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San Francisco

T(415) 273-7433

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Education

  • J.D., University of California, Berkeley, School of Law

  • M.C.P., Massachusetts Institute of Technology

  • B.A., cum laude, Middlebury College

Bar Admissions

  • California

Court Admissions

  • All California state courts

Services

  • Land Use

Industries

  • Real Estate

Memberships

  • Bar Association of San Francisco, Barrister's Section for Environment, Land Use, and Real Estate

  • San Francisco Bay Area Planning and Urban Research Association (SPUR)

  • Urban Land Institute (ULI)

  • San Francisco Housing Action Coalition (SFHAC)

Nicholas DuBroff

Partner

In his land use practice, Nick helps clients take projects from vision to entitlement by guiding them through the state, local planning, and environmental laws that govern development in California. Nick enjoys collaborating with developers, planners, and architects. He has the ability to distill complex concepts and in-depth research into actionable recommendations, and has worked with clients ranging from start-ups to some of the Bay Area's most prominent companies.

Prior to attending law school, Nick was a Fulbright Scholar in Mexico City, where he crafted environmental planning recommendations to address the city's rapid and unplanned growth. He also worked as a researcher at Harvard's Joint Center for Housing Studies, where he analyzed U.S. housing market trends and published research on urbanization and housing policy. This experience provides him with a broad perspective on urban planning, allowing him to better understand the environmental, community, and political concerns related to development.

Nick is involved in the Urban Land Institute (ULI), and the San Francisco Bay Area Planning and Urban Research Association (SPUR), as well as the Bar Association of San Francisco’s Barrister’s Section for Environment, Land Use, and Real Estate. While in law school at the University of California, Berkeley, Nick served as an executive editor of the Ecology Law Quarterly and conducted human rights fieldwork in Guayaquil, Ecuador, for the International Human Rights Law Clinic.

ACCOLADES

  • Named to The Best Lawyers in America® "Ones to Watch" list (2023 - 2025)
  • Selected for inclusion in Northern California Rising Stars by Super Lawyers (2021-2024)

Prior to attending law school, Nick was a Fulbright Scholar in Mexico City, where he crafted environmental planning recommendations to address the city's rapid and unplanned growth. He also worked as a researcher at Harvard's Joint Center for Housing Studies, where he analyzed U.S. housing market trends and published research on urbanization and housing policy. This experience provides him with a broad perspective on urban planning, allowing him to better understand the environmental, community, and political concerns related to development.

Nick is involved in the Urban Land Institute (ULI), and the San Francisco Bay Area Planning and Urban Research Association (SPUR), as well as the Bar Association of San Francisco’s Barrister’s Section for Environment, Land Use, and Real Estate. While in law school at the University of California, Berkeley, Nick served as an executive editor of the Ecology Law Quarterly and conducted human rights fieldwork in Guayaquil, Ecuador, for the International Human Rights Law Clinic.

ACCOLADES

  • Named to The Best Lawyers in America® "Ones to Watch" list (2023 - 2025)
  • Selected for inclusion in Northern California Rising Stars by Super Lawyers (2021-2024)
  • Maximizing California Housing Laws and Your Investments

    San Francisco, CA

    10.04.23

  • Legislature’s Report Captures California’s Permitting Reform Zeitgeist and Creates the Launchpad for More Than 20 New Housing Bills

    6.18.25

  • Natural Resources Updates

    6.18.25

  • Pending State Housing Laws: Expedited Approval of Post-Entitlement Permits

    6.18.25

  • White House Council on Environmental Quality Releases Draft NEPA Template Following CEQ’s Rescission of Longstanding Regulations

    4.22.25

  • 64 Allen Matkins Lawyers Recognized in Best Lawyers in America®

    Press Release

    8.15.24

  • New California Assembly Committee Aims to Reduce Permitting Obstacles for Housing and Climate Projects

    7.10.24

  • Allen Matkins Attorneys Break Down CEQA Reform Blueprint

    Press Mention

    6.18.24

  • CEQA Reform on the Horizon?

