Overview

Tracy A. Nichols is an attorney in Holland & Knight's Miami office. She practices in litigation with an emphasis in defending securities class actions, derivative actions, mergers and acquisition disputes (including handling representations and warranty insurance claims), and complex commercial litigation.

Ms. Nichols has served as the lead attorney in more than three dozen class action lawsuits, and obtained one of the largest Rule 11 sanctions in the country against plaintiffs for filing a frivolous securities class action. She has been involved in multiple Ponzi scheme and fraud cases. She has also defended parallel derivative actions and investigations by the Securities and Exchange Commission. She represents numerous insurers in evaluating complex representation and warranty claims, including arbitrations or litigations of those claims if necessary.

In her community, Ms. Nichols is a past co-chair of Legal Services of Greater Miami Inc., "Together, We Must" Campaign for Justice, a member of the Legal Services Foundation, and a former board member of Up with People, a global education organization which aims to bring the world together through service and music. She is a frequent speaker on public and private securities issues. She holds the highest rating assigned by the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory.

Ms. Nichols was Editor-in-Chief of the University of Florida Review (1983-1984) and a member of the Order of the Coif, and Florida Blue Key. She served as a law clerk to the Honorable Howell W. Melton, United States District Court, Middle District of Florida, from 1984-1986.

Representative Experience

Credentials

Education
  • University of Florida Levin College of Law, J.D., with honors
  • University of Florida, B.A., with high honors
Bar Admissions/Licenses
  • Florida
Court Admissions
  • U.S. Supreme Court
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
  • All U.S. District Courts in Florida
Memberships
  • SIFMA
  • American Bar Association, Securities Litigation Subcommittee
  • University of Florida Law Center Association, Board of Trustees, Executive Committee
  • AMIKids, Miami FL, Board Member
Honors & Awards
  • The Best Lawyers in America guide, Commercial Litigation, 2006-2025; Litigation - Securities, 2003-2025
  • Florida Super Lawyers magazine, 2018-2024
  • Holland & Knight Pro Bono All-Star, 2020, 2021
  • Holland & Knight Public and Charitable Service All-Star Award, 2017
  • Advocate of the Year, City Year Miami, 2017
  • Chambers USA – America's Leading Business Lawyers guide, Litigation: General Commercial, 2008-2024; Litigation: Securities, 2022-2024
  • John Edward Smith Child Advocacy Award, Lawyers for Children America, 2016
  • Top 250 Women in Litigation, Benchmark Litigation, 2012, 2013
  • Litigation Star, Benchmark Litigation, Florida, 2010; Florida and United States, 2013
  • Most Effective Lawyer Winner, Corporate Securities, Daily Business Review, 2012, 2013
  • Corporate Counsel Edition, Super Lawyers magazine, January 2009
  • Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent Peer Review Rated
  • Lawdragon's 100 Lawyers You Need to Know in Securities Litigation