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About Us

Estate Planning, Trusts, Probate, Conservatorships, Guardianships

Karly Peterson

Principal Attorney

Karly Aoki

Karly Aoki is the principal attorney at the Law Office of K. Peterson Aoki, LLLC, where she is dedicated to guiding individuals, families, groups, and organizations through the complexities of our legal system.

Karly is a trust and estate attorney. She began her legal career in the trust department at a large multinational bank. She later joined a global wealth and investment management team where she was responsible for the financial well-being of her clients. Karly handled a wide range of matters, including trusts, retirement accounts, real property, and investment management accounts. She brings to her practice a background in financial planning, products and services, practical experience with high-net-worth clientele, and advanced knowledge of trust administration.

Because real property is often the most significant asset in an estate or trust, Karly has developed a proficiency in this area. She enjoys clearing title issues that arise after a death or in preparation for sale, ensuring families and beneficiaries can secure clear and marketable ownership.

While Karly enjoys transactional work and amicable resolutions, she is fully prepared to advocate for her clients in court when necessary. She has trial experience in complex trust and contract disputes, ensuring her clients have a strong advocate if a matter becomes contested.

Karly’s other professional interests are corporate entity planning and formation, as well as social justice, policy, and governance. She has provided transactional business law representation to entrepreneurs, nonprofit organizations, and community groups - specifically legal advice and counseling relevant to early stage commercialization and financing. Other past projects include drafting pro se resources for self-represented litigants, advancing public policies that promoted and expanded the rights of people with disabilities, and raising funds for public interest scholarships.

 

Activities & Affiliations

  • Hawaii County Bar Association

  • Big Island Estate Planning Council

  • Hilo Self-Help Center, Volunteer Attorney

  • State Bar of Hawaii, Probate Section

  • State Bar of Hawaii, Real Property Section

  • State Bar of Hawaii, Business Law Section

  • Interim Chair, Hawaii State Bar Solo and Small Firm Section

  • Hawaii Community Foundation, Professional Advisor in Philanthropy Award, Recipient, 2026

  • HSBA Leadership Institute, Fellow, 2026

  • Law Clerk to the Honorable Peter K. Kubota 2021-2022

  • Phi Delta Phi

Bar Admissions

  • Hawaii

  • California

  • Texas (inactive as of 2020)

Education

UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SCHOOL OF LAW
Juris Doctor

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY
B.A., with honors