Bernie Bays became a Director of Starn O’Toole Marcus & Fisher in 2022. Prior to joining Starn O’Toole Marcus & Fisher, Mr. Bays was a partner of a prominent Honolulu law firm he founded in 1986. During his over 50 years of practice in Hawaii, Mr. Bays has gained a statewide reputation for his expertise in complex commercial litigation, real estate law and litigation, land use law and litigation and trusts and estates litigation. Because of the stringent experience and testing requirements, he is one of the few attorneys in Hawai’i who is Board Certified as a Civil Trial Advocate by the National Board of Legal Specialization and who has also been certified by the Supreme Court of Hawai’i as a specialist in Civil Trial Advocacy. He was recognized in 2024 as the Lawyer of the Year by the National Board of Legal Specialization, a national award.

Mr. Bays has achieved the highest “AV Preeminent” rating by the Martindale-Hubbell® legal rating service for his legal skills and ethics. He is also recognized by the Best Lawyers in America© list, in multiple practice areas since 2006. Mr. Bays is also a licensed real estate broker. Mr. Bays has represented clients in landmark litigation cases in all state and federal courts including the Supreme Court of the United States and all lower courts.

Mr. Bays has been involved in numerous mediations and arbitrations and has taken various training classes over the years.