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 litigation, appeals, real property, land use, and government affairs. 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 has been selected to The Best Lawyers of America “Ones to watch 2024” list for Appellate Practice, Commercial Litigation, and Litigation – Real Estate. He is a 2023 Hawai’i State Bar Association Leadership Institute Fellow.

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.

Mr. Toyomura currently assists clients with various legislative, administrative, and regulatory matters before state and county government.

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 is a 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.