COSTA MESA, Calif., March 1, 2014 – Steve Nichols has been elected Managing Partner of Rutan & Tucker, LLP, Orange County’s largest full-service law firm.
Nichols is a construction and business law and litigation specialist, and co-chair of Rutan & Tucker’s prestigious Construction Law Group. Nichols joined Rutan & Tucker in 1981, and has been a member of the firm’s Executive Committee for the past 5 years.
Nichols represents contractors, manufacturers and suppliers, institutional and private owners, developers, builders, lenders, distributors, and others in business and construction law matters. He has assisted clients in negotiating and drafting a wide array of construction and commercial agreements, and has extensive experience and an impeccable record as a courtroom trial lawyer, including matters involving large infrastructure projects, manufacturing concerns, transit and highway projects, commercial structures, power plant construction and financing arrangements, public facility development and construction, and other facilities.
Nichols has extensive experience in state, federal and appellate courts, arbitration and mediation proceedings, and has served as an arbitrator on the American Arbitration Association’s large complex case panel of arbitrators. Most recently, he was selected as one of California’s Top 100 Lawyers chosen by the Daily Journal, and has also been honored as one of Orange County’s Top 25 professionals. Nichols achieved these honors for his exemplary courtroom victories, extensive construction and commercial transactional experience, numerous large awards, and significant settlements. He also served as general counsel and a board member of the Big Brothers & Big Sisters of Orange County.
“I am deeply honored to be elected Rutan & Tucker’s Managing Partner and very fortunate to be taking on this role at a time when our firm is as strong as it is today,” said Nichols. “We owe our success to our commitment to providing the highest caliber legal services performed by top attorneys from the best schools in the country. We renew our commitment to excellence as we focus on continued growth in our practice areas from both our Northern and Southern California locations.”
The other members of the firm’s Executive Committee are partners Layne Melzer, who specializes in litigation and trial work and chairs the Unfair Competition/Class Action Defense Group, and William Meehan, who has extensive experience in finance transactions and co-chairs the Banking and Finance Group.
About Rutan & Tucker, LLP
Rutan & Tucker is Orange County’s largest full-service business law firm with offices in Costa Mesa and Palo Alto. Primary practice areas include corporate and securities law, business, real estate and intellectual property litigation, labor and employment law, intellectual property, real estate, government and regulatory law, land use law, bankruptcy, condemnation and property valuation, environmental law, and taxation and estate planning. Detailed information about the firm is available at www.rutan.com.
