We Fight Corporations on Behalf of Hawaiʻi Families Every Day

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Our Attorneys

L. Richard DeRobertis
Partner & Lead Appellate Lawyer
L. Richard DeRobertis joined the firm in 1983 and serves as the lead appellate lawyer in the firm. Rick has helped to preserve and expand the legal rights of Hawai’i workers, mesothelioma victims and consumers, and represents them in court appeals against manufacturers and large corporations.
Meet Rick
Ilana Waxman
Managing Partner
Born and raised in Hawai'i, Ilana Waxman joined the Galiher team in 2007 and focuses her practice on clients with mesothelioma and other asbestos diseases. She also represents the families of children born with birth defects due to chemical exposures, Hawai'i residents suffering from Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma as a result of Roundup exposure, survivors of childhood sexual abuse, and other catastrophic injury cases.
Meet Ilana
Allison Aoki
Partner
Born and raised in Hawaii, Allison Aoki attended Georgetown University in Washington D.C. and Keio University in Tokyo before returning to attend the University of Hawaii for law school. Her practice focuses on representing victims of asbestos disease, pesticide exposure, and other catastrophic injuries. She approaches every case with sensitivity and determination as she works to help local families seek justice.
Meet Allison
Alyssa R. Segawa
Partner
A native of Honolulu, Hawaii, Alyssa Segawa’s practice concentrates on asbestos litigation, personal injury, product liability, Roundup litigation, appellate and federal practice matters. She has a particular interest in helping victims of mesothelioma seek justice through the legal system as her grandfather passed away from mesothelioma when she was 16.
Meet Alyssa
Peter A. Kraus
Partner
Partner Peter Kraus focuses on toxic torts, whistleblower qui tam cases and pharmaceutical litigation. He has tried numerous asbestos, benzene exposure, and pharmaceutical cases including many multimillion-dollar verdicts and is an ardent supporter of consumer and victims’ rights.
Meet Peter
Christopher L. Johnson
Partner
Chris Johnson represents plaintiffs involved in toxic tort and complex civil matters. He focuses on helping victims achieve justice after suffering catastrophic injuries from dangerous products and toxic substances. This includes people dealing with mesothelioma resulting from asbestos exposure.
Meet Christopher
Victoria M. Chang
Attorney
Victoria M. Chang, a seasoned trial lawyer, is a dedicated advocate for individuals affected by harmful products and negligent practices. Before joining Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman, she served as a prosecutor for 10 years, specializing in seeking justice for victims of sexual assault, both minors and adults. With a career focused on litigating on behalf of those affected by others' wrongdoing, Victoria brings extensive experience to her role.
Meet Victoria
Elizabeth Nardi
Attorney
Elizabeth is an experienced litigator specializing in Maui fires impact, asbestos, Roundup cases, and advocating for child sexual abuse victims. As a former deputy prosecutor, Elizabeth served over 10 years handling diverse criminal jury trials. Elizabeth earned her law degree from California Western School of Law and her bachelor's degree from the University of California at Santa Barbara.
Meet Elizabeth

About Our Founder
Gary O. Galiher
Gary Galiher, the late founder of Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman, began practicing law in 1977 and started his own law firm the following year. His trial skills combined with his tenacity and hard work obtained outstanding recoveries for his client. We are proud to carry on his legacy with our firm.
Our Core Values
We take your case personally and put your needs first. That means you will receive individual attention from our attorneys who work as a team. We leverage our vast experience and resources to ensure you get the best possible results, even if that means going to court. No kou pono drives our resolve — everything we do is on your behalf. And at the end of the day, nothing is more important to us than honesty and integrity.
Our Results
We fearlessly take on large companies on behalf of locals and win. With over $1 billion in recoveries our track record speaks for itself. For decades, we’ve negotiated substantial settlements, obtained successful verdicts at trial and have been successful at appeal.

No Recovery, No Fee
If there’s no recovery in your case, you will not
have to pay a fee. We handle everything on a
contingency basis.
