Ryan M. Toyomura
Counsel

Ryan M. Toyomura was admitted to the Hawai‘i State Bar in 2020 and joined Ashford & Wriston in 2022.

Mr. Toyomura concentrates his practice in the areas of land use, corporate law, energy infrastructure and financing, government affairs, appeals, litigation, and real property disputes. He is licensed to practice law before all courts in the State of Hawai’i and the United States District Court for the District of Hawai’i and is a registered lobbyist with the State of Hawai’i.

Mr. Toyomura was nominated by Mayor Rick Blangiardi and currently serves as a board member on the City & County of Honolulu’s Zoning Board of Appeals.

Mr. Toyomura has been named to the The Best Lawyers of America “Ones to Watch” list since 2024 for Appellate Practice, Commercial Litigation, and Litigation – Real Estate. He is a 2023 Hawai’i State Bar Association Leadership Institute Fellow.

Mr. Toyomura actively assists clients with:

• Federal, state, and county zoning, permitting, and land use entitlements, issues, and controversies, including Plan Review Use, Special Management Area, Conservation District Use Applications/Permits, Conditional Use Permits, Special Use Permits, Chapter 343 (HEPA) and NEPA, Endangered Species Act, Clean Water Act, zone changes and variances, subdivision approvals, ground and surface water entitlements, and land use evaluations.
• Advocacy before the Hawaii State Legislature and County Councils and representation before administrative bodies and agencies including the Land Use Commission, Commission on Water Resource Management, Board of Land and Natural Resources, county Planning Commissions, county liquor control boards and others.
• Real property disputes and appeals relating to easements, title and boundary disputes, home/condominium owner associations, public access, and subdivisions.

Appellate Clerkships

Before joining Ashford & Wriston, Mr. Toyomura served as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Lisa M. Ginoza, Chief Judge (now Associate Justice of the Hawai’i Supreme Court); the Honorable Clyde J. Wadsworth, Associate Judge; and the Honorable Sonja M. P. McCullen, Associate Judge of the Intermediate Court of Appeals.

Government Experience

Before his law career, Mr. Toyomura served for several years as a legislative assistant in the Honolulu City Council and chief of staff and senior advisor to various senators in the Hawai’i State Senate, including the Senate vice president, chair of the Committee on Housing, and chair of the Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental and Military Affairs. He was integral in formulating, managing, and negotiating legislation in those senior roles. In addition, he has experience working with government agencies, non-profits, community, and business organizations. As senior advisor to the Senate Committee on Housing, he worked extensively with the Hawai’i Housing Finance Development Corporation (HHFDC), Hawai’i Public Housing Authority (HPHA), developers, building industry, and labor to successfully develop policies and secure funding to address the state’s affordable housing needs.

Mr. Toyomura successfully worked with the Office of Environmental Quality Control (renamed the Environmental Review Program) to amend its administrative rules to offer limited exemptions to affordable housing projects from environmental assessment (EA) requirements, authored an amendment to HRS Chapter 201H that expanded the definition of a co-mortgagor to assist first-time homebuyers in qualifying for a mortgage, and helped secure a then-historic $200 million infusion of general funds into the Rental Housing Trust Fund.

He also worked on political campaigns in state and county races, organizing field operations, fundraising, policy development, and community relations.

Reported Cases:

Garcia v. Hawaii, 2023 WL 4106297 (D. Haw. June 21, 2023)

Education and Honors

Mr. Toyomura earned his Juris Doctor, summa cum laude, from the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, William S. Richardson School of Law, in 2020. He was admitted to the Hawai’i State Bar that same year. In law school, he was a member of the University of Hawai’i Law Review, a member and manager of the law school’s Saul Lefkowitz Intellectual Property Moot Court team, and a research assistant to Professor John L. Barkai. He received the CALI Excellence for the Future Award for the highest grade in Torts and Venture Capital & Startups and was the recipient of the Justice Edward H. Nakamura Memorial Scholarship. Mr. Toyomura earned his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a Master in Public Administration from the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa and is a graduate of Mid-Pacific Institute.

Community Affiliations

Mr. Toyomura currently serves as the HSBA Coordinator on the State Judiciary’s Courts in the Community Program. He is member of the Hawai’i State Bar Association, the American Judicature Society, and the Honolulu Japanese Chamber of Commerce where he serves as a member of its government affairs committee. He also volunteered extensively with the Institute for Human Services, Moanalua Lions Club, and Hawai’i Visitor Industry Charity Walk.