant Corporation Counsel
Mr. Yoshimoto is the Assistant Corporation Counsel.
He graduated from Hilo High School and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa. He obtained his Juris Doctor degree from the William S. Richardson School of Law and has been licensed to practice law in Hawaiʻi since 1992.
Prior to joining the Office of the Corporation Counsel, Mr. Yoshimoto worked for the State of Hawaiʻi as a Deputy Attorney General in Hilo. He serves as an Arbitrator for the Court Annexed Arbitration Program and is a member of the Hawaiʻi State Bar Association and Hawaiʻi County Bar Association.
Lerisa L. Heroldt - Litigation Section Chief
She graduated from Punahou School and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Zoology from the University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa. She earned her Juris Doctor degree from the William S. Richardson School of Law at the University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa, where she graduated cum laude.
Prior to joining the Office of the Corporation Counsel, Ms. Heroldt was in private practice with the law firm of Alston Hunt Floyd and Ing in Honolulu, where she handled all aspects of state and federal court litigation in areas such as business torts, class actions, constitutional and civil rights, insurance coverage and bad faith litigation, employment law, personal injury, title defense and medical malpractice.
Ms. Heroldt has been licensed to practice in the State of Hawaiʻi since 2001. She is also admitted to appear before the United States Supreme Court, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and the United States District Court for the District of Hawaiʻi. She is a member of the Hawaiʻi State Bar Association and joined the West Hawaiʻi Bar Association in 2016.
Diana Mellon-Lacey - Counseling & Drafting
Ms. Mellon-Lacey is a member of the Counseling and Drafting Division.
She holds a Bachelor’s degree from University of California, Santa Cruz, Master’s Degrees in Anthropology and Public Health from University of California, Los Angeles, and a Juris Doctorate from University of Miami.
Prior to joining the Office of the Corporation Counsel, Ms. Mellon-Lacey worked for the State of Hawaiʻi as a Deputy Attorney General in the Family Law Division. Ms. Mellon-Lacey also worked for Legal Aid Society of Hawaiʻi in Hilo, where she served as managing attorney, Domestic Violence Clearinghouse on Maui, and Legal Services of the Florida Keys.
Prior to attending law school, Ms. Mellon-Lacey worked in county health administration in Florida, and at a federally funded community health center in North San Diego County in California.
Ms. Mellon-Lacey is a member of the Hawaiʻi State Bar Association, and has been licensed to practice law in Hawaiʻi since 2003. She is also licensed to practice law in the State of Florida.
Jean Campbell [she/her/hers] - Counseling & Drafting Division
Ms. Campbell is a member of the Counseling & Drafting Division.
Jean graduated from Punahou School in Honolulu and received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa in English. She earned a Master of Arts degree from San Diego State University, also in English, and her Juris Doctorate from the William S. Richardson School of Law, at the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa where she graduated cum laude. She has been licensed to practice law in the State of Hawai‘i since 2000.
Prior to joining the Office of the Corporation Counsel, Jean practiced transactional real estate law at Carlsmith Ball, Alston Hunt Floyd and Ing, and Bays Lung Rose and Voss, in Honolulu.
Mark Disher - Litigation Division
Mr. Disher is a member of the Litigation Division.
Mark D. Disher is a graduate of Lahainaluna High School. After high school he enlisted in the United States Navy and served on active duty for nine years as a Nuclear Field Electrician’s Mate having served on nuclear powered submarine USS Kamehameha (SSN 642) and at the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard. He continued to serve in the United States Navy Reserves for an additional 15 years until his retirement in 2020. While still on active duty he received his Bachelors of Science degree from Chaminade University of Honolulu in Criminal Justice with a Minor in History, graduating Summa Cum Laude. He received his Juris Doctorate from University of Hawai‘i William S. Richardson School of Law in 2008. He has been licensed to practice law in the State of Hawai‘i since 2008 and is admitted to practice before the United States District Court for the District of Hawai‘i.
Prior to joining the Office of Corporation Counsel, Mr. Disher was employed at the County of Hawai‘i Office of the Prosecuting Attorney.
Steven K. Idemoto - Litigation
Mr. Idemoto is a member of the Litigation Division.
Steve graduated from Hilo High School and earned Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees from the University of Washington. He obtained a law degree from the University of Hawaiʻi William S. Richardson School of Law and an MBA from the University of Hawaiʻi Shidler College of Business.
