Matthew P. Guichard is a nationally recognized trial lawyer and founder of Guichard Teng & Garrett. Centrally located in Walnut Creek, the firm has served clients in Northern California since 1994.
Mr. Guichard specializes in general civil litigation and trial work, with a special emphasis on catastrophic personal injury, wrongful death, victims of sexual molestation and sexual assaults, nursing home care, and victims of elder abuse.
Mr. Guichard regularly serves as the Hearing Officer in Coroner’s Inquests through out the State of California. He serves as a State Bar Fee Arbitrator. He is a member of the San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association. He is the Chair of the Walnut Creek Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau. He is the former Chair of the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District Advisory Fire Commission and continues to serve as a Commissioner. He is a member of the Walnut Creek Community Emergency response Team (CERT). He is a member of the “100 Club” of Contra Costa County. He is a former President of the Robert G. McGrath American Inn of Court. He is a former Board Member of the Rotary Club of Walnut Creek, former Board Member of Yours Humanly, former Board Member of Youth Homes and a former Board Member of Child Assault Prevention.
Mr. Guichard is admitted to practice in the State of California, the United States Supreme Court, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and all United States District Courts in California. He earned his J.D. from the McGeorge School of Law, University of the Pacific. After earning his J.D. he earned a Certificate in Advanced International Legal Studies at Salzburg University, Salzburg, Austria. He then joined the Danish law firm of Lars Christensen, Kyed & Partners in Odense, Denmark where his practice focused on international license agreements.
Upon returning from Denmark, Mr. Guichard served as a deputy District Attorney in Contra Costa County, California. During his seven year career as a Deputy District Attorney, Mr. Guichard managed the homicide and sexual assault teams. He has a lifetime Community College Teaching Credential, and taught for a number of years at Los Medanos Community College.
In 1990 Mr. Guichard joined the San Francisco Office of Ropers, Majeski, Kohn, Bentley, Wagner & Kane, where his practice focused on general civil litigation. In 1993 he opened and managed the firm’s Sacramento office.
In 1996 Mr. Guichard formed his own law firm which today is Guichard Teng & Garrett.
In addition to his legal practice, Mr. Guichard hosts a weekly YouTube series called "No Holds Barred" discussing a wide range of timely and entertaining legal issues. He was a regular lecturer for the State Bar and University of California CEB Program. He authors the popular “Civil Jury Verdicts” and “Bar Soap” columns in the monthly Contra Costa Lawyer Magazine. Mr. Guichard is a licensed “Ham” radio operator. For years he has coached youth sports.
Prior to obtaining his law degree, Mr. Guichard spent a number of years employed by major publishing companies in the United States with a focus on marketing and public relations.
Christopher Teng is Of Counsel at Guichard Teng & Garrett. He is a business lawyer who focuses on business formations, transactions, and corporate governance. He also handles business and contractual disputes in mediated settlements and litigation.
Mr. Teng was born and raised in Singapore where he was a former Naval Officer and Pilot trainee with the Singapore Navy and Air Force respectively. He earned a Diploma in Marine Engineering in 1983 and sailed on a container ship as an engineering cadet with Neptune Orient Lines before he attended law school in England. He graduated with Second Class Upper Division Honors in law at the Queen Mary and Westfield College, the University of London in 1992. He then received a Masters's degree (LLM) in Transnational Business Practice from McGeorge School of Law in 1994.
He was admitted to the California State Bar in 1995. He has worked for the past 25 years at large and boutique law firms in the Bay Area, Sacramento, and San Diego gaining experience in handling complex civil litigation, a wide range of business transactions, corporate and employment matters, and real estate transactions. His unique background and experience enable him to navigate and spot complex issues that often trouble business clients, enabling him to counsel clients to avoid potential or deal with actual disputes.
Mr. Teng is active in various local business and professional organizations.
