The Law of Rebuilding LA Episode 28: Hawaii's unique approach to wildfire litigation settlements

In the fourth installment of The Law of Rebuilding LA podcast series featuring Hawaii Gov. Josh Green, host Howard Miller explores how the Governor's novel approach to litigation settlement accelerated the Lahaina fire recovery efforts.

In today's episode, Gov. Green tells Miller about:

• Establishing the $175 million One Ohana Fund to provide immediate settlements to families who lost loved ones
• Serving as mediator between multiple defendants including the state, Maui county, Hawaiian Electric Company, and Kamehameha Schools
• Working with renowned mediators including his uncle Eric Green and Ken Feinberg (who handled New Orleans disaster settlements)
• Addressing plaintiff attorneys' initial skepticism by demonstrating Hawaii's unique collaborative approach
• Normalizing settlement expectations from "tens of billions" to the final $4.037 billion agreement
• Structuring the settlement with Hawaiian Electric contributing $1.99 billion and the state providing $872 million

You can also listen to today's podcast on SoundCloud or on Apple Podcasts.

New episodes will be released daily this week, with each segment exploring different aspects of disaster recovery and rebuilding. Tomorrow's episode will delve into insurance company claims and other final issues in the recovery process.

Missed a previous episode? Catch up now.

Episode 1 -- Rebuilding LA portal, SoundCloud or Apple Podcasts.
Episode 2 -- Rebuilding LA portal, SoundCloud or Apple Podcasts
Episode 3 -- Rebuilding LA portal, SoundCloud or Apple Podcasts

About Gov. Josh Green

Governor Josh Green is a dedicated physician, husband, father, and Hawai'i's ninth Governor.

Raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he earned degrees in biology and anthropology from Swarthmore College and an M.D. from Penn State's College of Medicine. After completing his family practice residency, he chose to serve the underserved community of Ka'ū on Hawai'i Island, as a member of the National Health service Corps.

His experiences as a rural physician have inspired him to address issues like affordable housing, mental health, and addiction through public service. Dr. Green served two terms in the Hawai'i House of Representatives, three terms in the Hawai'i State Senate and a term as Lieutenant Governor, during which he was the point person addressing the COVID Pandemic. In December 2022 Dr. Green was elected Governor.

Since becoming Governor, Dr. Green has prioritized affordability, housing, healthcare, and climate action. He enacted the largest income tax cut in Hawai'i's history, accelerated the development of over 62,000 affordable housing units, expanded homelessness initiatives like kauhale villages, and launched programs to address the state's healthcare workforce shortage. His leadership during the Maui wildfire recovery housed nearly 8,000 survivors and secured billions of dollars for recovery efforts. Governor Green remains deeply committed to improving the lives of Hawai'i's families and building a more sustainable future.