Prior to joining the Office of the Corporation Counsel, he was a partner at the law firm of Clay Chapman Iwamura Pulice & Nervell in Honolulu. Before becoming an attorney, he worked in public policy as an analyst with the Washington State Legislature, Hawaiʻi State Legislature, and a Seattle-based think tank.
Steve was licensed to practice law in Hawaiʻi in 2008.”
Justin C. Lee - Litigation
Mr. Lee is a member of the Litigation Division.
Mr. Lee is a graduate of Punahou School. He attended both the Annapolis and Santa Fe campuses of St. John’s College, and earned his Bachelors of Arts degree in Liberal Arts, with equivalent majors in Philosophy and the History of Mathematics and Science, and minors in classical studies and comparative literature. He is a winner of the Walter S. Baird prize for excellence in the arts, literature, or sciences. He earned his Juris Doctor from the William S. Richardson School of Law at the University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa, where he was a member of the Asian-Pacific Law and Policy Journal and published an article relating to Native Hawaiian Land Tenure.
Prior to joining the Office of the Corporation Counsel, Mr. Lee was a Deputy Public Defender for the State of Hawai‘i, and a law clerk for the Honorable Greg K. Nakamura. He is a prior member of the Hawai‘i County Board of Appeals.
Hannah McKee - Litigation
Hannah grew up in both Kona, HI and Agoura, CA. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from Pepperdine University and an MBA from Fresno Pacific University. She obtained her law degree from University of Hawaiʻi William S. Richardson School of Law. She has been licensed to practice in the State of Hawaii and the United States District Court for the District of Hawai’i since 2021. Hannah has also been licensed to practice in the State of Wisconsin since 2024. Prior to joining the Office of the Corporation Counsel, Hannah worked as a Personal Injury Attorney for the Law Office of Robert Marx.
In her free time, Hannah enjoys spending time with her family on her farm aka personal petting zoo.
Demetri Lametti - Litigation
Mr. Lametti is a member of the Litigation Division.
Demetri has a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management from the University of Wisconsin. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of St. Thomas School of Law.
Prior to joining the Office of the Corporation Counsel, Demetri was in private practice with his own civil litigation firm – Lametti Law. Demetri additionally practiced with Sunridge Legal, LLP, a boutique commercial real estate and renewable energy firm based on the mainland.
Demetri is a member of the Hawaiʻi State Bar Association, and has been licensed to practice law in Hawaiʻi since 2016. Demetri has practiced law since 2012, beginning in the State of Minnesota, and is also currently licensed to practice law in Arizona.
Sherilyn Tavares - Litigation
Sherilyn “Sheri” Tavares is a member of the Litigation Division.
Sheri is a graduate of Waiakea High School, and she received her Bachelor of Arts degrees from the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo in Sociology, Political Science, and Administration of Justice. Sheri earned her Juris Doctorate from the William S. Richardson School of Law at the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa where she also earned her certificate in Native Hawaiian Law. During law school, Sheri clerked for the Honorable David A. Ezra at the US District Court for the District of Hawai‘i, the Honorable Dexter Del Rosario in the Circuit Court of the First Circuit and served as a summer law clerk here in this office. Sheri also spent a summer in Washington D.C. as the Patsy T. Mink Fellow where she worked on legislation for then Congressman Neil Abercrombie.
Prior to returning to the Office of the Corporation Counsel, Sheri was a Public Defender for the State of Hawai‘i, and a Law Clerk for the Honorable Glenn S. Hara. She is also a lecturer at the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo for the College of Business & Economics.
Sheri is a member of the Hawai‘i State Bar Association and serves as Treasurer for the Hawai‘i County Bar Association.
Sinclair Salas-Ferguson – Counseling & Drafting
Sinclair is a member of the Counseling and Drafting Division
He graduated from Hilo High School and then left the Big Island to obtain three degrees: a Bachelor of Arts from Utica College, a Juris Doctorate from William S. Richardson School of Law, and a Master of Business Administration from Shidler College of Business.
Prior to joining the Office of the Corporation Counsel, Sinclair worked in the following roles: private practice on Kauaʻi, Deputy County Attorney for the County of Kauaʻi, Deputy Prosecuting Attorney for the County of Kauaʻi, law clerk for the Kauaʻi-Fifth Circuit Court, private practice in Honolulu, and law clerk for the Intermediate Court of Appeals.
