Elisa Guadan

Personal Introduction

Newport Beach criminal defense attorney Elisa Guadan was born and raised in Orange County and is proud to defend clients in her community. Guadan’s passion for criminal law began before she even entered law school. As an honors Sociology major at Cal State Fullerton, she was already learning the inner workings of the California criminal justice system at the Santa Ana Office of the Orange County Alternate Public Defender, where she spent over a year as an intern. Guadan went on to excel as a law student at Western State College of Law in Fullerton on a full merit scholarship. In law school, her busy schedule included positions such as: Marketing Editor, Year-in-Review Writer and Technical Editor of the WSU Law Review; Dean’s Circle member; Professional Skills Moot Court competition finalist; and Vice-President of the Criminal Law Association. After graduating from law school with Honors, Guadan joined a Long Beach firm specializing in criminal defense. In the fast-paced environment of criminal defense practice, she worked on complex felony cases, including homicide, attempted murder, statutory rape, and fraud. She also mastered the key California criminal motions, including Penal Code 1538.5 PC motions to suppress, discovery motions and motions to dismiss. And she learned strategies for negotiating with prosecutors for the resolutions that best fit her clients’ goals. Guadan is also a graduate of the Los Angeles County Bar Association Trial Advocacy Program, where she received extensive advanced training and honed her trial skills. Guadan has particular expertise in handling DUI cases. She is certified by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration and the International Association of Chiefs of Police to administer and score field sobriety tests in connection with DUI roadside investigations. Guadan fights for justice for defendants in Orange County Superior Court. She is also licensed to defend clients accused of federal crimes in the United States District Court, Central District of California. Guadan is an active member of the California State Bar, the Los Angeles County Bar Association, the California Traffic Defense Bar Association, the Long Beach Bar Association, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the North Orange County Bar Association. She also served as Secretary of the Long Beach Bar Association Barristers from 2013 to 2015.