Back row: Dave Keady, Rob Cohen, Michael Guido, Rosemary Carroll, Elliot Groffman, Gillian Bar,
Ira Friedman, Jenna Kon; front row: Leah Seymour, Paul Gutman, Carla Webb, Kristen Surya

Rosemary Carroll opened shop 30 years ago in Beverly Hills; the office, located in a small second-floor walk-up on North Camden Dr., gave off a distinct Sam Spade vibe. In 1993, the firm moved to Sunset Blvd., four doors west of Gil Turner’s Fine Wines & Spirits, where its West Coast HQ remains.

In mid-1994, Carroll opened an office in New York City; she was joined in 1998 by Michael Guido and later that year by Elliot Groffman, when he left his position as a partner at what was then called Grubman, Indursky & Schindler. Groffman brought with him a focused ambition that sent the firm’s growth and development into overdrive.

With the three principals in place, Carroll, Guido & Groffman LLP forged its path in the music biz as a uniquely artist-oriented enterprise with a strong interest in representing significant artists for the duration of their careers. For example, Groffman has represented Dave Matthews since 1994, and Guido has worked with Richie Sambora since 1989, while Carroll has represented Lucinda Williams since 1989 and Patti Smith since 1994. The firm also began to represent entrepreneurs in the music business and new media, as well as executives, managers, independent labels and publishing companies.

The New York office remained the center of the firm’s activities (i.e., it was the only office in which attorneys actually worked) until Renee Karalian—whose clients include Julia Michaels and Mustard—moved to Los Angeles and re-invigorated the firm’s West Coast office, which continues to expand.

The nameplate Carroll, Guido & Groffman LLP remained unchanged for â€¨approximately the next 20 years. But in 2019, the firm celebrated and acknowledged the increased profile and importance of younger partners Rob Cohen, Gillian Bar and Karalian by adding their names to the letterhead.

The new name—Carroll, Guido, Groffman, Cohen, Bar & Karalian LLC—also reflects the firm’s long-term and ongoing commitment to gender equality, with an equal balance between males and females. This commitment precedes the #MeToo movement, as the firm has always strived to maintain the same number of male and female attorneys. Among the artists repped by the younger partners are The National (Bar), Arcade Fire (Bar) and Jonas Brothers (Cohen).

L.A.-based partner Renee Karalian (right)
and associate Celine Hollenbeck