Attorney Rick Fried held up the Winter 2004 issue of the Presidency, the American Council on Education's Magazine for Higher Education, which has Evan Dobelle on its cover, at a news conference Friday. Dobelle has since enlisted other prominent local lawyers in his dispute against the University of Hawaii.
All-star legal team
represents DobelleLocal experts in law expect
to meet with the regents' lawyers
Former University of Hawaii President Evan Dobelle has enlisted the help of several legal heavyweights in his multimillion-dollar dispute with the university over his firing.
CORRECTION
Thursday, July 1, 2004Jeffrey Portnoy heads the litigation arm of the law firm Cades Schutte. A Page A1 article Tuesday incorrectly listed the name as Cades Schutte Fleming & Wright LLC.
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Attorney Rick Fried, whose firm is serving as Dobelle's lead counsel, said lawyers Mark Davis, John Edmunds, Jeffrey Portnoy and David Simons will add their legal expertise to Dobelle's cause.
Fried said the lawyers hope to meet today or tomorrow with Barry Marr, who is representing the UH Board of Regents. The regents will discuss Dobelle's case with Marr this morning in a closed-door meeting.
"We are always open to talking," Fried said. "There's always hope that the regents will come to their senses."
Marr declined comment.
The regents fired Dobelle "with cause" on June 15 in a move that denied Dobelle more than $2.2 million in severance payments.
Dobelle's legal team includes some of the top legal minds in the local bar. Fried said the lawyers are "not too concerned" about their legal fees because they believe in the merits of Dobelle's case.
Like Fried, Davis specializes in personal injury and medical malpractice, but he also is well known for his work in civil rights cases, while Simons is an expert in employment law.
Portnoy heads the litigation arm of one of the state's largest law firms, Cades Schutte Fleming & Wright LLC. Portnoy, who represents the Honolulu Advertiser, also is an expert in First Amendment law.
Edmunds is a civil litigator and criminal defense attorney whose clients included former City Councilman Andy Mirikitani and Indonesian developer Sukamto Sia. He successfully defended local developer Jeffrey Stone from bribery allegations arising from the attorney general's investigation in the late 1990s of the Kamehameha Schools board of trustees.
Fried said he has not yet received information from the university about Dobelle's firing. Fried has asked the school for tapes of closed-door regents meetings, including a June 2 meeting in which Dobelle's evaluation was discussed.
Fried also has requested a final Deloitte & Touche auditor's report on Dobelle's use of his protocol fund. The auditor's report was one of the factors in the regents' decision to fire Dobelle.
Fried said the legal team needs the records to determine what type of legal action they plan to take. Dobelle's options include a suit for breach of contract or for defamation. He also might sue the regents individually, Fried has said.
