Jeffrey Chine Joins the San Diego Office of Allen Matkins

SAN DIEGO – Sept. 23, 2008 – Allen Matkins Leck Gamble Mallory & Natsis LLP, a leading California-based business and real estate law firm, announces the addition of Jeffrey Chine as a partner in the firm's San Diego office. He joins Allen Matkins' real estate and land use practice groups.

Chine specializes in a wide variety of land use and environmental matters involving the permitting and development of complex residential, mixed-use, commercial, industrial, energy, and redevelopment projects throughout California. He also represents developers in state and federal courts against environmental groups and opponents of development in CEQA, NEPA, Endangered Species Act, Clean Water Act, Subdivision Map Act, Coastal Act and other challenges to entitlements.

"I look forward to joining the team at Allen Matkins. They have an unparalleled depth of legal talent and expertise,” said Chine. "The firm has a strong platform that will give my clients a broad range of quality services both locally and throughout the state.”

“We are pleased and honored that Jeff has chosen to join Allen Matkins, as we consider him the preeminent land use lawyer in San Diego,” said Joe Davidson, managing partner of Allen Matkins’ San Diego office. “He possesses exceptional legal skills and will add depth and strength to our land use practice.”

Chine has recently been named among the Best Lawyers in America for 2009, and has been regularly recognized by The Daily Transcript and Super Lawyers based on peer recognition and professional achievement.

Chine acts as General Counsel for the Building Industry Association of San Diego County and chairs its Legal Action Committee. He specializes in emerging regulatory issues facing development in California, including water supply, climate change, and stormwater regulation. He frequently lectures to lawyers and professionals on land use and planning issues, and is a contributing author to Continuing Education of the Bar treatises on the Subdivision Map Act and Land Use Litigation. He has also taught CEQA to Superior Court Judges and Appellate Justices at the California Judicial College.

Before joining Allen Matkins, he was a partner and Chairman of the Real Estate Department of Luce Forward Hamilton & Scripps, where he practiced for twenty years.

Chine received his Juris Doctorate from UCLA, where he was editor of Journal of Environmental Law & Policy, and his Bachelor of Arts with high honors from UC Santa Barbara.

ABOUT ALLEN MATKINS

Allen Matkins, founded in 1977, is a California-based law firm with approximately 220 attorneys in four major metropolitan areas of California: Los Angeles, Orange County, San Francisco and San Diego. The firm's core specialties include real estate, real estate and commercial finance, bankruptcy and creditors' rights, construction, land use, natural resources, environmental, corporate and securities, intellectual property, joint ventures, taxation, employment and labor law, and dispute resolution and litigation in all these matters. For more than 30 years, Allen Matkins has helped clients turn opportunity and challenge into success by providing practical advice, innovative solutions and valuable business opportunities. When clients' challenges require experienced trial counsel, Allen Matkins has a proven track record of successful litigation before juries, judges and arbitrators.

Allen Matkins is located on the web at www.allenmatkins.com.