Sunny picture

Sunny Soltani

Managing Partner

Orange County

t: (949) 223-1170

d: (949) 250-5407

e: ssoltani@awattorneys.com

VCard

Bio

Sanaz (Sunny) K. Soltani is a founding member of the Firm and the managing partner. She has been awarded the title of one of the “Woman of Influence” of Los Angeles County by the Los Angeles Business Journal “for exceptional legal skill and achievement across the full spectrum of responsibility, exemplary leadership as evidenced by the highest professional and ethical standards.”.

She specializes in complex real property negotiations, with an emphasis on environmental justice and public private partnerships/economic development. Sunny also specializes in housing issues. Sunny routinely assists her clients with legislative solutions and has successfully secured the passage of several important legislative bills significantly improving the regulatory position of her clients and preserving rent control in California.

• Lead team to victory in the dismissal of an $85 million action against her client related to a project valued at more than half-a-billion dollars

• Lead in negotiating and putting together a complex $1.8 billion sporting stadium development transaction involving issuance of $50M in bonds

• Lead negotiator in a public private partnership involving clean up and development of a 157 acre former land fill, involving economic development for the Community resulting in over $10M annually in sales tax to her City client – project valued at over one billion dollars, involving negotiations on a $100M+ Remedial Action Plan with Department of Toxics & Substance Control.

• Passage of several legislative Bills (e.g., SB510 and AB 2789)

• Drafted most comprehensive Oil Code in State of California

• Formation of Joint Powers Authority to assist with remediation and development of blighted properties after abolishment of Redevelopment Agencies

• Was Assistant City Attorney in Bell when her firm won the California Lawyer “Attorneys of the Year” award in Municipal Law in 2015 for helping Bell return to responsible government and solvency after the malfeasance of eight city officials; within three years her team returned Bell to a sound fiscal basis eliminating $78M in claims and recovery $7M in damages

• Successfully argued before the California Supreme Court preserving the significant Porterville doctrine in regulatory takings law

• First chair in jury trial involving right to take challenges and 21 consolidated cases on the cleanup of a former oil field (saving client $18 million).

• Successfully argued before the California Supreme Court for City of Perris

• Negotiated $45M settlement against largest oil refinery on the West Coast

• Worked with Regional Water Quality Control Board dealing with storm water management issues and assisted City in joining the Dominguez Watershed Plan, resulting in City receiving $13M Caltrans grant for construction of Carriage Crest Park project, currently underway

Published Opinions:

• Colony Cove Properties, LLC v. City of Carson, et al. (9th Cir. 2018) 888 F.3d 445 [certiorari denied]

• City of Perris v. Stamper (2016) 1 Cal.5th 576

• Carson Harbor Village, Ltd. v. City of Carson (2015) 239 Cal.App.4th 56

• Colony Cove Properties, LLC v. City of Carson (2013) 220 Cal. App. 4th 840 [petition for review denied]

• Pacific Palisades Bowl Mobile Estates, LLC v. City of Los Angeles (2012) 55 Cal. 4th 783

• Goldstone v. County of Santa Cruz (2012) 207 Cal. App. 4th 1038 [petition for review denied]

• Colony Cove Properties, LLC v. City of Carson, et al. (9th Cir. 2011) 640 F.3d 948, Case No. 09-57039 [petition for review denied]

• Colony Cove Properties, LLC v. City of Carson (2010) 187 Cal. App. 4th 1487; [petition for review denied]

• Carson Redevelopment Agency v. Padilla (2006) 140 Cal. App. 4th 1323

• City Attorney, Carson

• General Counsel, Carson Reclamation Authority Board

• General Counsel, Carson Successor Agency Counsel

• General Counsel, Carson Housing Authority

• Special Counsel, City of Calabasas

• Special Counsel, City of Cupertino

• Special Counsel, City of Huntington Beach 

• Special Counsel, City of Ojai

• Special Counsel, City of Redondo Beach

• Assistant City Attorney, Bell

• Assistant City Attorney, Carson

• Assistant City Attorney, Signal Hill

  • State Bar of California

  • United States Supreme Court

  • US Court of Appeals, 9th Circuit

  • US District Court, Central District of California

  • US District Court, Eastern District of California

  • US District Court, Northern District of California

  • Co-authored Western City article “So You Have Diversity: Now What?”

• Interviewed by the Daily News about being the Lead Negotiator in the Carson NFL Stadium $1.7 Billion transaction

• PRNewswire – Soltani Named Woman of Influence by the Los Angeles Business Journal

• Interviewed by Random Length News regarding Carson Appeal of Rent Control Case

• Interviewed By The Daily Breeze About Legal Fight Against Controversial Housing Bill

• Interviewed by Daily News about Winning Rent Control Fight

• Corporate Counsel Award 2024 by the Los Angeles Business Journal 

• Named Woman of Influence by the Los Angeles Business Journal

• First female City Attorney in Carson

• Selected to Rising Stars for 2006-2007 by Super Lawyers

Special Counsel on land use issues for Alverno Heights Academy

• Co-produced The White Feather, a ballet showcased at renowned venues, including the Barclay Theater, Herbst Theatre, and the Kennedy Center. The production received acclaim from esteemed outlets such as The New York Times and BroadwayWorld.com.

• Sits on the Laguna Dance Festival Board

• Sits on the Southern CA Ballet Scene Advisory Board

• Troop Leader, Girls unit of BSA, Troop 622

• Sarah’s Circle Fund – Fundraising for Single Mothers

• Volunteer Speech and Debate Coach – Carson City School District

• Lorman Education on “Litigation Skills for the Legal Profession.”

• California Bar Association Conference on “Conflict of Interest” issues.

• League of Cal Cities Conference Expo 2022 in Long Beach, on “So You Say You Have DIVERSITY! Now What?”

• Keynote Speaker at the Independent Cities Association Conference on Maintaining Local Control over Municipal Affairs

• OCCA lunch on Public Private Partnerships

• ICA on Public Private Partnerships

• Speaker BAR Association conference on Conflicts of Interest

• Ballet

• Skiing/Snowboarding

• Hiking

• Reading

• Writing

• Farsi

• Loyola Law School, JD, 2000, magna cum laude, Order of the Coif, St Thomas More Law Honor Society

• University of CA, Los Angeles, BA, 1997, with great honors and distinction