No. SCAP-22-0000429, Thursday, August 17, 2023, 10 a.m.

CITY AND COUNTY OF HONOLULU and HONOLULU BOARD OF WATER SUPPLY, Plaintiffs-Appellees, vs. SUNOCO LP; ALOHA PETROLEUM, LTD.; ALOHA PETROLEUM, LLC; EXXON MOBIL OIL CORPORATION; ROYAL DUTCH SHELL PLC; SHELL OIL COMPANY; SHELL OIL PRODUCTS COMPANY, LLC; CHEVRON CORP.; CHEVRON USA, INC.; BHP HAWAII, INC.; BP PLC; BP AMERICA, INC.; MARATHON PETROLEUM, CORP.; CONOCOPHILLIPS; CONOCOPHILLIPS COMPANY; PHILLIPS 66; PHILLIPS 66 COMPANY, Defendants-Appellants, and BHP GROUP LIMITED and BHP GROUP PLC, Defendants-Appellees.

The above-captioned case has been set for argument on the merits at:

Supreme Court Courtroom
Aliʻiōlani Hale, 2nd Floor
417 South King Street
Honolulu, HI 96813

The oral argument was livestreamed for public viewing via the Judiciary’s YouTube channel at YouTube.com/hawaiicourts and Olelo TV 55.

Attorneys for Appellants Chevron Corp. and Chevron U.S.A. Inc.:

Melvyn M. Miyagi, Ross T. Shinyama, and Summer H. Kaiawe of Watanabe Ing LLP

Attorneys for Appellants Shell PLC, fka Royal Dutch Shell PLC, Shell USA, Inc., fka Shell Oil Company, and Shell Oil Products Company LLC:

Joachim P. Cox and Randall C. Whattoff of Cox Fricke LLP

Attorneys for Appellants Woodside Energy Hawaii Inc, fka BHP Hawaii Inc.:

Margery S. Bronster, Lanson K. Kupau, and Kelly A. Higa Brown of Bronster Fujichaku Robbins

Attorneys for Appellants Sunoco LP, Aloha Petroleum, Ltd., and Aloha Petroleum LLC:

C. Michael Heihre and Michi Momose of Cades Schutte LLP

Attorneys for Appellants ConocoPhillips and ConocoPhillips Company:

Crystal K. Rose, Adrian L. Lavarias, and Sharon Paris of Lung Rose Voss Wagnild

Attorneys for Appellants BP PLC and BP America Inc.:

Lisa A. Bail and David J. Hoftiezer of Goodsill Anderson Quinn & Stifel LLP

Attorneys for Appellants Phillips 66 and Phillips 66 Company:

Crystal K. Rose, Adrian L. Lavarias, and Sharon Paris of Lung Rose Voss Wagnild

Attorneys for Appellants Exxon Mobil Corporation and ExxonMobil Oil Corporation:

Paul Alston, John-Anderson L. Meyer, Claire Wong Black, and Glenn T. Melchinger of Dentons US LLP

Attorney for Appellant Marathon Petroleum Corp.:

Ted N. Pettit of Case Lombardi & Pettit

Attorneys for Appellees City and County of Honolulu and Honolulu Board of Water Supply:

Robert M Kohn, Nicolette Winter, and Jeff A. Lau, Deputies Corporation Counsel

NOTE: Order granting Application for Transfer, filed 03/31/23.

NOTE: Order assigning Circuit Court Judge Ronald G. Johnson and Circuit Court Judge John M. Tonaki due to vacancies, filed 05/25/23.

COURT: Recktenwald, C.J., McKenna, and Eddins, JJ., Circuit Judge Johnson and Circuit Judge Tonaki, assigned by reason of vacancies.

[ Listen to the entire audio recording in mp3 format ]

Brief Description:

The City & County of Honolulu and the Board of Water Supply (Plaintiffs) filed a complaint against Respondents/Defendants-Appellants (Defendants), a group of energy companies, alleging public nuisance, private nuisance, strict liability failure to warn, negligent failure to warn, and trespass for alleged damages related to climate change. Defendants moved to dismiss for lack of jurisdiction and failure to state a claim. The circuit court denied Defendants’ motions to dismiss but granted leave to file an interlocutory appeal.

Defendants appealed to the Intermediate Court of Appeals. Plaintiffs move to transfer the interlocutory appeal to this court. We granted transfer. On appeal, Defendants argue they are not subject to specific jurisdiction in Hawaiʻi and that federal law preempts Plaintiffs’ claims. Plaintiffs disagree, and argue that specific jurisdiction attaches and that federal common law and the Clean Air Act do not preempt their claims.