Partner Steven C. Shonack brings a wealth of unique experience. Having studied biophysics at UC Berkeley, he carefully crafts legal strategies with a comprehensive, logical approach. He absorbs information quickly, and clearly synthesizes it to win cases for a range of clients — from massive insurance companies to individuals.
Steve concentrates mostly on appellate work, business and contract, commercial and banking law, insurance disputes and employment law. He’s also the overseer, and analytical mind behind-the-scenes on our cases.
Our lawyers, and even lawyers from other firms, seek him out as the resident research expert. He digs through reams of previous cases and can find the perfect precedent to hinge arguments on. He simply knows where to find information that others can’t find.
Steven has drafted policies for several major insurance companies and has extensive experience in complex business and commercial disputes. He has written numerous appeals and writs, with the bulk of his appellate work resolving shortly after his filings were served on the opposition. His legal experience also has included substantial intellectual property issues.
While Steven’s legal victories are numerous, he’s most proud when he can reach a client’s goals in clear terms — whether that means going to trial or not. This client-forward approach comes from his background founding a high technology company, Applied Phase Transition, Inc.
There he learned the mechanics behind running a business smoothly. Steve believes that putting the client’s needs first is just good business practice.
At Applied Phase Transition, he was responsible for administration and implementation of a multi-million dollar research and development contract awarded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.
Steve handled complex business and legal issues, including government contract compliance and performance, patent and trademark issues, product development, human resources, immigration, and corporate administration.
Steve began his legal career with the firm of Zimmerman & Kahanowitch in Woodland Hills, where he defended mid- and large-sized businesses in civil litigation, emphasizing business and contract disputes, insurance, personal injury and construction claims, on behalf of insurers, retailers, developers and construction companies.
He is a graduate of Loyola Law School, where he was Articles Editor on the Entertainment Law Journal. He was awarded the prestigious Pickford Scholarship at Loyola for excellence in entertainment law. His bachelor’s degree in Biophysics is from the University of California, Berkeley, where he was a National Merit Scholar and a UC Regents Scholar.
Steve is the author of Postmodern Piracy: How Copyright Law Constrains Contemporary Art in Loyola Law School’s Entertainment Law Journal, and was the author of “Protecting Postmodern Art,” in the Visual Artist’s Business and Legal Guide, published by Prentice-Hall in 1995.
