About Heidi
Heidi Machen has built a career that moves between city halls and the private bar. She began in San Francisco government and later opened her own practice. The path shows a steady interest in public policy and regulatory matters.
She attended San Francisco State University and earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1990. She went on to law school at the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco, receiving her J.D. in 1996. Those years in the city established both personal and professional ties that would shape the next decades of her work.
Her early legal and policy experience came in municipal offices. In 1997 she served as a legislative aide to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. That role placed her close to ordinance drafting, constituent concerns and the mechanics of local government. In 2001 she moved to the Bay Area Water Transit Authority as manager of public affairs, handling communications and stakeholder outreach during a period when regional transit issues drew significant public attention. In 2005 she was appointed director of the San Francisco Taxi Commission, a position that involved regulatory oversight and public hearings on transportation services.
Machen launched Machen Law Office in 2008 and has practiced under that name since. Her background in public service informs her approach to legal work. Clients encounter her as someone who understands the interplay between municipal rules and private rights. She represents clients in matters that often intersect with government agencies and administrative processes.
She maintains memberships in professional associations and stays engaged with peers in the legal and policy communities. Over time her career has combined on-the-ground government experience with client-facing legal work. That mix has made her familiar with both the procedural side of governance and the practical demands of advising clients.
She is licensed to practice in California and currently works from Machen Law Office. Her current practice concentrates on municipal and administrative matters, including regulatory issues and government-related proceedings in California.