News

Hawai‘i’s Asbestos Legacy: A Growing Mesothelioma Threat
Mesothelioma deaths in the U.S. surged by 20% between 1990 and 2019, according to BMC Public Health. This increase is tied directly to decades of asbestos exposure, especially among workers in construction, shipbuilding, military service, and manufacturing. The rise in cases is particularly alarming in Hawai‘i, where thousands of veterans have been exposed to asbestos while working on Navy ships, submarines and maintenance facilities at the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard since World War II. The state health department reported over 700 asbestos-related deaths between 1999 and 2017, including 139 from mesothelioma.
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Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman Partner Ilana Waxman Named President of the Hawaii State Bar Foundation
We are proud to announce that Ilana Waxman, Managing Partner at Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman, has been appointed president of the Hawaii State Bar Foundation. This prestigious role recognizes Ilana’s long-standing commitment to justice, community service, and professional leadership within Hawaii’s legal community. A Respected Advocate for Civil Justice Ilana, who was born and raised on Maui, has built her career representing Hawaii residents in complex injury litigation. Under her leadership, Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman has taken on powerful interests to secure justice for individuals harmed by asbestos exposure, toxic pesticides, and institutional failures in protecting children. Most recently, Ilana and our team have been at the forefront of efforts to support victims of the devastating Maui wildfires in 2023.
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Cancer-Causing Asbestos Found Near Honolulu Vermiculite Plant
More than 40 years since a vermiculite-processing facility near the Honolulu airport was shuttered over concerns about asbestos contamination, harmful vermiculite and asbestiform tremolite residue remains in the soil placing nearby Honolulu residents at risk. Hawai’i factory’s troubled history For decades, the facility known as the Vermiculite of Hawai’i Plant operated near the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport processing vermiculite shipped from a Libby, Montana, mine operated by W.R. Grace & Co. The plant used an exfoliation process that released asbestos particles into the air. Although the Hawai’i facility closed in 1983 and remediation was performed in 2001, a new study confirms that dangerous levels of vermiculite and asbestiform tremolite remain. As asbestos and fibrous particles can persist in soil and air for years, the risk to nearby residents remains.
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Incarcerated Youths Victimized by Sexual Predators, Unsafe Environments
Victims of sexual abuse at juvenile detention centers are increasingly sounding the alarm, exposing lax management and security practices that have placed vulnerable young people in danger. Lawsuits in states including Oregon, Illinois, Washington, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New Hampshire, California and New York detail sexual abuse in state- and county-run juvenile detention centers that include allegations of rape, forced oral sex and beatings by corrections officers, nurses, kitchen staff, chaplains and others. In Illinois, 667 people have alleged they were sexually abused as children at youth facilities in Illinois through lawsuits filed since May. The most recent Illinois complaints detail alleged abuse from 1996 to 2021 from the accounts of 272 people who were in state-run youth juvenile detention facilities and a county-run Chicago center.
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Troubled Teen Facilities: A Breeding Ground for Abuse?
Treating troubled teens has become a growth industry even as reports of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse of young offenders participating in these programs have become more widespread. A Troubled History Many trace the beginnings of the troubled teen industry to a 1950s organization called Synanon, which was a drug rehabilitation program that involved no doctors. One of the methods included a game that used verbal abuse to help drug addicts take responsibility for their part in their addiction. Over time, the game also began to involve physical abuse. Other groups began to take on this “tough love” approach to helping at-risk teens. These approaches were explored on TV talk shows and even in a 1985 TV movie called Toughlove.
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Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman Virtual Roundtable Q&A: Women in Law
Women’s History Month had its origins as a national celebration with a 1987 presidential proclamation. The law passed by Congress marked the month of March with observances to honor the achievements of American women in a variety of fields, including the law. This year, we are celebrating Women’s History Month with a virtual roundtable of female attorneys at Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman discussing their experiences in the field of law. This year, attorneys that work in a variety of practice areas in our firm shared their insights. Participants included Allison Aoki and Victoria Chang.
