Hawaiian Airlines Appoints Alter as Chief Legal Officer

Aaron Alter. Hawaiian Airlines courtesy photo.

Aaron Alter was named Hawaiian Airlines executive vice president, chief legal officer, and corporate secretary Thursday.

In his new role, Alter will oversee all legal, regulatory, and corporate governance matters, along with the administration of quarterly board and annual shareholder meetings.

“As legal advisor to Hawaiian since 2009, Aaron’s extensive knowledge of our company, combined with his notable professional background make him well-suited to lead our legal team,” said Mark Dunkerley, president and chief executive office at Hawaiian Airlines.

Hoyt Zia, who will retire early this year, currently holds the position.

“It is a great honor to be joining the Hawaiian Airlines management team,” Alter said. “I have had the privilege of serving as the company’s external corporate counsel and am very excited to be able to start a new chapter in my legal career with the iconic flag carrier of my home state.”

Alter previously was a partner at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati in Palo Alto, Calif. In his role as partner, he practiced corporate and securities law.

During his time with Wilson Sonsini, Alter’s practice spanned a large range of corporate transactions, including initial public offerings, mergers, capital market transactions, and corporate governance.

Alter received a juris doctor degree from Harvard Law School and a master’s degree in business administration from Harvard Business School. He also earned a bachelor’s degree in Economic and East Asian Studies from Harvard University.

A graduate of Kaiser High School in Honolulu, Alter has also been selected to the Northern California Super Lawyers list from 2013 to 2015 and is listed in the 2006 to 2016 Best Lawyers in American editions.