"Most lawyers know the law. But a limited percentage understand business or the needs of business owners. As the former president of a company with over 250 employees, I do — and I use that firsthand experience to resolve disputes and complete transactions as quickly and efficiently as possible, so owners can do what they do best: run their business."

With over thirty-five years of executive business experience and twenty years as a practicing attorney, Michael brings a rare, dual-lens perspective to every matter he handles. Before he became a trusted advisor to business owners and real estate clients, he was one—running the legal and/or business affairs of both private and public companies, negotiating the same kinds of acquisitions and real estate transactions his clients now bring to him. That background means he doesn't just advise on the legal risk of a deal or dispute; he understands the business decision sitting underneath it. He ensures his clients receive not only legal advice, but sound business advice at the same time.

Michael E. Adler is a Partner at Grant Shenon Almaraz, APLC. His practice spans business litigation and transactions, real estate and commercial leasing, mergers and acquisitions, trust and probate matters, employment, and construction — handling matters from both the transactional and litigation sides, often for the same client across the life of a relationship. He was a Partner at Greenberg, Whitcombe, Takeuchi LLP from 2006 to 2022, and most recently a Partner at Kaufman Dolowich from 2022 through July 2026.

Michael holds a J.D. from Loyola Law School, an M.B.A. and B.A. from the University of Southern California, and a Diploma with Distinction from the Stonier Graduate School of Banking. He is a licensed California real estate broker and a member of the National Association of Realtors and the California Association of Realtors, giving him firsthand fluency in the mechanics of a real estate transaction that most transactional attorneys don't have.

Michael's ties to USC run deep — he served on the USC Board of Trustees, is a past President of the USC Alumni Association Board of Governors, a board member of USC Associates, and remains an active volunteer across other USC schools and organizations. He is also a member of the Young Presidents' Organization.

Clients come to Michael not just for legal advice, but for a business partner who has sat on their side of the table — someone who has made payroll, closed deals, hired law firms, and managed risk from the inside, and now brings that same instinct to protecting their interests.