Our Team

Candice Owens, Partner

Candice is a corporate and securities attorney specializing in entity formation, corporate governance, contracts, capital raising, asset transfers, and corporate restructuring.  She is a native of Northern California. Candice graduated magna cum laude from Santa Clara University School of Law, where she was Senior Articles Editor for the Santa Clara Computer & High Technology Law Journal. She received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of California, San Diego.

Candice was the founder of The Owens Law Firm, P.C., a dedicated corporate and business law practice in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Prior to opening her own firm, Candice was an attorney and partner at Sommer, Udall, Sutin, Hardwick & Hyatt, P.A. in Santa Fe.  In California, she worked at Cooley LLP (Palo Alto) in the corporate securities group. In between law careers, Candice owned a boutique in downtown Santa Fe called “Miss Maybe”. Before co-founding Blackgarden Law, she was a partner at Leverage Legal Group, a multi-office virtual law firm. Candice lives in Albuquerque with her husband and two daughters. In her spare time, she is a Spinning instructor, skier, and fitness enthusiast.

Education

SANTA CLARA UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW
Juris Doctor, Magna Cum Laude 2000

UNIVERSITY of CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO
Communication, 1994

Activities & Affiliations
Creative Startups

Bar Admissions
New Mexico, California

Seth Gardenswartz, Partner

Seth began his career in his family's sporting goods business, a 80 year, multi-generational enterprise that ultimately expanded from Colorado to New Mexico and Texas. When the business was sold in 1995, Seth brought his experience and passion for technology and marketing to the practice of law. During law school, he wrote for SMU Law's International Journal and his paper, The Risk of Loss in Electronic Transactions, was published in the Virginia Journal of Law and Technology. He graduated Cum Laude from SMU Law School.

Seth's specialties include: trademarks, craft breweries, contracts, payment systems, e-commerce, digital media and general business management. In addition to practicing law, he's co-developer of a tech-flex office building in downtown Albuquerque and Co-owner of Surefi, a ad-tech company that combines proximity marketing with media targeting for mid-sized and regional brands in the craft beverage industry.  Seth has represented and advised entrepreneurs on branding-related legal issues for over 15 years. When not practicing law or marketing, Seth can be found roaming the trails of the mountain west on skis, bikes or running shoes.

Education

SOUTHERN METHODIST UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW
Juris Doctor, Cum Laude 2000

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
B.S., Business, 1986

Activities & Affiliations
Brewers Association, Allied Trade Partner
Parker Center for Family Business, Board of Directors

Bar Admissions
New Mexico, Colorado

Distinctions
Named a Best Lawyers in America® "Ones to Watch" (2024)

Named a Best Lawyers in America® "Lawyer of the Year" in Trademark Law (2024)

Petra Facio, Legal Assistant

Petra was brought to the United States from Mexico and raised by her single mother. She became a US citizen in 2006. Petra was raised with the mentality that working hard, being loyal, and being persistent would always help her reach her goals.

She became a mother at a young age, so many of her career goals were put on hold, such as raising her children as a single parent with the help of her mother. Petra often worked three jobs to make ends meet. This exposure to multiple fields led her to understand that she enjoys caring for others.

The loss of her mother provided a focus on the elderly. Petra ultimately channeled her passion for elder care to caring for other clients who ultimately became like family to her. She proudly carries the morals, loyalty, humility, and sense of humor her mother instilled and now shares it with her peers, children, and grandchildren. Petra enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, reading books, and watching movies.

Petra's presence in the Blackgarden Law office makes every day a pleasure and makes BGL a better place to practice law.