2020 Ones to Watch: William Bonesso, Forchelli Deegan Terrana LLP

Name: William Bonesso

Company: Forchelli Deegan Terrana LLP 

Title: Partner

Education: J.D. Washington College of Law at The American University; B.A. Harpur College, SUNY Binghamton

Which project, deal, or transaction was the “game-changer” in the advancement of your career?
The expansion of the two Simon Malls on Long Island. At the Roosevelt Field Mall, I oversaw the creation of a new district by the Town of Hempstead for “Mega Malls.” At the Walt Whitman Shops, I secured zoning and planning relief to permit a total renovation for the site.

What led you to your current profession? 
When I started at the Town Attorney’s Office in Huntington in 1988, the Town Attorney at the time welcomed me to the office by handing me a treatise on land use and zoning and said, “Congratulations, you are the new counsel to the Zoning Board of Appeals.” I read it from cover to cover and then picked up my practical zoning experience from watching some of the best zoning attorneys I have ever met present cases before the Board of Appeals.

What do you like most about your job? 
The fact that it is different every day and I get to move from project to project. It never gets boring and I get to meet and work with a lot of different people.