Guzman Law Group, PC

Above: L to R: Attorneys Charles Scheurich, Carol T. Contes, Drew C. Hallett, Edward Powell, Denise M. Guzman, Charles Shelton, Marcus Chang, Maaha Khan, Jane S. Lee

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Guzman Law Group, a Manhattan Beach-based law firm, has been an advocate for the South Bay community for over 30 years. Founded by Denise M. Guzman, the firm delivers comprehensive legal services that include business and finance transactions, trust and civil litigation, estate planning and trust administration. The experienced team of attorneys acts as trusted advisors to individuals, families, local entrepreneurs and corporations, providing personalized and strategic solutions tailored to each client’s needs. With the firm’s proximity to Hollywood, Guzman Law Group also focuses on entertainment law and celebrity estates. The firm is certified as a Women’s Business Enterprise by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council.

How has your professional experience informed your leadership style?  

Denise M. Guzman, Business and Estate Planning Attorney: After law school, I worked for one year with my Dad in his accounting practice, learning about taxes and finances. This gave me my launch to start my first law practice—Dad’s clients became my clients. During the initial years of my practice, a couple of senior attorneys in the South Bay took me under their wing; whatever guidance I needed in a transaction, they freely gave to me. 

Likewise, every associate attorney at Guzman Law Group has a senior attorney to guide and mentor them. We take a collaborative approach to practicing law, building off each other’s ideas to provide the client with the best possible solution to their issues. My early years of practicing law taught me to value open communication, mentorship and a flexible approach—ensuring that our team is always ready to meet client demands with precision and integrity.

What do you find most satisfying about your job?

Edward Powell, Corporate, Securities, & Finance Attorney: We help families understand the deal process and take much of the burden off them in handling the deal logistics and negotiations. When family businesses are sold to private equity-backed buyers, the process is often surprisingly adversarial after the initial agreement to enter into a deal is made. Allowing our clients to focus on their business as much as possible during the process and giving them data-driven information as to what is customary in a deal ensures the client is neither in the dark nor overly drawn into needless arguments with counterparties. Closing deals where the stress of the process for the client is minimized as much as possible is immensely rewarding.

How do you assist clients in planning for their legacy and estate?

Marcus Chang, Business and Estate Planning Attorney: I draw on my years of experience in estate and trust administration to design estate plans that reduce potential conflicts while also allowing for the client’s estate plan to be administered in an efficient and practical manner. I listen closely to each client, learning about their family dynamics, any potential issues a successor trustee or beneficiary might face, and their overall goals for distributing their estate. This thoughtful approach allows us to create a plan that aligns with the client’s intentions and addresses specific concerns.

Jane S. Lee, Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Attorney: I listen to each client’s wishes and concerns, offering options and suggestions to help them best achieve their estate planning goals. Estate planning is not one-size-fits-all; every client is unique, and we tailor each plan to align specifically with their desires and objectives.

Describe a situation where you had to change your strategy.

Drew Hallett, Business and Litigation Attorney: I regularly adapt strategies based on new information or changing circumstances. One facet of my job is to gather information through discovery to support my clients’ positions or uncover potential risks. This information shapes our litigation strategy, whether to settle, seek pretrial judgment or proceed to trial. 

Carol T. Contes, Entertainment, Copyright & Trademark Attorney: I had film producers who had counted on cash rebates from foreign countries where such rebates were “frozen” due to governmental reorganization. We still haven’t seen whether the motion picture business will bounce back with the same force after the pandemic shutdown, strikes and explosion of streaming platforms. Thus it is imperative for anyone representing producers to stay on top of information and be open to innovative strategies.

How do you envision the role of trusted advisors evolving in the future?

Carol T. Contes: I believe that trusted advisors have a responsibility to be up-to-date with the trends of the industries in which they advise their clients, and in the future as technology becomes even more complex and involved in business transactions, advisors will need to educate themselves on the impact of both technology and the globalization of business that is upon us. 

Photographed by Marisa Guzmán-Aloia