Longtime Hawaii attorney Gerald Clay wants his legacy to be ‘Partnering’

Gerald S. “Jerry” Clay, a more than 50-year construction industry lawyer and former partner at Clay Chapman Iwamura Pulice & Nervell, says his lifeʻs mission has always been to address flaws in the adversary legal system. In fact, most of his work in Hawaiʻi has been in mediation, dispute prevention and non-litigious conflict resolution.

“At this point in my life, I’ve retired from practicing law, and I'm going to be 100% focused on ‘Partnering’,” he told Aloha State Daily. “The legal system is dispute resolution, but at that point you're already too emotionally involved to work things out. 

“But ‘Partnering’ is dispute prevention. It’s a game changer, in my opinion, for the public to embrace a process that allows any group to become a mightier, cohesive team with a roadmap of how to accomplish goals and find success.”

In short, the "Partnering" process includes elements such as team building, strategic planning, problem solving and more, among all stakeholders. To learn more about "Partnering" from Clay's perspective, check out this week's article in the Hawai’i Bar Journal, here.

Since the ’90s, he has trained as a "Partnering" facilitator, while developing pathways for it to thrive here in the Islands. Though the method originated in construction, "Partnering" can be applied across sectors, both internally and externally, among nonprofits, businesses and lawmakers. The larger goal is to integrate "Partnering" internationally, according to Clay, who recently launched company Clay Partnering LLC to support this initiative.

"‘Partnering’ is fun,” he told ASD. “This service is for any and every group that wants to become better, more effective and profitable. I want to help nonprofits find success in Hawai’i because they do so much good in our communities.”

With that in mind, Clay intends to spend at least 20% of his time offering "Partnering" for free to nonprofits, while charging fees to for-profits. The company is now offering free, initial consultations.

When asked what makes Hawaiʻi the right prototype for this model, Clay joked, “Because I live here.”

“There’s other pieces, too, like the whole idea of aloha. Ho'oponopono is the Hawaiian practice of resolving disputes. ‘Partnering’ has similar values of respect, relationship, and understanding, where everyone has an equal voice.”

Clay added, "Partnering" has already been well-received by the Hawaiʻi State Bar Association, legislators and organizations as a “brand-new topic in the legal world.”

“It will change legal culture, and as a result, business culture, to better society,” Clay said. “‘Partnering’ puts the common goal ahead of self-interest, and I believe that will be my legacy to the human race.”

For more information about "Partnering", visit claypartnering.com.

Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros can be reached at kelsey@alohastatedaily.com.