Dean Yamamoto is the managing member of Yamamoto Hetherington, a law firm in Honolulu, Hawaii, which he founded in 2001. He focuses his practice on project development, project finance and utilities law, with a particular emphasis on representing companies engaged in the development, financing and operation of utility scale energy infrastructure projects, as well as commercial real estate projects.
Dean’s clients include many of the top energy companies in the United States, large institutional landowners, institutional lenders and investors, and project sponsors. His experience extends to all elements of development and finance.
Dean is a member of the Hawaii State Bar Association, the American Bar Association, the Hawaii Leeward Planning Conference, and Lambda Alpha International. He has been selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America since 2016 and is recognized in the areas of Administrative/Regulatory Law, Energy Law, Energy/Regulatory Law, and Real Estate Law.
Dean is the incoming chair of WashU’s Alumni Board of Governors. He also chairs the Eliot Society Committee for Hawaii, a role he has served in since 2006. In addition, he currently serves on the National Council of Student Affairs and is the former co-chair of the Hawaii Regional Cabinet.
Dean earned his Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from WashU’s McKelvey School of Engineering in 1987, and he received his Juris Doctor from the School of Law in 1990.
Dean and his wife, Jodi, are the parents of three children: Sean, Scott, and Spencer. Scott graduated from WashU with his bachelor’s degree from McKelvey School of Engineering in December 2024, and he is continuing his studies towards a master’s degree at WashU. Dean and Jodi’s youngest son, Spencer, will be joining WashU in the fall as a member of the class of 2029.