Tom Pierce

Since his childhood, Tom has spent a lot of time in the outdoors, which  was a major catalyst for his decision to go to law school to study environmental law.

Current Practice:

Since 2005 when he initiated his solo practice, Tom has focused primarily on land conservation, nonprofit law, and land use and real property law. During that time, Tom has:

• Negotiated and drafted conservation easements and conservation-related property conveyances on most of Hawaii’s islands, including drafting the first several easements in Hawai`i under the Farm and Ranch Land Protection Program, also involving funding under the Hawaii Legacy Lands Conservation Program;

• Consulted with clients on sustainable agricultural projects; these have included complex inter-connected operations, including sustainable forestry projects, affordable housing, employee-owned businesses, and farm cooperatives with a master farm plan for small conservation developments;

• Assisted new organizations achieve tax exempt status, as well as consulted with public charities and private foundations on IRS compliance, organizational issues, and grantee due diligence;

• Represented clients on a variety of land use and planning and other real property matters, including: subdivision of lands; consolidation and resubdivision; condominium property regimes; state boundary district issues; height violations; special management area, shoreline setback, and other coastal issues; zoning enforcement issues; building code issues; title matters; Native Hawaiian rights issues; access, utility and view easements; due diligence of complex properties before purchase; seller disclosure issues; purchase-sale disputes; and disputes with neighbors;

• Taught conservation property law as an adjunct professor at the University of Hawaii, William S. Richardson School of Law; also been invited to speak at and participate in information meetings regarding the land trust model, as well as at strategic planning sessions for land trusts; attends most of the yearly Land Trust Alliance national conferences.

Public service:

• Founding president of the Maui Coastal Land Trust;
• Current board member of Public Access Trails Hawaii;
• Sponsored and facilitated the initial meetings on Maui, which led to the founding of Na Hale O Maui Comunity Land Trust.

Former Legal Positions:

• Attorney with the Maui office of Paul, Johnson, Park & Niles; practiced in the areas of litigation and administrative advocacy with an emphasis on land use and environmental law;

• Deputy Corporation Counsel, Department of the Corporation Counsel for the County of Maui; represented the County in environmental, land use, personal injury, and civil rights litigation in both the state and federal courts; also defended and counseled the County in employment and labor matters;

• Prior to attending law school, worked in various financial positions for close to a decade; employers included Merrill Lynch, E.F. Hutton, and Shearson Lehman Hutton.

Education:

• J.D. from the University of Hawaii, William S. Richardson School of Law; received a Certificate in Environmental Law; member of the University of Hawai`i Law Review; director of the Hawai`i Environmental Law Society; received the CALI Excellence for the Future Award in Second Year Seminar: Environmental Law; published A Constitutionally Valid Justification for the Enactment of No-Growth Ordinances: Integrating Concepts of Population Stabilization and Sustainability 19 U. Haw. L. Rev. 93 (1997);

• B.A. from St. John’s College (Great Books program);

• Graduated from Washington D.C. Capitol Page School while serving as a U.S. Congressional Page, and later as a Courtroom Attendant at the U.S. Supreme Court.