The attorney who has actually built it
Construction, real estate and contract law for owners, builders and buyers across Santa Barbara. Counsel that is practical because it comes from someone who has stood on the job site, not just read about it.
A construction dispute turns on facts that most attorneys have to learn from scratch. What the framing should have looked like. Whether the delay was really weather or really scheduling. What a reasonable change order costs. Learning those facts takes time, and time is what you are paying for.
Sunshine Law starts a step ahead. As a licensed general contractor, Jonathan reads the plans, the schedule and the budget the way the trades do, then applies the law to what actually happened. That tends to shorten the path to a result, whether the result is a settlement, a signed agreement or a problem that never becomes a dispute at all.
The practice covers the building side, the property side and the contracts that hold both together. Owners, contractors and small businesses across the South Coast.
Most construction fights are won before the lawsuit.
Settlement first, litigation when it is genuinely the right call. Either way you want counsel who understands the build, not just the brief.
- Active California State Bar member, good standing
- Owner side and contractor side
- Resolution-first, courtroom-ready
Where Sunshine Law does its best work
The areas where a builder's eye and a lawyer's training reinforce each other instead of working apart.
Construction Law
Contracts, mechanics liens, defect claims, delay disputes and stop-payment notices. The work where having built things matters most.
- Owner and contractor side
- Lien filing and release
- Defect and warranty claims
Real Estate & Property
Purchases, sales, easements, boundary questions and title problems on residential and commercial property across the South Coast.
- Purchase agreements
- Easement disputes
- Title and escrow issues
Contracts & Business
Clear, enforceable agreements for owners, trades and small businesses, drafted in plain English and built to hold up if they are ever tested.
- Drafting and review
- Vendor and trade agreements
- Entity formation
Disputes & Mediation
Most construction fights are better settled than litigated. We push for resolution first, and we are ready to hold the line when that is what it takes.
- Demand letters
- Mediation and arbitration
- Litigation when needed
Permitting & Land Use
Zoning, variances, coastal rules and code questions that decide what you can build before a single shovel hits the dirt.
- Zoning analysis
- Variance applications
- Code-enforcement defense
Pre-Project Counsel
The cheapest legal work is the kind that prevents the dispute. Sit down before the build and we will find the risks while they are still easy to fix.
- Risk review
- Contract negotiation
- Scope and budget protection
What you get that a desk-only attorney cannot offer
Facts read faster
Technical construction facts are understood immediately, which usually means fewer billed hours getting up to speed.
Credible at the table
When opposing parties know your counsel can actually evaluate the work, negotiations move differently.
Prevention built in
The same person who would litigate the dispute can write the contract that avoids it in the first place.
What clients ask before they retain counsel
This website is for general information only and is not legal advice. Visiting it or sending a message does not create an attorney-client relationship. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Have a contract, a dispute, or a question?
The first conversation is free and confidential. Bring the document or just the situation, and you will leave with a clear sense of your options.