Christopher Garrett is an experienced litigator with a particular focus on business litigation and personal injury claims. He handles matters ranging from disputes within small or closely-held businesses, in which flexibility and economy is at a premium, to complex, high-stakes litigation with multiple parties, and complicated financial, technical, and legal issues. Regardless of the size or scope of the matter, Mr. Garrett provides diligent, outcome-oriented representation that seeks to resolve disputes in a sensible, cost-effective way where possible—while still providing vigorous advocacy when necessary.
He also has significant experience defending and prosecuting wrongful death and catastrophic personal injury claims and has secured multiple six- and seven-figure judgments and settlements.
Patrick Elahmadie is Of Counsel at Guichard Teng & Garret. He is an estate planning attorney who focuses on comprehensive estate plans – including Revocable Trusts, Pour-over Wills, Durable Powers of Attorney and Advance Healthcare Directives. He also handles creating and filing all necessary deeds for transferring property.
Mr. Elahmadie was born in the East Bay Area. After living a short time in Lebanon, he moved back to Concord, California, where he was raised. He earned his Diploma in International Relations in 2012 from the University of California, Davis before attending law school at the University of Southern California Gould School of Law. He graduated with a Business Certificate.
Mr. Elahmadie was admitted to the California State Bar in 2012. He spent the first 5 years of his legal career working at the Corporate practice of Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, PC, where he represented corporate and LLC clients across all segments of the business lifecycle, from advising start-ups through entity formations and various stages of funding, to aiding mature companies through mergers, acquisitions, IPOs and public reporting. Patrick then spent time serving as General Counsel of an automotive group with over 500 employees and a billion dollars in yearly revenue, where he oversaw all legal matters, including the acquisition of several new businesses and hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of real estate properties. His background allows him to advise clients in creating, growing, maintaining and protecting their wealth through providing estate planning and business legal services, with a comprehensive view that considers both personal and business needs.
Mr. Elahmadie is active in various local business and professional organizations.
Erika Portillo is Of Counsel to Guichard Teng & Garrett. You may contact Ms. Portillo directly at 925.430.7471.
Ms. Portillo is a highly experienced immigration lawyer whose interest and passion in law makes her a skillful advocate on behalf of her clients. Ms. Portillo’s knowledge and experience in immigration law and her passion for the subject have helped many foreign nationals secure immigration status and pursue their dreams in the United States.
Ms. Portillo joined Guichard Teng & Garrett in 2005, and is admitted to practice in the State of California, the U.S. District Court Northern District and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Ms. Portillo was admitted to the practice of law in Mexico in 1999. While in Mexico, Ms. Portillo practiced criminal law as a prosecutor in the State of Morelos and then transitioned into the practice of civil law.
The complex immigration process is often difficult to navigate. Ms. Portillo’s work as a compassionate immigration attorney is enhanced by her experience as a government attorney in Mexico. She has experience in family immigration, removal defense, U Nonimmigrant visas, VAWA cases, asylum, and naturalization, among other immigration matters. Her experience in the subject allows her to comprehensively advise clients on the full range of immigration options and risks.
Born and raised in Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico, Ms. Portillo earned her Master of Laws in United States Legal Studies from Golden Gate University School of Law, and her J.D. from La Universidad Autonama del Estado the Morelos in Mexico.
In addition to her very active law practice, Ms. Portillo volunteers her time doing pro-bono representation at the Immigration Court in San Francisco as part of the “Attorney of the Day” Program offered by the San Francisco Bar Association.
Ms. Portillo is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), a participant in the advisory council for AILA NorCal, a member of the Contra Costa County Bar Association, a member of the Women’s Section of the Contra Costa County Bar Association, and a member of the One Hundred Club. She is also the former president of the Hispanic Cancer Association.
Ms. Portillo has written articles for the Contra Costa Lawyer Magazine, the California Psychological Association Magazine, among others. She has been a speaker at several conferences, including the Contra Costa Leadership Program, the Contra Costa Bar Association, JFK University, the Hispanic Chamber of Contra Costa, among others.
Ms. Portillo is fluent in English and Spanish.
