John George Roth

In April of 2014, I formed Hawaii Trust & Estate Counsel, with Randall Roth, of Counsel, and associate W. Kumu Belcher.  Prior to Hawaii Trust & Estate Counsel, I spent six years with Hastings Laun & Roth.  I was also associated with Case Lombardi & Pettit, on Oahu.

Our firm concentrates on estate planning, which ranges from simple wills to complex tax planning.  We take the time to get to know our clients as people and to understand their goals and concerns.  This makes it possible for us to provide a personalized estate plan that provides peace of mind for each client.  Documentation is important, but equally important is the client's understanding and level of comfort with the entire estate planning process.  We have offices in Hilo, Kamuela, and Kona and regularly meet with clients in Oahu.

I grew up on Oahu where I graduated with honors from Punahou Academy.  In 2003 I earned a B.S. degree in Business Communications from the University of Kansas (Phi Beta Kappa), and, then in 2007, joint J.D. and M.B.A. degrees from the William S. Richardson School of Law and Shidler College of Business at the University of Hawai`i–Manoa. 

In addition to practicing estate planning, education has always been important to me.  I have taught Estate Planning as an adjunct law professor at the William S. Richardson School of Law at the University of Hawai`i–Manoa, and occasionally lecture in several other law courses there.  At the University of Hawai`i–Hilo, I periodically teach the Business Law course.  I also enjoy speaking at seminars for lawyers and other professionals in the areas of estate planning, probate administration, law firm management, and legal ethics.  My publications include co-authorship of the Hawaii State Bar Association’s Estate Planning Forms Manual (2012) and Hawaii law section of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC) Report, Comparison of Domestic Asset Protection Trust Statutes (2014). 

I have served as president of the Young Lawyers Division of the Hawaii State Bar Association and am currently an officer of the HSBA’s Estate Planning Section.  I am a past president of the Rotary Club of North Hawaii and currently serve on the boards of the Parker School and North Hawaii Hospice; and on the advisory board for the West Hawaii Fund of the Hawaii Community Foundation.