News and Events

What is a force majeure clause? According to attorney Brian Tilker at Torkildson, Katz, Hetherington, Harris & Knorek, Attorneys at Law, it's a provision included in business contracts that exempts businesses from contractual obligations for reasons pertaining to unavoidable, catastrophic circumstances. We are currently experiencing an unavoidable, catastrophic circumstance. The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has had such a...

The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) was signed into federal law on Wednesday, March 18, 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. New employment policies under the FFCRA will be effective from April 1 to December 31, 2020. These policies include: Temporary Emergency Family and Medical Leave Temporary Emergency Paid Leave Due to Reasons...

As of Tuesday, March 24, 2020, the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) has infected nearly 400,000 people worldwide and killed more than 17,000. The reach of this pandemic has impacted the economic wellbeing of the United States and the rest of the world. In response to COVID-19, new employment policies will be put in place on April...

The Coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis has had an economic impact on Hawaii. Businesses have suffered as a result. We have also seen flights, conferences and events canceled. The Hawaii Chamber of Commerce will be hosting the Vigilant Against Virus, Confident in Commerce webinar on March 24th from 12:00 - 1:00 PM. Local and national experts will...

On January 31, 2020, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) finally announced the release of its revised Form I-9. It will replace the form currently in use (that contained an expiration date of 8/31/2019). When that form expired in August 2019, the USCIS extended the use of it until the newest update to the Form...

Attorney Ron Heller at Torkildson, Katz, Hetherington, Harris & Knorek, Attorneys at Law recently represented a client in a Hawaii Supreme Court case involving a real property tax dispute. According to the court document, the dispute revolved around one central issue: whether or not counties in Hawaii have the power to define, or re-define, what constitutes "real...

Have you ever wondered if annual raises are mandatory or what steps the Board of Directors takes to monitor the performance of employees? Attorney John Knorek at Torkildson, Katz, Hetherington, Harris & Knorek, Attorneys at Law will be answering these questions at the Labor Laws and Security Guards seminar on February 20, 2020. He will review...

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) ushered in the new year by issuing employer-friendly decisions and rules that primarily impact unionized employers. These include: Cutting off dues deductions after an agreement is terminated Clarifying when an employer may take unilateral action Other decisions made by the NLRB, however, affect nonunion employers as well. This may encourage employers to revise...

The Search Advisory Committee at the University of Hawaiʻi has been selected and is currently searching for the next director of the Institute for Astronomy to be named and/or in place by fall 2020. Newton J. Chu, Director of the Hawaii Island office for Torkildson, Katz, Hetherington, Harris & Knorek, Attorneys at Law, was named co-chair of...

In June 2019, a settlement was reached between shoreline protection group Nā Papaʻi Wawae ʻUlaʻula and the owners’ associations of two beach-side condominium properties to restore public beach access in Honokōwai, Maui Now reports. Initially, conflicts surrounding shoreline access, as well as limited access, spurred members of the community to take legal action in Environmental...