    5.29.24

  • Supreme Court Narrows Local Governments’ Ability to Impose Impact Fees – A Potential Sea Change for California

    4.15.24

  • Stars Align For $2B Berkeley Space Center

    Nicholas DuBroff in Law360

    Press Mention

    11.27.23

  • Critical State Housing Laws Approved by Governor Newsom

    10.12.23

  • 38 Allen Matkins Partners Recognized in 2024 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America®; Keith Bishop, Jeff Chine, and Val Hoy Named ‘Lawyers of the Year’; 16 Additional Lawyers Named to ‘Ones to Watch’ List

    Press Release

    8.17.23

  • 28 Allen Matkins Lawyers Named 2023 Super Lawyers and Rising Stars

    Press Release

    6.30.23

  • Allen Matkins Elects 8 As Partners in California Offices

    Allen Matkins in Law360

    Press Mention

    6.29.23

  • Allen Matkins Elects Eight Lawyers to Partnership

    New Partners are based in the firm’s Los Angeles, Orange County, and San Francisco offices

    Press Release

    6.28.23

  • While California Supreme Court Decides if Social Noise is an Environmental Impact, Related Bill Advances in the Legislature

    6.23.23

  • Pending Legislation Holds Promise For SF Buildings

    By Caroline Chase and Nick DuBroff in Law360

    Article

    5.03.23

  • 2023 Land Use, Environmental, & Natural Resources Update

    5.01.23

  • AB 2234 – Mandatory Timeframes for Issuance of Post- Entitlement Permits

    5.01.23

  • Repurposing San Francisco Office Buildings for New Housing

    5.01.23

  • Repurposing San Francisco Office Buildings: Pending State and Local Laws

    4.21.23

  • Court Holds That County’s Traffic Mitigation Fee Was Valid Under the California Mitigation Fee Act and Did Not Violate the Takings Clause of the Fifth Amendment

    11.09.22

  • 40 Allen Matkins Partners Recognized in 2023 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America®; Dwight Armstrong, Jeff Chine, Val Hoy, and Sandi Nichols Named ‘Lawyers of the Year’; 13 Additional Attorneys Named to ‘Ones to Watch’ List; Firm Receives National Tier 1 Rankings

    Press Release

    8.19.22

  • 33 Allen Matkins Attorneys Named 2022 Super Lawyers and Rising Stars

    Press Release

    7.08.22

  • Thirty Allen Matkins Attorneys Named 2021 Super Lawyers and Rising Stars

    Press Release

    7.14.21

  • California Supreme Court Upholds Referendum Challenges to Zoning Amendments, Even When Temporary Zoning Inconsistencies Ensue

    8.27.18

News & Insights

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Press, Media, & Articles

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Project Applicants Can Now Pay for Expedited Federal Environmental Review Under NEPA

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Effective Immediately: CEQA Reform Legislation

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2025 Land Use, Environmental & Natural Resources Update

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Legal Alert

Beyond Sackett: California’s Expanding Role in Wetlands Permitting and the Future of “Waters of the State”

6.18.25

Photo of mountains with trees and grass in the foreground

Legal Alert

Birds, Trees, and Bees – Oh My! Practical Guidance for Addressing Candidate Species in CEQA Analysis

6.18.25

Legal Alert

California Battery Energy Storage Update

6.18.25

Event

Allen Matkins 18th Annual View From the Top

9.08.25

Press, Media, & Articles

Allen Matkins Secures Major Federal Court Victory in High-Stakes Land Dispute

7.23.25

Photo of mountains with trees and grass in the foreground

Event

CEQA Reform Legislation and the Impact of AB 130 and SB 131

7.23.25

Legal Alert

Bonus Depreciation Is Back! And Other Big Beautiful Taxes

7.22.25

Legal Alert

Project Applicants Can Now Pay for Expedited Federal Environmental Review Under NEPA

7.16.25

Press, Media, & Articles

Builder’s remedy could help address housing crisis in Oregon

7.03.25

Photo of mountains with trees and grass in the foreground

Press, Media, & Articles

How CEQA Reforms Address California's Housing Squeeze

7.03.25

Legal Alert

Effective Immediately: CEQA Reform Legislation

7.02.25

Press, Media, & Articles

Daily Journal Recognizes Three Allen Matkins Partners as Top Real Estate & Development Lawyers

7.02.25

Press, Media, & Articles

Allen Matkins Elects Eight Lawyers to Partnership

7.01.25

Ground up view of skyscrapers at dusk

Press, Media, & Articles

In the Dirt: What investment trends are you seeing among family offices?

7.01.25

Press, Media, & Articles

Connect LA 2025: Industry Leaders on a Year That Hasn’t Gone as Expected

6.24.25

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2025 Land Use, Environmental & Natural Resources Update

6.18.25

Legal Alert

Beyond Sackett: California’s Expanding Role in Wetlands Permitting and the Future of “Waters of the State”

6.18.25

Photo of mountains with trees and grass in the foreground

Legal Alert

Birds, Trees, and Bees – Oh My! Practical Guidance for Addressing Candidate Species in CEQA Analysis

6.18.25

Legal Alert

California Battery Energy Storage Update

6.18.25

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