Sejal Sonani

Sejal Sonani is a Principal at HLW and the Managing Director of the firm’s California practice. She helped expand HLW’s presence on the West Coast and oversees operations in Los Angeles and San Francisco. In addition to overseeing operations in Los Angeles and San Francisco, Sonani serves as the firm’s global Adaptive Reuse sector leader.

In recent years, Sonani managed more than 4 million square feet of project work in California, from Silicon Beach to Silicon Valley. Sonani is HLW’s Global Market Sector Lead for adaptive reuse, repositioning, and ground-up construction of office buildings.

Key projects include YouTube’s Campus in San Bruno, USC’s Lawrence Ellison Institute, the adaptive reuse of a former Macy’s store at West Side Pavilion, the repositioning of Union Bank Plaza, and the redevelopment of over 500,000 square feet along Los Angeles’ Expo Line.

Sonani’s projects have received national and international awards, including accolades from AIA Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Conservancy, IIDA Southern California, ARCHITECT Magazine, Architizer, Hospitality Design Magazine, Interior Design Magazine, the Southern California Development Forum, and FX International. Beyond her impact at HLW, Sonani actively contributes to community impact projects like affordable housing and advocates for equity in design.

Sonani extended her focus to recruiting and mentoring young talent, leveraging her background to cultivate a diverse and dynamic West Coast team. As a result of those efforts, the California practice today is comprised of 75% women and 30% people of color.

These are just a few reasons why Sejal Sonani is one of the California Connect CRE 2024 Women in Real Estate Award winners. Connect CRE’s Women in Real Estate Awards honor the achievements and inspirational stories of women who have reached respected leadership positions and taken on mentorship roles.