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Women In Law Virtual Roundtable Q&A with Alyssa Segawa
Alyssa R. Segawa is a native of Honolulu and a partner at Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman. Alyssa’s practice concentrates on asbestos litigation, personal injury, product liability, Roundup litigation, appellate and federal practice matters. She has a particular interest in helping victims of mesothelioma seek justice through the legal system. When Alyssa was 16, her grandfather, a retired pipefitter at the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard, passed away from mesothelioma. She knows what the families of the Galiher firm’s clients are going through and works hard to make sure that they can enjoy their time with loved ones.
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Women In Law Virtual Roundtable Q&A with Ilana Waxman
Ilana Waxman is the managing partner of Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman. Ilana focuses her practices on toxic exposure cases, particularly for clients with mesothelioma and other asbestos diseases. She also represents the families of children born with birth defects due to chemical exposures, Hawai’i residents suffering from Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma as a result of Roundup exposure, survivors of childhood sexual abuse, and other catastrophic injury cases. Ilana works every day to hold corporations and insurance companies accountable for their role in creating one of the greatest public health disasters this country has ever seen. She is proud to fight for justice for individuals who are suffering from preventable diseases due to the greed or callousness of others.
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Women In Law Virtual Roundtable Q&A with Victoria Chang
Victoria Chang is a veteran trial lawyer and passionate advocate for individuals who have been injured by dangerous products and reckless and negligent practices. Victoria has spent her career litigating on behalf of those who were injured by the wrongdoing of others. Before joining Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman, she worked for 10 years as a prosecutor focusing on obtaining justice for victims of sexual assault, both minors and adults. That background provides valuable expertise for her practice representing sex assault victims in civil litigation against schools and other institutions and organizations when they fail to protect individuals in their care. Victoria also represents individuals who have been harmed by dangerous and defective products, including exposure to materials and products containing cancer-causing asbestos and other harmful chemicals.
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Women In Law Virtual Roundtable Q&A with Allison Aoki
Allison Aoki is a native of Hawaii and a Partner at Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman. Her practice focuses on asbestos litigation, birth injury cases, pesticide injury litigation, premises liability, product liability and toxic tort issues. Allison attended Keio University in Tokyo, Japan, and earned her bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. She earned her law degree from the University of Hawaii at Manoa in Honolulu. While there, she was honored with the CALI Award for Excellence in the Future. Allison is admitted to practice law by the State Bar of Hawaii.
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Women In Law Virtual Roundtable Q&A with Elizabeth Nardi
A veteran lawyer with extensive courtroom experience, Elizabeth is a litigator in Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman’s Maui office. Her practice focuses on obtaining justice for individuals impacted by the Maui fires. A Lahaina resident who evacuated and lost her home during the August 8 fires, Beth brings first-hand perspective of the challenges facing victims. In addition, her practice focuses litigation related to asbestos exposure and exposure to Monsanto’s Roundup pesticide. She also represents victims of child sexual abuse. Before joining the firm, Elizabeth served more than 10 years as a deputy prosecutor in Hawaii and California, where she handled a wide variety of criminal jury trials to verdict. Elizabeth earned her law degree from California Western School of Law and her bachelor’s degree from the University of California at Santa Barbara.
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Hawai’i Doctor Warns About Mysterious Glyphosate Exposure Cases
Neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs) affect more than nine million Americans, and that number is expected to more than double by 2025, according to research by Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. While the cause of NDDs remains unknown, medical experts are increasingly raising alarm about toxic exposure — specifically, exposure to glyphosate. Concerns about exposure to toxic chemicals like glyphosate are playing out in communities around the world. In New Brunswick, Canada, neurologist Dr. Alier Marrero watched as his caseload skyrocketed with patients displaying unusual symptoms of neurodegenerative disease, many of whom were under age 45.
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Navy Veterans Face Higher Risk of Mesothelioma
Navy veterans have been exposed to cancer-causing asbestos fibers at levels higher than other branches of the military, according to new research. According to a study of British and Australian veterans published in Scientific Reports, naval personnel have been exposed to higher levels of asbestos because of the time they spent on ships and submarines, particularly for service members who worked in engine rooms, where maintenance procedures involved disturbance of asbestos on pipework, turbines, boilers and other machinery. As a result, sailors suffer high rates of asbestosis, mesothelioma, and lung cancer, even when other lifestyle factors are controlled.
