Sonja C. Darby
Of Counsel
305-350-7361
sdarby@bilzin.com
Area of Focus:
Land Development & Government Relations, Environmental
Sonja C. Darby
Of Counsel
305-350-7361
GET TO KNOW
SONJA
Leveraging her extensive background as a real estate attorney, Sonja C. Darby works with various stakeholders on behalf of clients to bring their projects to fruition, including local and county government, and private parties. Attuned to current real estate market trends, she counsels clients on the various incentives and requirements surrounding Florida’s landmark Live Local Act for the provision of affordable and workforce housing. This involves advising on the substantial tax incentives that investors and developers seek as part of their Live Local Act projects, in addition to adherence to the law related to such incentives. Sonja also counsels clients in environmental due diligence matters, identifying potential liabilities or compliance issues that may affect property value or development potential. Her ability to advise clients in successfully navigating complex real estate projects that entail robust regulatory and transactional issues is derived from her broad real estate experience across diverse assets, such as office buildings, vacant land, condominiums, apartment buildings, warehouses, retail properties, and single family homes.
Q & A
How does your background as a real estate attorney support and enhance your land use and environmental law practice?
Real estate development and transactions often intersect with environmental regulations and land use planning. As such, many of the skills I developed—such as analyzing complex regulations, negotiating contracts, and advising clients on compliance issues—are transferable and complementary to practicing land use and environmental law. Moreover, the core of my work has always been about balancing legal requirements with the practical needs of real estate stakeholders. As a result, incorporating land use and environmental law into my practice has allowed me to provide more holistic counsel to clients who face a range of challenges in the development process. It is both professionally and personally rewarding to see how this amalgamation of skills is adding value to my client’s business endeavors.
In what ways does Bilzin Sumberg support your counsel to clients?
Bilzin Sumberg places a large premium on knowledge sharing between its practice groups. It is the norm for the firm’s real estate, land use, environmental, tax, corporate, and dispute resolution attorneys to work together on complex transactions that require multiple specialties. The result is that the firm’s attorneys receive broad exposure to the full gamut of issues that real estate projects face, which typically translates into spotting important issues long before a problem arises and efficiently handling them to the benefit of the client. Given the sophisticated developments and transactions that the firm’s clients undertake, this ability to effectively triage and resolve whatever comes their way is highly valued.
CREDENTIALS
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Fordham University, J.D., 2003University of Miami, B.A., English Literature, 2000
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FloridaNew JerseyNew York
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PRACTICES