professional bio
David Alexander (“Alec”) Pendleton was born in Glendale, California and raised in Hawaii. In 1989, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and political science (magna cum laude) from what is now La Sierra University, where he was student body president. He also earned a Master of Arts degree in religion from Loma Linda University (1990) and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Southern California Gould School of Law (1993). Having passed the bar examinations in Hawaii and California, Mr. Pendleton returned to Hawaii in 1995. There he entered private practice, representing individuals with workers’ compensation claims. In 1996, he was elected to the Hawaii State Legislature, serving four terms in the State House of Representatives (1996-2004) and held the titles of Minority Floor Leader and Minority Whip. He served on numerous House Committees, including the Judiciary Committee, the Public Safety Committee, and the Labor Committee, where he voted on workers’ compensation reform. In 2000, the Hawaii Medical Association named then-Representative Pendleton the Outstanding Legislator of the Year.
Mr. Pendleton served as a policy advisor to Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle from 2005-2006. His many responsibilities included advising on budgetary, health, and labor issues, including statutory and regulatory revisions to Hawaii’s workers’ compensation laws. In 2006, Gov. Lingle appointed and the Hawaii State Senate confirmed him to a ten-year term with the Hawaii Labor and Industrial Relations Appeals Board, where as part of the tribunal he adjudicated over a thousand workers’ compensation appeals.
Having earned the Certified Workers’ Compensation Professional designation from Michigan State University and having studied at the National Judicial College, Mr. Pendleton has taught many continuing education seminars on workers’ compensation law. He was Chair of the Hawaii Government Lawyers Section of the Hawaii State Bar Association and a Board Member of Goodwill Industries of Hawaii and the Filipino Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii. He has long been a member and officer of Toastmasters, winning several statewide speech contests.
Of Filipino, Indonesian, and Dutch ancestry, Mr. Pendleton married his college sweetheart, Noemi, who was born in the Philippines and raised in Los Angeles. They have four children - an Army officer, an attorney, a graduate student, and recent high school graduate. Their shared hobbies include food, reading and travel – favorite most recent destinations being Manila, Barcelona, Rome, and Jerusalem.
Mr. Pendleton became associated with Bradford & Barthel in January 2015 and became a partner in January 2018.
Outstanding Achievements
Outstanding Achievements (take nothing awards, fraud convictions, and petitions for credit/reimbursement)
- October 14, 2021 – In re: Maria Del Carmen Dessa
Education & Memberships
1993 University of Southern California Law Center, Los Angeles, CA
Doctor of Jurisprudence
1990 Loma Linda University, Riverside, CA
Master of Arts (Theology & Religion)
1989 Loma Linda University, Riverside, CA
Bachelor of Arts (History &Political Science)
Magna Cum Laude
1985 Hawaiian Mission Academy, Honolulu, HI
2008 Workers’ Compensation Professional Certification Program through
Michigan State University
1994 State Bar of California
1993 Hawaii State Bar Association
