Ian R. Wesley-Smith is a Partner in the firm’s Hilo office and a member of its Litigation & Alternative Dispute Resolution practice group. Ian focuses his practice on commercial litigation, including matters involving breach of contract, construction performance and defects, business entity disputes, intellectual property rights, and business torts.
Ian was born and raised in Kahaluʻu, Hawaiʻi. He graduated summa cum laude from the University of Hawaiʻi’s William S. Richardson School of Law, where he ranked 1st in his class and received CALI Excellence for the Future Awards in 13 courses (awarded to highest grade in the course). Ian won his first federal jury trial at age 29, serving as co-lead counsel and securing a jury verdict and sizeable damages for his pro bono client. In recognition of the trial team’s efforts, the Hawaiʻi State Bar Association awarded Ian the 2020 HSBA Kiʻe Kiʻe Award. Ian continues to build on that experience by achieving successful outcomes in mediation, arbitration, state court, and federal court, for clients ranging from publicly traded companies to local people. He strives to handle each case entrusted to him with diligence, passion, good judgment, and strong knowledge of the law.
Distinctions
- Selected by attorney peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch 2023 for Alternative Dispute Resolution, Commercial Litigation, and Litigation - Construction; listed since 2021
- Selected for inclusion in 2023 Hawaii Super Lawyers Rising Stars for Business Litigation
- Selected for the 2020 Kiʻe Kiʻe award by the Hawaiʻi State Bar Association, for outstanding provision of professional pro bono legal services
- Ranked First in Graduating Class of 2016, William S. Richardson School of Law
- CALI Excellence for the Future Awards: Constitutional Law I, Contracts I, Criminal Justice, Federal Income Taxation, Law and Psychology, Legal Practice I, Legal Practice II, Legal Research, Real Property I, Real Property II, Second Year Seminar, Secured Transactions, Torts
- Starn O'Toole Marcus & Fisher Scholarship
- Michael P. Porter Dean's Scholastic Award
Affiliations
- Hawaii State Bar Association
- United States District Court, District of Hawaii