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How to Ensure Your Home Is Safe from Asbestos Dangers
While Hawaiʻi residents are increasingly aware of the serious health risks associated with occupational exposure to asbestos in the workplace and from military service, many don’t realize how frequently they may come in contact with the material. Used for insulation, as a fire retardant and many other applications, asbestos can be found in homes and in military housing throughout Hawaiʻi. In addition, generations have been exposed to asbestos in the workplace and in military service.
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Hidden Asbestos Danger Lurks in Aging Homes, Buildings
Asbestos has been widely used in the construction of buildings in Hawai‘i for generations. According to the Hawai‘i State Department of Health, most residential buildings in Hawaii contain some asbestos, which can be found in ceilings, walls, insulation and flooring. While these materials pose little risk when a building is kept in good condition, they become hazardous when asbestos is disturbed. Storms, high winds and natural disasters can cause minute fibers to break away and create a risk to human health.
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EPA Takes Bold Action Against Dangerous Pesticide DCPA
For the first time in nearly 40 years, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is using its emergency authority to stop the sale of a dangerous pesticide. The EPA has ordered an immediate halt in sales of DCPA, also known as Dacthal, that has been linked to serious health risks to agricultural workers and pregnant women. The Grave Risks of DCPA Studies dating back to the 1990s have confirmed serious health risks associated with exposure to Dacthal, including impaired brain development, low birthweight and other birth defects. Exposure to Dacthal is also a serious risk for farmworkers, particularly those who work with leafy vegetables like kale, as well as broccoli, artichokes, beans and cucumbers. DCPA has been found in alarmingly high concentrations in certain vegetables. A 2019 study found that nearly 60% of kale samples tested by the USDA contained traces of DCPA.
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Despite restrictions on asbestos, Hawai‘i residents continue to succumb to mesothelioma cancer
While it’s well-established that the deadly form of cancer known as mesothelioma is caused solely by exposure to asbestos, thousands of people throughout the U.S. mainland and Hawaii continue to die from the disease every year. About 3,000 cases of mesothelioma are registered each year in the United States. In Hawaii, there are approximately 38 asbestos-related deaths a year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. Mesothelioma was discovered in the late nineteenth century and gradually came to be associated with exposure to asbestos. The mineral has been used throughout history, but as the Industrial Revolution took hold, more and more uses were found.
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Asbestos and Mesothelioma Aren’t Going Away
The serious health risks associated with asbestos exposure have been known for generations. The naturally occurring fiber is the only known cause of mesothelioma, an incurable and deadly form of cancer of the lining of the lungs and internal organs. Legal and regulatory scrutiny of asbestos use has ramped up over the years — including a 2024 ban on chrysotile asbestos — but an alarming number of Americans continue to die from mesothelioma every year. While mesothelioma diagnosis rates have fallen among men, they have remained steady among women.
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Pesticides are Seriously Threatening Global Ecosystems
Insects are vital to keeping the world’s ecosystems in balance. Every spring, billions of insects migrate to far-flung locations to fulfill a wide range of critical functions, including performing cross-continental pollination, transferring essential nutrients to soils, decomposing organic matter, and sustaining local wildlife by providing a food source. They also transfer genetic information, allowing plants to maintain a diverse genetic pool, potentially mitigating changes in environmental conditions. To grasp the scale of the annual insect migration, consider this: in just over a month, researchers recorded 39 million insects migrating from the Middle East to Cyprus alone.
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Global Mesothelioma Cases Surge as Asbestos Use Continues
Cases of mesothelioma around the world have been increasing along with a rise in the global use of asbestos, despite an acknowledgment more than 40 years ago by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) that all forms of asbestos are carcinogenic. Asbestos exposure causes mesothelioma, a cancer of the tissue that lines the lungs, chest wall, and abdomen. Given that asbestos continues to be used globally in a variety of commercial products, it’s not surprising that mesothelioma cases and deaths associated with the disease have been rising too.
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