Graham v. Collins

• Court: Hawaii Supreme Court
• Decided: April 16, 2026
• Docket: SCWC-25-0000578
• Status: Published

Opinion

Electronically Filed Supreme Court SCPW-XX-XXXXXXX 16-APR-2026 08:53 AM Dkt. 6 ODDP

SCPW-XX-XXXXXXX

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF HAWAIʻI ________________________________________________________________

NATHANIEL GRAHAM; JOEL KREISS; and HAWAII’S ELECTRIC BIKE, LLC dba RIDESMART MAUI, Petitioners,

vs.

THE HONORABLE LANCE COLLINS, Judge of the District Court of the Second Circuit, State of Hawaiʻi, Respondent Judge,

and

RIDESMART MAUI LLC; LEE A. CHAMBERLAIN, Respondents. ________________________________________________________________

ORIGINAL PROCEEDING (CASE NO. 2DRC-XX-XXXXXXX)

ORDER DENYING PETITION FOR WRIT OF MANDAMUS (By: McKenna, Acting C.J., Eddins, Ginoza, and Devens, JJ., and Circuit Judge Holma, assigned by reason of vacancy)

Upon consideration of the petition for writ of mandamus

filed August 19, 2025, and the record, counsel’s former

representation of Respondent Ridesmart Maui LLC is substantially

related to the litigation in 2DRC-XX-XXXXXXX. See Hawaiʻi Rules

of Professional Conduct (HRPC) Rule 1.9(a); Straub Clinic & Hosp. v. Kochi, 81 Hawaiʻi 410, 414-17, 917 P.2d 1284, 1288-91

(1996). Additionally, the interests of counsel’s former and

present clients are materially adverse to each other in 2DRC-24-

0001244. See HRPC Rule 1.9(a); Straub, 81 Hawaiʻi at 417, 917

P.2d at 1291. The district court’s order granting the motion to

disqualify counsel does not amount to a flagrant and manifest

abuse of discretion. See Straub, 81 Hawaiʻi at 414-15, 917 P.2d

at 1288-89.

It is ordered that the petition is denied.

DATED: Honolulu, Hawaii, April 16, 2026.

/s/ Sabrina S. McKenna

/s/ Todd W. Eddins

/s/ Lisa M. Ginoza

/s/ Vladimir P. Devens

/s/ Karin L. Holma