M. Jackson Nichols - Partner
Jack Nichols, a native of Virginia who grew up in Charlotte, is a partner of Allen and Pinnix. He concentrates on public policy development and advocacy, administrative law and civil litigation. His practice is augmented by his extensive government service including elective office to the Board of Commissioners (1990-1994) of Wake County, the state’s second largest county. He has taught Administrative Law and Constitutional Law at UNC-Chapel Hill and Campbell University School of Law. He served as Deputy Legislative Liaison for Governor James B. Hunt, Jr., from 1983-1985, and worked in state government from 1978-1985 as legal counsel to the Secretaries of Administration and Human Resources. He has represented eight state occupational licensing boards and represents clients before regulatory bodies such as the North Carolina Utilities Commission, North Carolina Banking Commission, North Carolina Industrial Commission, and the State Personnel Commission. Mr. Nichols is recognized by The Best Lawyers in America (2009) in Administrative Law and in North Carolina Super Lawyers (2009).
PRACTICE
Public policy, Administrative Law and Civil Litigation
FOCUS
Occupational Licensing Boards, Nonprofit Institutions, Labor and Employment Law, Government Law and Commercial Litigation
EDUCATION
Duke University, MA Public Policy, 1977
Wake Forest University School of Law, JD, 1977
Davidson College, BS, 1973
STATE ADMISSIONS
North Carolina, 1977
COURT ADMISSIONS
Eastern, Middle and Western Districts, U.S. District Court
Fourth Circuit, U.S. Court of Appeals
U.S. Supreme Court
SELECTED EXPERIENCE
- Serves as general counsel for N.C. Board of Nursing, N.C. Social Work Certification and Licensure Board, N.C. Board of Examiners for Nursing Home Administrators, and N.C. Board of Funeral Services.
- Serves as general counsel to numerous nonprofit boards, including Planned Parenthood Health Systems, Wake County SmartStart, North Carolina Association of Educators (NCAE), N.C. Medical Society, N.C. Foundation for Public School Children, and Foundation for Nursing Excellence.
- Represents clients before numerous occupational licensing boards including, N.C. Board of Dental Examiners, N.C. Board of Contractors, N.C. Real Estate Licensing Commission, N.C. Board of Pharmacy, N.C. Board of Psychology, N.C. Board of Licensed Professional Counselors, N.C. Board of Massage and Bodywork Therapy, N.C. Board of Occupational Therapy, N.C. Board of Examiners for Engineers and Land Surveyors, N.C. Board of Plumbing, Heating and Fire Sprinkler Contractors.
- Represented clients in over 100 hearings of the Office of Administrative Hearings.
- Counsel of Record in over 30 appellate cases.
- Litigated employment cases involving sexual harassment, EEOC claims, retaliation, and whistleblowers.
- Litigated commercial cases involving Unfair Trade Practice claims, violation of non-compete agreements, violations of the N.C. Trade Secrets Act, professional defamation, and product disparagement.
BACKGROUND
- Publicly elected member, Wake County Board of Commissioners, 1990-1994.
- Chaired N.C. Bar Association Administrative Law Section, 1994-1995; Membership Services Committee, 2000-2002.
- Annual presenter at Council on Legislative, Enforcement and Administration Regulation (CLEAR).
- Co-Founder of Planned Parenthood of Greater Raleigh.
- Co-Founder, board chair of Wake County SmartStart.
- Scoutmaster and Eagle Scout, Boy Scouts of America, Occoneechee Council.
- President, Occoneechee Council, BSA, 1997-1999.
- Rated AV® by Martindale-Hubbell.*
* CV, BV and AV are registered certification marks of Reed Elsevier Properties Inc., used in accordance with the Martindale- Hubbell certification procedure’s standards and policies.