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. 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.
• 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.

• 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.