Guido Cortese (1908–1964) was an Italian lawyer and politician. He was a member of the Italian Liberal Party. He served at the Constituent Assembly after the end of Fascist rule and was a member of the Parliament for three terms. He was also minister of industry and commerce in the first Segni Government between 1955 and 1957.

Cortese was born in Naples on 3 August 1908.^[1] He received a degree in law in 1930.^[2]

Following his graduation Cortese formed a law company and worked as a lawyer specializing in criminal law.^[2] He started his political career after the end of Fascist rule.^[2] He worked for a Naples-based weekly publication Libertà in 1944.^[2] The same year he began to wrote for Il Giornale and was its deputy director until 1957.^[1]

Cortese was a member of the Italian Liberal Party and was elected as a deputy to the Constituent Assembly on the list of the National Democratic Union on 2 June 1946.^[1] He became a deputy in June 1953, from the constituency of Naples.^[2] He was re-elected as a deputy in the 1958 and 1963 elections.^[1] His term at the Parliament lasted until his death in September 1964.^[3]

Cortese was appointed minister of industry and commerce on 6 July 1955 to the cabinet of Antonio Segni which he held until 19 May 1957.^[2] He was elected as a councilor of Naples in 1960 and 1962.^[1]

Cortese married Amelia Ardias in Naples in 1943.^[1] They had four children.^[4] He died in Cortina d'Ampezzo at the age of 54 on 3 September 1964 after a brief illness.^[2][3]

A foundation, Guido and Roberto Cortese Foundation, was established in memory of him and his son in Naples in 1990.^[5][6]