Sinclair loves surfing, exercising, traveling, and spending time with his family and friends.
He was licensed to practice law in Hawaiʻi in 2010.
Ryan Thomas - Litigation
Mr. Thomas is a member of the Litigation Division.
He is a graduate of Kamehameha Schools Hawaii Campus. He received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business Management from the University of Mount Olive in North Carolina, where he was a member of the Men’s Volleyball team and team captain his senior season. He received his Juris Doctorate Degree from the University of Idaho. He is admitted to practice law in the State of Hawai‘i and before the United States District Court for the District of Hawai‘i.
Prior to joining the Office of Corporation Counsel, Ryan served as a law clerk for Judge Kubota of the Third Circuit Court in Hilo.
Sylvia Wan - Counseling & Drafting
Ms. Wan is a member of the Counseling and Drafting Division.
She graduated from Waiakea High School and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from University of Hawai‘i at Hilo. She earned a Juris Doctorate from the William S. Richardson School of Law, at the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa. She has been licensed to practice law in the State of Hawai‘i since 2011 and is admitted to practice before the United States District Court of Hawai‘i, and United States Supreme Court.
Prior to joining the Office of the Corporation Counsel, Ms. Wan was employed at the County of Hawai‘i Office of the Prosecuting Attorney.
Keyra K. Wong – Counseling & Drafting Section Chief
She graduated from Kamehameha Schools, Kapalama Campus and obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mass Communications from Linfield University in McMinnville, Oregon. Mrs. Wong earned her Juris Doctor degree from Willamette University College of Law in Salem, Oregon. During law school, she clerked in the appeals division for the County of Maui Department of Prosecuting Attorney, State of Oregon Appellate Commissioner’s Office, and Office of Clackamas County Counsel in Oregon City, Oregon, where she focused primarily on Real Estate and Land Use issues.
Prior to returning to the Office of the Corporation Counsel, Mrs. Wong worked as a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney for the County of Hawai‘i and most recently, as an associate attorney for the Law Offices of Yeh & Kim. She is licensed to practice law in Hawai‘i and Oregon (inactive) and is admitted to appear before the United States District Court of the District of Hawaii. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband, Travis, and her children, Kaimila and Tahj.
Cameron Takamura - Deputy Corporation Counsel
He graduated from Kapaa High School on the island of Kauai. He possesses a Bachelor of Art’s degree from the University of Hawaii at Hilo in Administration of Justice and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Hawaii’s William S. Richardson School of Law.
Prior to joining the Office of the Corporation Counsel, Cameron held the roles of deputy county attorney for the County of Kauai, deputy prosecutor for the County of Hawaii, law clerk to the Honorable Derrick H.M. Chan at the Hawaii State Intermediate Court of Appeals, and law clerk to the Honorable Kathleen N.A. Watanabe at the Fifth Circuit Court (Kauai). On his off time, Cameron enjoys golfing and spending time with his family, friends, and dogs.
William Jarrett- Deputy Corporation Counsel
William is a member of the Counseling and Drafting Division.
William “Bill” Jarrett is a graduate of the Kamehameha Schools at Kapālama. He has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, and a Juris Doctor from the University of Hawai‘i William S. Richardson School of Law.
In addition to having experience as a litigator, William is a retired firefighter with 20 years of service as a firefighter for the City & County of Honolulu. He also worked for 7 years with American Medical Response as an AEMT on a transport ambulance.
Following law school, William worked as a litigation associate with three different Honolulu law firms specializing in labor and employment law. Also, just before joining our office, William ran a successful private family law practice.
In his spare time, William enjoys relaxing by playing traditional kī hōʻalu (Hawaiian slack key guitar) and has accumulated a very special guitar collection. When he’s not playing music or following his son’s wrestling matches, William also spends his free time working on and riding his motorcycle.
Private Secretary
Private Secretary to Corporation Counsel: Kayleigh Idemoto
Administrative/clerical staff can be reached in our Hilo office.
Office of the Corporation Counsel
101 Aupuni Street, Suite 325
Hilo, Hawai‘i 96720
Tel: (808) 961-8251
Fax: (808) 961-8622
Email: corpcounsel@hawaiicounty.gov