Alan Van Etten

Alan is a partner in the Honolulu law firm of Deeley King Pang & Van Etten. His practice concentrates in civil litigation, with an emphasis on insurance law and litigation, primarily representing policyholders in insurance coverage and bad faith cases, as well as litigating commercial torts on behalf of plaintiffs and defense. 

Alan is a 1967 graduate of Yale University and a 1972 graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law. In 1993 and 1994, at the Law School's request, he was Adjunct Professor (Advanced Torts/Insurance Law) at the University of Hawaii's School of Law. He frequently speaks, writes and teaches on the subject of Hawaii Insurance Law; he has co-written the materials for, and been a panel presenter on, more than thirty (40) insurance coverage and bad faith seminars since 1997. Attendees at the seminars are other attorneys and insurance professionals. Because his teachings contribute significantly to establishing the standard of practice of insurance claims handling in the State of Hawaii, he has served as an expert witness on that standard for both insureds and insurers.

Alan co-founded the Insurance Coverage Litigation Section of the HSBA in 2006, was its first chairperson, and was again its Chair 2018 - 2019.  For many years he served as a Vice-Chair of the Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee (ICLC) of the Tort & Insurance Practice Section of the ABA. He was its Program Chair for ICLC's Annual Meeting in February, 2009. He is the only policyholder attorney in Hawaii who is a Fellow of the American College of Coverage Counsel (“ACCC”), a national invitation-only organization of insurance coverage and bad faith attorneys.  

Alan also serves his profession. He is a past President of the Hawaii State Bar Association. He was the Hawaii State Representative to the American Bar Association (“ABA”) House of Delegates for nine years, where he was a member of that body's Nominating Committee. He served as one of 15 members, nationally, on the ABA Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary, which evaluated all proposed federal court nominees for the White House, from August, 2008 – 2011. He is recently served a 3-year term on the Board of Governors of the ABA.

Alan is recognized by The Best Lawyers In America, the Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers, Honolulu Magazine's Best Lawyers in Hawaii, Hawaii Super Lawyers and has been recognized as Hawaii Lawyer of the Year in Insurance Coverage Law.