Oahu Plumbing & Sheet Metal, Ltd. v. Kona Construction, Inc.

How courts have described this case

Verbatim parenthetical descriptions written by other courts when citing this decision. Ranked by citation-network relevance.

• holding that a corporation cannot appear and represent itself either in proper person or by its officers, but can only be represented by an attorney admitted to practice law
• holding that circuit court acted properly in allowing entry of default to stand where the non-attorney, corporate representative expressly informed the court that the corporation was plainly not interested in obtaining representation by a qualified attorney
• holding that non-attorney agents are not allowed to represent corporations in litigation
• noting “the preference for giving parties an opportunity to litigate claims or defenses on the merits” (citing Ramada Inns, Inc. v. Lane & Bird Advertising, Inc., 102 Ariz. 127, 426 P.2d 395 (1967))
• “Although we recognize that corporations may be represented by non-attorney agents in Small Claims court, such representation is provided for by statute[.]”
• first citing HRS § 605-14 (prohibiting unauthorized practice of law); and then citing HRS § 605-2 (requiring attorney's license to represent another in court)

Source: CourtListener parenthetical corpus (CC0).