By
STEWART YERTON/Honolulu Civil Beat
A Maui judge has significantly reined in legal fees related to the $4.03 billion Maui wildfire settlement, awarding victims’ lawyers a fraction of the $1 billion they had sought.In an order issued late Friday, Hawaiʻi Circuit Judge Peter Cahill said the lawyers would get $222 million to divide among themselves, with larger amounts going to lawyers who did the bulk of the work. The order is an enormous victory for fire victims who will be able to retain the bulk of the settlement money rather than see a large share go to their attorneys.Jesse Creed, one of the lead lawyers in the sprawling litigation, said he respected the judge’s order.“I feel like Judge Cahill has been guided by fairness to the community from the outset of the litigation,” Creed said. “I see this as a matter of sacrifice for the community.”The August 2023 wildfire killed 102 residents and destroyed much of Lahaina. Investigations ultimately determined that the fire was sparked by a fallen Hawaiian Electric Co. power line that ignited dry grass, setting off a massive blaze that spread through Lahaina. That resulted in thousands of legal claims, primarily against HECO but also against landowners accused of inadvertently enabling the fire’s spread by letting invasive grasses, a known fire hazard, grow out of control.
