As Special Counsel in Archer Norris's Newport Beach office, Stephanie Kitzes has a practice emphasis on business and estate planning. Her prior experience as in-house general counsel allows her to look at situations from both the legal and business perspectives.
Focused on Building Businesses Across California
Stephanie assists her business clients with a wide variety of legal needs that range from formation issues in the start-up phase to maintaining and developing companies, and creating and implementing an exit strategy.
Her expertise includes general business counseling, employment counseling, drafting and negotiation of various agreements including professional and commercial contracts, drafting and negotiation of office leases, mergers and acquisitions, stock option plans and ownership transitions.
Stephanie acts as general counsel to several companies. She is result oriented in her approach to solving legal problems and works closely with her clients and, when appropriate, their accountants and financial advisors to identify, assess and resolve legal and business issues.
A Trusted Estate Planning Counselor
Stephanie assists her clients with their estate planning needs and works with them to help them meet their personal and financial goals. These services include family trusts, irrevocable life insurance trusts, gifting issues, advanced health care directives, wills and powers of attorney. Stephanie also assists her clients with post-death estate administration where she works with the surviving trustee to ensure that all legal obligations are met and to maximize the remaining estate.
Experienced in Advising Design Professionals and in Liens and Collections
Prior to joining Archer Norris, she was a partner with a well respected mid-size California law firm where her practice was focused primarily on design professional firms. Her mastery of the unique aspects of the design professional industry became quite extensive as she drafted and negotiated numerous contracts with top developers in California, drafted employment manuals, addressed accounts receivable issues and ownership transitions.