LEAVITT, YAMANE & SOLDNER - Key Persons
Aaron Creps was born and raised in Hawaii and is a proud graduate of the University of Hawaii William S. Richardson School of Law.
Aaron is a lifelong athlete and has competed in paddling races in Hawaii, the mainland, Canada, Australia, and Tahiti. His competitive nature also drives him to fight for those who have been wrongly injured or killed as the result of someone's negligence.
Aaron has a strong sense of fairness and doing what is right, and leaves no stone unturned in pursuing accountability and maximum compensation for those he represents. He particularly enjoys the challenge of taking on big businesses that choose not to make the safety of patients, customers, and the public a top priority.
Preparation, teamwork, and perseverance have brought Aaron successes in the open ocean and in the courtroom. He lives in Kailua with his wife and two children.
Aaron's professional recognition includes:
Best Lawyers, Personal Injury and Products Liability
Million Dollar Advocates
Education
University of Hawaii at Manoa, J.D.
University of California, Santa Barbara, B.A.
Job Titles:
- Founder of Leavitt
- Personal Injury Attorney
James Leavitt is the founder of Leavitt, Yamane & Soldner. After more than 50 years leading the firm, he recently stepped back from day-to-day case responsibilities and continues with the firm as senior counsel.
From 1972 - when he started the firm - to today, Jim Leavitt's compassion for people and depth of legal knowledge has helped guide Leavitt, Yamane & Soldner to its preeminent position among Hawaii's injury law firms.
Mr. Leavitt came to Hawaii in 1968 as a U.S. Marine Corps captain assigned to the Judge Adjutant General's office at Pearl Harbor. After completing his service in 1970, he joined Hawaii's fledgling Public Defenders Office. Established that year to safeguard the individual rights of those accused of crimes, the office grew to become the largest criminal defense organization in the State of Hawaii.
As a Honolulu injury lawyer, he has demonstrated a deep commitment to helping people who have been seriously injured seek justice and obtain maximum recoveries for their injuries. Over the years, his understanding of Hawaii law and local practices helped him obtain favorable outcomes for his many clients.
You can catch Jim riding the waves in his spare time.
Mr. Leavitt's professional recognition as a trial lawyer includes:
"AV" ® rating (highest rating for ability and ethics) by Martindale-Hubbell®, the original lawyer-rating service, which he maintained for more than 30 years
Past Board Member, American Board of Trial Advocates
Past President, Hawaii Association of Justice
Recognized among "Super Lawyers" ®
Recognized among Best Lawyers®
Education
University of Michigan Law School, J.D. - 1966
Dartmouth College, A.B. English Literature - 1963
John D. Yamane grew up on a pineapple plantation on Lanai, where his father was a horticulturist for the Dole Pineapple Company.
After earning his law degree in 1978 from the University of Washington School of Law, John clerked under Judge Liem Tuai of the Seattle Superior Court. Returning to Hawaii, John served in the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney, assisting victims of crime. Since 1981, he has fought for the rights of those injured by the negligent actions of others in more than 25 criminal and civil jury trials.
As a Honolulu personal injury attorney, John is passionate about serving the people of Hawaii and helping them resolve their injury cases in the most effective and timely manner possible. He always places the needs of his clients first and is laser-focused on winning maximum compensation for those who have been injured so that they can focus on their recovery and move on with their lives.
John's efforts to help others have been recognized by:
inclusion on the Super Lawyers® list
BV® Rating by Martindale-Hubbell®
Recognized among Best Lawyers®
Education
University of Washington School of Law, J.D. - 1978
University of Washington, B.A. - 1975
Rafael Renteria has dedicated his legal career to helping others.
As a domestic violence prosecutor for the City and County of Honolulu, he advocated on behalf of victims of child abuse, romantic partner abuse, and murder. Rafael's goal is to give a voice to the voiceless, which led to his working within the court system to improve the treatment of victims in the criminal justice system.
After finishing law school at The Ohio State University in 1986, Stuart Kodish followed his dreams to Hawaii and began his career as a personal injury attorney.
Over the course of more than 30 years, Stuart has built a stellar reputation representing those who have been seriously injured, including winning numerous multimillion dollar awards for clients that had suffered traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries and other catastrophic injuries. He believes in treating his clients as if they are family and his dedication and passion to their cause is exceptional.
Stuart is proud of his work at Leavitt, Yamane & Soldner, where he is part of Hawaii's leading team of personal injury lawyers and support staff.
Since 1985, Woody Soldner has been committed to obtaining maximum compensation for those who have been injured in Hawaii due to the actions of others.
Woody is particularly focused on helping people with catastrophic injuries, including spinal cord injuries, brain injuries and burns. These cases are typically the result of car accidents, pedestrian accidents, hospital malpractice, defective products, construction accidents and fires.
Woody and his team understand the complex, lifetime consequences of a catastrophic injury or wrongful death and they are relentless in securing a better future for their clients and their families.
More than 50 of Woody's past cases have involved verdicts or settlements in excess of $1 million and four cases have exceeded $10 million: