As a proud CHamoru, Attorney Stephanie Mendiola learned that family legacies are built and protected through cultural traditions and practices, such as storytelling, anniversary prayers, gathering around food, honoring our word, respecting our elders, and caring for each other and for our island. As a proud American, she learned that family legacies are also protected by land records, court proceedings, marriage, contracts, wills, powers of attorney, and trusts. As a daughter of Guam, the most beautiful place on earth, home to the most hospitable people, but a U.S. possession where citizenship is granted subject to limitations and where the military controls over ⅓ of the tiny island paradise, her CHamoru and American identities often conflict.
Finding herself in another life phase of off-island living, she sought out a way to serve the community from near or far. Muna-Mendiola was launched to honor her families and serve her people as part of her effort to merge her two identities on a peaceful and purposeful path - using the American system of government “adopted” in Guam to help preserve our land and culture and to protect our legacies and our loved ones.
CHamorros and Guamanians know all too well the heartache and hardship of unexpected sickness and the ultimate, often untimely, passing. We are blessed through our culture, our connection, and our faith, to appreciate and understand the cycle of life far more than others. But many of us can - and want - to plan better to prepare ourselves and our loved ones in case of the unfortunate event of incapacity and for the unavoidable day we journey on.
Muna-Mendiola Law is here to help you do so.
Many traditional estate plans are started but never finished or updated and can fail when they’re needed the most. Our service delivery system will help you end the procrastination, guide you through the hard decisions, organize your assets more than ever before, and get you to and through the finish line. And we do so in a way that sets us apart from traditional legal services offerings - by offering our clients clear, transparent, flat-fee pricing so they can get the support needed without the worry of surprise billing.
But estate planning is not just about protecting your assets, it’s about safeguarding the future for those you love. It’s about passing on the traditions, stories, and values that define your family–ensuring your legacy, the legacy of your ancestors, continues for generations to come. With every plan, our team works to ensure your loved ones are prepared, protected, and supported when the time comes that they need help the most, giving you – and them – peace of mind.
Attorney Stephanie (Muna) Mendiola is a Chamorro-American, born in Guam, raised in Sinajana and Mangilao. Her favorite question as a child was, “Are you my friend?,” unknowingly foretelling what would become a lifelong desire and ability to connect with others in meaningful, positive ways. In her youth, she developed a passion for planning and organizing and having grown up in a large, politically involved family, she also developed a love for public service. After graduating from St. John’s School in Upper Tumon, she earned her undergrad degree from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia and her law degree from American University Washington College of Law in Washington, DC.
Amanda is our Client Services Coordinator. She grew up in Mangilao, Dededo, and Yigo before leaving home to attend St. Mary's College of California in the Bay Area, earning her Liberal Arts degree in 2016. After graduation, she worked her way up from register personnel to barista and ultimately to a store manager at her local coffee shop, which strengthened her expertise in customer relations and understanding of the customer experience. She recently moved to Miami, Florida where she lives with two of her cousins, their fur baby pup, Coco, and her kitty fur baby, a handsome, orange boy, Jasper. Amanda’s favorite hobbies are cuddling with Jasper, visiting third-wave coffee shops, playing video games with friends from all over the globe via Twitch, all kinds of music and live performances, and spending quality time with her fiancé, Mac, who lives in Nova Scotia, Canada.
Imani is our Client Intake Coordinator. She has been planning and event decorating since her pre-teen days. She has also worked in customer support and managed a support team to effectively serve customer needs. She is excited to put her skills to work to help our team build your estate plan, make it look good, and use technology to do so efficiently and effectively. She was born in Guam to David and Cora Borja Muna (familian ‘Pungco’, familian ‘Chaka’) and was raised in the village of Mangilao. Imani attended Catholic school from kinder to 12th grade and moved to New York City after graduation, where she attended Pace University for some time. She then joined the workforce and moved to Arizona, where she currently resides, with her domestic partner, Ryan, and their dog, Jackson. In her free time she enjoys country music, country dancing, going out with friends, and cooking.
Rochelle is our Process & Partners Coordinator, working in the background with our vendors to help set up the systems we use to serve you. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice and Public Administration from the University of Guam (UOG). She worked with UOG for eight years as an Extension Assistant and Extension Associate, assisting and coordinating projects under Cooperative Extension Services. Rochelle then worked for the Northern Guam Soil and Water Conservation District and Chamorro Language Commission for a short time before relocating to Oklahoma. She resides in the Sooner State with her wife, Tash, and fur babies, Ace and Pugsley. Rochelle was born and raised in Guåhan (Guam) in the villages of Mongmong and Piti. She is a proud CHamoru daughter of the Marianas and loves sharing her culture wherever she goes. Rochelle enjoys traveling, cooking, listening to audiobooks, karaoke, and playing Mahjong.
Tiss earned her Bachelor’s of Arts in Communications from Chaminade University of Honolulu. She understands the critical role effective communication plays in building and maintaining positive relationships and assists our team with admin support and keeping those communication lines open. She is a local girl from Barrigada and has such a deep love for our island home though she currently resides in Reno, NV with her husband Augusto “Ace” Eustaquio, an island son from Yona, and together they are proud parents of - and the strongest advocates! - for their funny, brave, and resilient daughter, Bella Rose, who has Down Syndrome.
This 13yo paw firm security guard is the only actual security we have on staff. She loves cuddles, pets, and connection, but don't be fooled... she barks and will bite if it means protecting your important and personal information held with our office.
This 14yo paw firm security guard is the squad's toughest. She's experienced incapacity, near death, and maybe temporary dementia (when she got lost from home for three days). She strongly encourages you to plan because you never know what's going to happen in life.
This 4yo paw firm security guard hates work and loves play (lucky she can't get fired). But she barks deep, loud, and endlessly to encourage you to plan because, as a COVID-baby, she knows all too well that we never know what's going to happen to the world around us.
At just 2 years old, this paw firm security guard is the squad's youngest. His life was thrown into disarray when he was left on the side of the road as a pup. He encourages you to plan so you can better care for your loved ones. But he also reminds you that it's very okay to be spontaneous (like, if you want to rescue a dog off the side of the road, do it!).
The squad's smallest is also the most omniscient. His transition to angel-hood was sudden, unexpected, quick, and devastating. His Heaven-sent message is to strongly encourage you to plan because you never know when your time's coming. (He also reminds you to continuously monitor your plan... and your dog's gums.)
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