Former County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Marc Edward Guyot recently stepped out on his own to start a private practice in Lihu‘e. A graduate of Hawai‘i Pacific University and California Western School of Law, Guyot felt the time had come to
Former County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Marc Edward Guyot recently stepped out on his own to start a private practice in Lihu‘e.
A graduate of Hawai‘i Pacific University and California Western School of Law, Guyot felt the time had come to make a change in his life.
“I previously had my own practice on O‘ahu,” he said in an interview Friday. “I came to Kaua‘i and worked for four years at the county, however, when the new administration stepped in, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to explore new options.”
Guyot, best known for practicing criminal law, said he is now working for “the other side.”
“It’s like playing football; one side’s offense, the other side, defense; you’re still playing the game, just from a different angle.”
Guyot said that one of the directions the legal profession seems to be currently heading toward is preventative law, which he believes is an important aspect in owning a business. According to Guyot, he may, in fact, be the only lawyer on Kaua‘i offering this particular service.
In preventative law, Guyot’s job is to look at all aspects pertaining to a business, as he helps assist by limiting opportunities for being sued.
“This can be used for any type of business,” he said. “The beauty of going with a lawyer rather than a risk analysis company is that a lawyer looks at all areas and your information is entirely protected.”
He said that in the long run, preventative law is guaranteed to save a business money.
“First, you’ll typically see a drop in insurance, depending on the company and then what you’ll see in the long term is less exposure. Your chances of being sued are greatly diminished and, if you are sued, the amount they are likely to recover is greatly diminished.”
Guyot said there are many businesses who could really use this type of protection, especially now that the economy has turned sour.
“With the economy the way that it is, historically, people tend to sue more; employees are unhappy, customers are unhappy and people are looking for a fast buck,” he said. “A smart lawyer once said, ‘People don’t sue when they’re happy.’ If you’re not happy, things tend to get blown out of proportion.”
He is also enticing people to use arbitration, where an intermediary helps two individuals or groups resolve a “delicate situation” without having to go to court.
Guyot, as mediator, plays the role of a neutral party, acting as a liaison between both sides and working with them to allow each to see what the other side is attempting to convey. Once it seems as though a resolution might occur, he brings the two sides together, with common ground, and moves toward a solution as to how to fix it.
“Typically in court, one wins or one loses, or they both might feel like they’ve lost, where in mediation, each party feels like they’ve come to an understanding and they’ve helped craft a solution. They’ve worked toward it together and feel better about it, as opposed to somebody else imposing it upon them,” he said.
In fact, Guyot encourages people to look at the alternatives to court because, not only does he believe it to save time and money, it also allows for privacy and can retain harmony within the relationship.
“Disputes between family, businesses or neighbors, those are relationships you usually want to keep. If you go to court, it’s very unlikely that the relationship will continue. People are really reasonable deep down inside,” he said.
Guyot said lawyers have had a long-standing negative reputation, but he believes they have done many great things for society.
“People make fun of us until they need us. We’ve saved money and we’ve saved lives,” he said.
Guyot is offering discounts of up to $500 a month for new clients until the end of January and, possibly, until the end of February.
For more information, call 246-1771 or stop by the Law Office of M. Edward Guyot, LLC, in Lihu‘e at 4265-B Halenani St., next to KQNG radio station.
