The Hawaii Supreme Court has given Honoluu attorney Christopher Woo ten days to notify the court “of any reasons as to why he should not be suspended from the practice of law immediately” for failure to cooperate with an investigation by the Office of the Disciplinary Counsel. The ten day period will begin either when Woo is served with the court’s order, or if ODC reports that it has been unable to complete service. There is no indication in the court record as of May 8 that the clock has started.

Woo has had a series of run-ins with authorities after being swept up in the federal corruption investigation of former Honolulu Police Chief Louis Kealoha and his wife, Katherine Kealoha, formerly the deputy Honolulu prosecutor in charge of that office’s career criminal division.

The court issued its “show cause” order on Monday, May 6, based on an April 23 petition by the Disciplinary Counsel.

In its petition to the court, ODC said Woo had failed to renew his membership in the Hawaii State Bar Association, a requirement for all active attorneys, and failed to respond to repeated communications sent to his registered residential and business addresses, as well as to a business email address.

According to court records, copies of the Supreme Court’s order were sent yesterday (May 7) to an additional email address and another physical office address in downtown Honolulu.

The ODC investigation started in November 2018 after the agency received two ethics complaints against Woo. According to the petition, ODC investigator Andrea Sink contacted Woo seven times over the course of six months and extended the deadline for responding three times.

However, “ODC has been unable to make contact with Respondent since January 16, 2019,” the petition stated.

Woo describes himself on LinkedIn.com as CEO of Star Consulting LLC, and owner and managing attorney at The Christopher Woo Hawaii Law Center.

Woo was arrested in June 2018 after failing to cooperate with the federal grand jury investigating the Kealohas. He had represented Big Island firefighter Jesse Ebersole, who pleaded guilty last year to charges that he conspired with Katherine Kealoha to cover up their personal relationship and lie to the grand jury.

In July, Woo was subpoenaed to appear before the grand jury in the Kealoha probe, and to bring his cell phone and laptop computer. Instead of handing them over, Woo reported they had been stolen.

In September 2018, Honolulu police fatally shot a man during a drug raid on an apartment in the Century Center Condominium after he pointed a loaded gun at them. The gun turned out to be registered to Woo, and press reports at the time indicated the gun had not been reported stolen.

And in April 2019, Hawaii News Now reported Woo told police that he had been kidnapped at gunpoint by an ex-girlfriend and two other men.