GOVERNOR LINGLE NOMINATES LARRY REIFURTH AS INTERMEDIATE COURT OF APPEALS JUDGE

HONOLULU – Governor Linda Lingle today nominated Lawrence M. Reifurth to serve as a judge on the Hawai‘i Intermediate Court of Appeals.  Reifurth would fill the vacancy created when Governor Lingle named Judge Craig Nakamura to serve as chief judge of the Intermediate Court of Appeals.  Reifurth’s nomination is subject to confirmation by the State Senate.

Reifurth has served as the director of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA) since March 2007, and was the department’s deputy director for the previous four years.  As director, he oversees state programs that focus on business regulations, enforcement and registrations of industries including insurance, securities, cable television, financial institutions, and 46 different professional licensing boards and programs.  He also is responsible for consumer protection, including licensing enforcement and public utility consumer advocacy. 

In 1994, Reifurth served as the state’s insurance commissioner.  He also represented the Division of Consumer Advocacy as a deputy attorney general from 1989 to 1992.  Both the insurance and consumer advocacy divisions are located within the DCCA. 

“Larry has been an outstanding and dedicated public servant who has worked to support the interests of Hawai‘i businesses, while fighting to protect consumers from fraud and unfair business practices,” said Governor Lingle.  “He has been a valuable member of my Administration for the past seven years and I have great confidence that he will serve on the bench with integrity and fairness.”

From 1993 to 1994, Reifurth worked for the law firm of Oshima Chun Fong & Chung.  He previously served as associate attorney and assistant city attorney for the cities of Fairfax, Mill Valley, and Sausalito, Calif.  He also worked for the law firms Bagshaw, Marintelli, Corrigan & Jordan in San Rafael, Calif., and Pettit & Martin in San Francisco, Calif. 

Reifurth volunteers with Special Olympics of Hawai‘i swim competitions; USA Swimming, Hawai‘i Local Swim Committee; Hawai‘i Chess Federation and the United States Chess Federation. 

He is a graduate of Northwestern University School of Law, the J.D. Kellogg Graduate School of Management, and Marquette University. 

Governor Lingle selected Reifurth from a list of five candidates submitted to her by the Judicial Selection Commission on December 11, 2009. The Governor made the list available to the public to solicit public comments on the five candidates.

Since taking office in December 2002, Governor Lingle has appointed five judges to the Intermediate Court of Appeals, 13 judges to the Circuit Court and two justices to the Hawai‘i Supreme Court.

####