On its second attempt in as many weeks, the state Office of Hawaiian Affairs board has chosen attorney Robert Klein as its new board counsel. OHA board picks Klein
to be its staff counsel
By Pat Omandam
pomandam@starbulletin.com
The selection takes effect Oct. 1, after Klein and OHA officials negotiate an annual contract.
At a meeting in Kaunakakai yesterday, the board unanimously voted to hire the retired Hawaii Supreme Court justice. Klein, who is part-Hawaiian, retired from the Hawaii high court in 2000 and has been actively involved in helping the Hawaiian community.
Klein is currently an attorney with the law firm McCorriston Miller Mukai Mackinnon. The board had attempted to hire him last week but did not get a majority vote from the seven trustees who were present at that meeting.
"We are confident that the expertise and experience of justice Robert Klein will serve the board of trustees well," Haunani Apoliona, OHA chairwoman, said.
Klein and attorney John Ono were the two final candidates to replace Sherry Broder, current board counsel. Broder, who has served as board attorney for 16 years, did not reapply for her job when her contract expired on June 30. Her contract has been on a month-to-month extension since then.
Broder remains under a separate contract with OHA to represent the agency in court as it continues to defend itself from various lawsuits challenging its constitutionality.
"We welcome her to continue to focus her attention on serious OHA litigation," Apoliona said.
OHA officials said Klein has agreed that his pay as OHA board attorney will not exceed $150-per-hour, which is less than what he usually charges. OHA has a budget of $125,000 a year for the board attorney.
