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Heidi A Machen

4.3
Rating: 7.3

Licensed for 29 years

Employment and labor Lawyer Practice Areas: Employment & Labor, Wrongful Termination, Discrimination ... +2 more

About Heidi

Practice Areas

5

Practice Areas

Discrimination 25%

In 2013, our office won a Plaintiff's verdict for disability harassment in a wrongful termination lawsuit. I have also obtained up to six figure settlements in mediations for clients who suffered termination motivated by discriminatory intent.

18 years

25%
Employment and Labor 25%

Advocate mainly for Plaintiffs who have been wrongfully terminated because of discrimination or whistleblower action. Pursue unpaid wages and penalties for clients. Review and negotiate severance agreements and employment contracts. Have also represented public employees in administrative proceedings.

18 years

25%
Wrongful Termination 25%

Advise and advocate on behalf of clients who have been terminated for unlawful reasons such as discrimination, whistleblower action or other public policy violations.

18 years

25%
Administrative Law 20%

Advocate on behalf of clients whose business depends on being licensed or permitted by a government entity. When their livelihood is jeopardized by regulations, I negotiate with or fight bureaucracy to keep them in business. Represent clients at administrative hearings in such venues as the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement, Alcoholic Beverage Control, Office of Administrative Hearings, State Personnel Board, Rent Board and San Francisco Board of Appeals.

21 years

20%
Landlord or Tenant 5%

Advise and represent San Francisco landlords and tenants on the complex local and state laws governing their relationships. Scope may include interpretation of lease or HOA or TIC agreement, prosecuting or defending Unlawful Detainer actions, and negotiating move-out or stay agreements. Venues range from the conference room to Rental Arbitration Board to Superior Court.

18 years

5%

Fees and Rates

We have not found any cost information for this lawyer


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Licenses

Licensed in California for 29 years

State: California

Acquired: 1996

Active

No misconduct found

Location

No contact information is available for this lawyer

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Heidi A Machen's Reviews

Avvo Review Score

4.3 /5.0

12 Client Reviews

Filter Avvo Reviews (12) Refine reviews to match your needs. Use the filters to quickly surface reviews that align with your case or priorities.

Showing 1 - 3 of 3 reviews | Recommendation

Posted by Frustrated customer | July 03, 2018 | Lawsuits & Disputes

Waste of money

If you want a nice person to talk and pay for it, Heidi is the best candidate. If you need a good attorney, look somewhere else. When she took my case, she told me that she has experience and knows what to do. When after 2 letters she sent to the defendants, the issue was not resolved and they clearl...y ignored her, she started avoiding my calls and emails.She started saying that going to court she would charge a lot of money. As soon as i clarified to her that the money is not an issue, she admitted she does not know what to do. Her exact words from her email. I just copy and paste."I am looking for a theory on which to proceed should this go forward. I wanted him (my previous attorney) to provide me any insight he had on causes of action. Without a cause of action, I can't bring a lawsuit. I need a "legal theory." I wander Isn't she supposed to know this herself?. despite at the beginning she multiple times told that she has experience and know how we are going to act. She even called me one time and told me:" I was swimming in my swimming pool and got a new brilliant idea what to do". In addition she loves to overcharge. She provides very vague monthly statements and if you ask her for specifics, you will see double charges and clear attempts to "meet" the desired amount. And one more thing, she stated that she is the most affordable attorney in this field. Not true as well. My research reviled that 95% of attorneys charge same $250 per hour. But hopefully, they do not overcharge you, and play fair game, so, at the end you are going to pay less for better service, because they will know what they do. Now, in my opinion, she created damage since she showed my opponent that i have nothing against them, let alone the fact that i need to hire another attorney, and start every thing from again and pay for the same what she was supposed to do.

Posted by Eric | July 03, 2018 | Employment & Labor

Lazy lawyer

Sadly, Heidi did not provide the level of service that I expected. She told me that I had a "strong" employment case and when she had my retainer fee, I ended up doing much of the work. She drafted a poorly written letter, had me make a determination about what aspects of my case pertained to the l...aw, which she gave me to read and interpret, then I had to edit her letter. When the opposing counsel responded denying the claim, she didn't write back or fight back with a rebuttal. Instead she took my money and their lies/excuses about the circumstances of my termination and sat back. Then she didn't respond to me after my repeated attempts to get simple answers from her about whether or not she'd contacted the opposing counsel. This is the kind of lawyer that gives lawyers a bad name for being lazy and stealing your money. It's too bad too, because I'm sure she's a decent person in her personal life.

Posted by Leinaala | June 01, 2014 | Wrongful Termination

Heidi Machen changed my Life

When I unexpectedly and suddenly lost my job, I was extremely depressed, struggling to make ends meet and believed that my employer had discriminated against me. Fortunately, I contacted and engaged Heidi Machen who interviewed me about my experience, gathered the necessary evidence to prove my case... and gave me a straight assessment of my chances for winning a wrongful termination claim. She listened from the very beginning and gave me the strong guidance I needed. Ms. Machen worked hard for me and used her lawyerly skills of negotiation and communication to achieve a favorable result within a relatively short time without having to go to trial. She kept me in the loop throughout. I greatly appreciate her taking me on as a client and highly recommend her as an attorney to other employees who have been treated unfairly in the workplace.

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Heidi A Machen's Lawyer Endorsements

Endorse Heidi
Hanlen Jereme Chang headshot
Hanlen Chang

Employment and labor lawyer | Apr 18

Relationship: Opposing Counsel on matter

"Heidi is an experienced, knowledgeable, and conscientious attorney who stands by her convictions and will get results even in the most difficult and challenging cases. In my prior litigation dealings with her I have found her to be professional, tenacious, diligent, very had working, and a good judge of legal circumstances. A skillful attorney like Heidi is hard to come by and any client would appreciate having Heidi take on his or her legal matter."

Kelly Armstrong headshot
Kelly Armstrong

Employment and labor lawyer | Jul 08

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer. Heidi Machen is a great lawyer. She is smart, savvy, cares about her clients and knows how to either engage with or streamline the legal process if necessary. She is a champion for the underdog and I recommend her."

View All Endorsements
Rena Rickles headshot
Rena Rickles

Land use and zoning lawyer

Hanlen Jereme Chang headshot
Hanlen Chang

Business lawyer

Gretchen Jean Kenney headshot
Gretchen Kenney

Estate planning lawyer

Kelly Armstrong headshot
Kelly Armstrong

Discrimination lawyer

Experience

Rating:  7.3 (Very Good)

Education

1996

University of California, Hastings College of the Law

JD - Juris Doctor

1990

San Francisco State Unv

BA - Bachelor of Arts

Activity

Avvo Rating

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