David Blackwell

Partner at Allen Matkins Leck Gamble Mallory & Natsis LLP

David Blackwell is a prominent attorney and partner at Allen Matkins Leck Gamble Mallory & Natsis LLP, based in San Francisco, California.1 With over 20 years of experience, he specializes in land use entitlements and litigation, representing landowners, developers, businesses, and governmental entities before local agencies and state and federal courts.1

Professional Experience

Blackwell joined Allen Matkins in November 1999 and has since risen to become a partner and member of the firm's Management Committee.1 His areas of expertise include:

Planning and Zoning Law
California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)
Subdivision Map Act
Williamson Act
Wetlands regulation
Density Bonus Law
Development agreements
Initiatives and referenda
Exactions and inverse condemnation

He has worked on a wide range of projects, including single-family residential, multi-family (including affordable housing), office, commercial, industrial, conventional and sustainable energy, and agricultural developments.1

Legal Admissions and Education

Blackwell is admitted to practice before several prestigious courts, including:

U.S. Supreme Court
Federal and Ninth Circuits of the U.S. Court of Appeals
U.S. Court of Federal Claims
U.S. District Court for the Northern, Central, and Eastern Districts of California1

He received his J.D. from the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law, an LL.M. with Merit in European Law from the London School of Economics and Political Science, and a B.A. with Honors in English from the University of California, Santa Barbara.1

Accolades and Leadership

David Blackwell has received numerous accolades throughout his career, including:

A-V Preeminent Rating from Martindale Hubbell
Northern California Super Lawyers (2005, 2010-2023)
The Best Lawyers in America for Land Use and Zoning Law and Real Estate Law (2022-2024)
Top 100 Attorneys in Northern California (2015, 2022, 2023)1

In July 2023, Blackwell was appointed as the new Chair of the Urban Land Institute (ULI) San Francisco, succeeding Eric Tao.2

Highlights

Jul 17 · sf.uli.org

ULI SF Announces New Chair, David Blackwell

Experience

Partner at Allen Matkins Leck Gamble Mallory & Natsis LLP (November 1999 - Present)

Attorney at Ellman Burke Hoffman & Johnson (October 1994 - November 1999); Litigation Associate at Rivkin Radler LLP (1994 - 1994); Associate at St John & Cravett (1992 - 1994)

Education

B.A., with Honors, English at University of California, Santa Barbara (1982 - 1986); LL.M., with Merit, European Law at The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) (1990 - 1991); J.D., Law at University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law (1987 - 1990)