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Judge Jeffrey Crabtree (Ret.)
AREA OF EXPERTISE
Banking/Finance/Foreclosure , Business. , Commercial/Business , Contracts , Employment/Labor , Energy/Environment , Estates/Probate/Trusts , General Civil , Healthcare , Injury/Torts , Partnership/Corporate Law , Personal Injury , Premises Liability , Product Liability , Professional Liability , Public Policy , Real Estate , Real PropertyPANEL LOCATION
All neutrals on the DPR Panel are willing to travel to the neighbor islands and the mainland. If you have any questions, please contact DPR at (808) 523-1234
Judge Crabtree attended Williams College (Dean’s List, 1973) the University of San Francisco (Highest Honors, 1976) and received his law degree from New York University School of Law (Root-Tilden Scholar, 1979). He worked in Boston and New York City and returned home to Hawai‘i in 1983.
After working at two highly respected firms in Honolulu, Judge Crabtree started his own firm and practiced civil litigation for over 30 years. He also published articles on civil litigation, taught at the William S. Richardson School of Law, served as a panelist at numerous seminars, and was honored to receive several community awards, including the Honolulu Star Bulletin’s annual Editorial Board award for “Ten Who Made A Difference” in Hawai‘i; the Hawai‘i State Bar Association’s “Justice Award,” and a Pro Bono Award from Volunteer Legal Services of Hawaii, for “exceptional service to the citizens of Hawai‘i.”
As a circuit court judge from 2014 to 2024, Judge Crabtree presided over hundreds of cases each year and 100 trials. From 2017 to 2024, in addition to his regular civil calendar, Judge Crabtree was appointed by Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald to serve as the Senior (or lead) Judge for the Environmental Court, First Circuit. Judge Crabtree was also an effective settlement judge, settling many of his own cases and virtually all the cases assigned to him for his settlement partner, Judge Gary W.B. Chang.
In 2024, Judge Crabtree became the Director of the Judiciary’s Center for Alternative Dispute Resolution (CADR). He received training in advanced mediation techniques and trained others in mediation and settlement conference best practices. He also helped settle cases in the Judiciary’s Appellate Mediation Program.
Judge Crabtree retired from the Judiciary effective July 1, 2025, and will serve as an arbitrator, mediator, and Special Master. He also serves as a volunteer Hearings Officer for the Office of Disciplinary Counsel, and as a volunteer Arbitrator for the Court-Annexed Arbitration Program (CAAP) in all circuits.
