Michael Shonafelt is a Shareholder in the Firm’s Los Angeles office and a member of the Real Estate practice group. He advises landowners, developers, lenders, receiverships and public agencies on all zoning and land use matters, including the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the Coastal Act, general plan amendments and zone changes, conditional use permits (CUPs), subdivision maps, variances, development agreements, wetlands issues and coastal development permits (CDPs) and the California housing laws.
He has obtained entitlement and permit approvals for a range of development projects, from industrial developments to resort hotels, residential developments and wireless telecommunications network projects. His practice covers all phases of the real property entitlement process — from preparing the permit application to achieving final approval and post-decision land use litigation. He provides a comprehensive and multi-disciplinary level of service designed to most efficiently get projects to construction. He is particularly recognized for his ability to achieve consensus and success in the wake of seemingly insurmountable project challenges and opposition.