Beth Nardi Completes AAJ Leadership Academy

Attorney Beth Nardi of Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman has completed the prestigious American Association for Justice (AAJ) Leadership Academy, becoming the latest Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman trial lawyer to graduate from the highly competitive program.

Nardi joins firm partners Chris Johnson and Alyssa Segawa, who previously completed the academy, a national initiative designed to develop the next generation of leaders within the plaintiffs’ bar.

Over the past year, Nardi balanced the rigorous Leadership Academy curriculum while maintaining a demanding litigation schedule, including work on major cases arising from the Lahaina wildfire. During that same period, she also faced the personal loss of her own home in the fire. Despite those challenges, she traveled across the country with her academy cohort to participate in the program’s leadership training sessions and events.
AAJ’s Leadership Academy provides advanced training to highly qualified members to help them become more effective leaders in their firms and within the legal profession. The program has a strong track record of developing leaders, with approximately 80 percent of graduates going on to serve in leadership roles within AAJ or their state trial lawyer associations.

The 2025–2026 Leadership Academy Class 12 concluded its final session during the AAJ Winter Convention in San Diego in February.

Based in Hawai’i, Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman represents individuals and families in complex plaintiffs’ litigation, including cases involving asbestos exposure, other toxic exposures, and injuries caused by dangerous products and corporate misconduct.

GDW’s Beth Nardi Discusses Controversial Wildfire Bill Limiting HECO Liability

A controversial last-minute proposal in the Hawai’i’ legislature could limit Hawaiian Electric Company’s (HECO) liability for future wildfires — a move that has sparked criticism among victims of the catastrophic 2023 Lahaina fire.

Hawaii News Now spoke with attorney Beth Nardi about the development, which would allow HECO to cap its financial liability if it’s found responsible for another catastrophic fire. The bill would also allow HECO to use customer funds to upgrade its grid. Critics warn the plan could leave future victims without sufficient compensation, effectively shielding the utility from accountability.

Nardi, who represents Lahaina fire survivors and lost her own home in the 2023 blaze, called the proposal “deeply concerning,” warning that it prioritizes corporate protection over victim recovery.

“I was shocked, and frankly, I don’t think enough people know what has actually gone on,” Nardi said. “I think that people would be very upset if they knew that. “In Lahaina, it’s going to happen again and with the way the bill is currently set, it is not going to provide any meaningful compensation to the victims to help them rebuild their lives.”

 

From Lahaina’s ashes, a Maui lawyer’s career takes a dramatic turn

I really thought I was always going to be a prosecutor — then the fire happened. Getting calls from friends and family members impacted by the fires asking for advice, it occurred to me there were so many new ways to serve victims. — Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman trial lawyer Beth Nardi

Beth Nardi can thank the Lahaina fires for at least one thing. After a dramatic escape that destroyed her Lahaina home and left her among the many thousands of residents navigating the rebuilding process, Beth’s legal career took a surprise turn.

A long-time criminal prosecutor who took down kidnappers, bank robbers, violent gang members and organized crime rings, Beth was expecting to spend many more years in the Maui County Prosecutor’s office. But living through the Lahaina fires and seeing the challenges and heartbreak experienced by friends and neighbors prompted her to change the course of her career and move into civil litigation with a singular purpose: helping neighbors rebuild and obtain justice.