Shahiedah Shabazz

Land use, zoning and regulatory counsel

Shahiedah Shabazz has a broad background that includes representing property owners, developers, institutions and investors on local land use, zoning and regulatory matters. In addition, she advises businesses in the Illinois and California cannabis industries on compliance with state and local laws and regulations. Her experience encompasses:

• Preparing entitlement applications, developing entitlement strategy and representing clients at public hearings.
• Negotiating and drafting real estate transaction deal documents, including purchase and sale agreements, loan documents and other corporate and transaction documents.
• Defending entitlement approvals in litigation.
• Conducting land use and zoning feasibility studies and due diligence, including title and survey review.
• Representing cannabis clients on mergers, acquisitions and license transfers.
• Commercial and residential real estate closings.

Shahiedah takes a holistic approach to problem solving, leveraging her experience in the public, private and nonprofit sectors throughout California and the Chicagoland area to gain a deep understanding of client goals and develop a strategy to best achieve them. Her prior experience as a local government land use and cannabis attorney provides unparalleled insight when advising clients on entitlements and licensing matters.

• Drafts development agreements and similar instruments evidencing public-private agreements.
• Represents clients in mediation and arbitration proceedings.

• Applied for special use permits on behalf of commercial clients.
• Served as counsel to several residential buyers and sellers, analyzing purchase agreements and title search results, and facilitating closings.
• Advised a school district on the implementation of a transferrable development rights (TDR) program, including drafting sale agreements and other legal documents, and provided regular advice to school district staff.
• Facilitated the land use entitlement of projects throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, including a hotel in Santa Cruz, an office campus in Menlo Park, redevelopment of a shopping center and several multifamily housing developments. Her work involved completing applications, preparing for and attending hearings, and coordinating consultants, including architects, lobbyists and engineers.
• Represented several cannabis companies in the purchase and sale of state licenses, including social equity licenses.