Melvyn M. Miyagi joined Watanabe Ing in 2008 as a partner to head the firm’s litigation group. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Miyagi was a partner at Miyagi Myhre & Tsuchida. Mr. Miyagi has tried 35 civil cases to a jury verdict. Throughout his career Mr. Miyagi has successfully handled a wide range of complex civil litigation in Hawai‘i. These cases include a minority shareholder lawsuit against a control group of the financial institution, a luxury planned unit development homeowners Association suit against the developer and bonding company for breach of a development agreement and construction bond, four related class actions against the developer of one of the largest residential developments in Hawai‘i, an action to remove the trustees of the largest private trust in Hawai‘i and a class action seeking damages resulting from the contamination of the milk supply in Hawai‘i. In addition, he has tried and resolved numerous cases involving wrongful death, brain damage, toxic tort, sexual harassment, wrongful termination, retaliation, civil rights violations, defamation and products liability.
Mr. Miyagi’s trial expertise has been recognized by his induction into the American College of Trial Lawyers and the American Board of Trial Advocates. He has served as a faculty member for trial practice seminars put on by the National Institute of Trial Advocacy, the ABOTA Masters in Trial Program, and the Hawaii State Bar Association’s Trial Academy. He was the co-author of the chapter Defense Theories of Liability in the Hawaii Motor Vehicle Collision Manual 2nd ed., 1999.