Biography

Nick is Co-Chair of the Employment Class Action Practice Group and has a nationwide practice and distinguished career as a formidable advocate for employers facing high-stakes, complex employment litigation.

He concentrates his practice on defending employers in multi-plaintiff, class action, and collective action lawsuits in both state and federal courts, with particular emphasis on claims involving wage and hour violations, discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. His deep command of federal and state employment law — including the FLSA, Title VII, ADA, FMLA, ADEA, the Missouri Human Rights Act, the Kansas Act Against Discrimination and Washington employment laws — enables him to provide employers with sophisticated, practical counsel on compliance and risk management.

Throughout his career, Nick has served as lead counsel and trusted adviser to major corporations spanning the telecommunications, consumer products, retail, food, transportation, aviation, and sports industries. His ability to manage sprawling, multi-plaintiff litigation and deliver results at every level of the judicial system — from trial courts to the federal appellate bench — has earned him a reputation as one of the region’s most effective employment defense litigators.

He earned his J.D. from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 2004, where he served as a member and editor of the prestigious Missouri Law Review. He holds a B.S. in Political Science from Truman State University (2001).

Nick is Co-Chair of the Employment Class Action Practice Group and has a nationwide practice and distinguished career as a formidable advocate for employers facing high-stakes, complex employment litigation.

He concentrates his practice on defending employers in multi-plaintiff, class action, and collective action lawsuits in both state and federal courts, with particular emphasis on claims involving wage and hour violations, discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. His deep command of federal and state employment law — including the FLSA, Title VII, ADA, FMLA, ADEA, the Missouri Human Rights Act, the Kansas Act Against Discrimination and Washington employment laws — enables him to provide employers with sophisticated, practical counsel on compliance and risk management.

Throughout his career, Nick has served as lead counsel and trusted adviser to major corporations spanning the telecommunications, consumer products, retail, food, transportation, aviation, and sports industries. His ability to manage sprawling, multi-plaintiff litigation and deliver results at every level of the judicial system — from trial courts to the federal appellate bench — has earned him a reputation as one of the region’s most effective employment defense litigators.

He earned his J.D. from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 2004, where he served as a member and editor of the prestigious Missouri Law Review. He holds a B.S. in Political Science from Truman State University (2001).

Representative Matters

Nick has an extensive track record of achieving favorable outcomes for employers in large-scale, high-exposure employment disputes, including the following:

  • Obtained a defense verdict on pattern and practice claims in a 50+ claimant EEOC systemic discrimination suit alleging disability discrimination and failure to accommodate under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)—one of the few pattern and practiced claims to be tried to verdict.
  • Managed and secured summary judgment against nearly half of the plaintiffs and a majority of the claims alleged in a 38-plaintiff racial harassment and discrimination lawsuit.
  • Obtained dismissal of Rule 23 class claims alleging violations of the Kansas Wage Payment Act with respect to alleged minimum wage violations concerning delivery drivers for a franchisee with multiple restaurant locations.
  • Obtained dismissal of all claims in a 22-plaintiff Missouri state-court action against a large corporate employer, including wrongful discharge due to breach of contract, third-party beneficiary breach, and negligent supervision.
  • Obtained dismissal and sanctions against both plaintiffs and their counsel in a seven-plaintiff race harassment and discrimination case against a large corporate employer pending in the Western District of Missouri.
  • Obtained dismissal of all claims brought against a food-production employer alleging gender discrimination in the District of Kansas.
  • Obtained federal appellate affirmation of multiple summary judgment awards in both the Eighth and Tenth Circuits.
  • Obtained Missouri state court appellate affirmation in the dismissal of a multi-plaintiff lawsuit filed in Platte County.
  • Obtained dismissal of all claims in a Colorado federal court action against a large corporate employer, including claims of public policy wrongful discharge, violations of Colorado's "off duty private rights" statute, negligent infliction of emotional distress, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and defamation.
  • Successfully arbitrated a union employee's termination where the employee alleged he was fired in retaliation for making complaints of race discrimination and harassment.
  • Successfully arbitrated a union employee's termination following a violation of the company's zero-tolerance alcohol and drug policy.
  • Successfully arbitrated a union employee's termination following a driving accident.
  • Obtained dismissal of a union's petition to arbitrate based on timeliness grounds.

Nick has an extensive track record of achieving favorable outcomes for employers in large-scale, high-exposure employment disputes, including the following:

  • Obtained a defense verdict on pattern and practice claims in a 50+ claimant EEOC systemic discrimination suit alleging disability discrimination and failure to accommodate under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)—one of the few pattern and practiced claims to be tried to verdict.
  • Managed and secured summary judgment against nearly half of the plaintiffs and a majority of the claims alleged in a 38-plaintiff racial harassment and discrimination lawsuit.
  • Obtained dismissal of Rule 23 class claims alleging violations of the Kansas Wage Payment Act with respect to alleged minimum wage violations concerning delivery drivers for a franchisee with multiple restaurant locations.
  • Obtained dismissal of all claims in a 22-plaintiff Missouri state-court action against a large corporate employer, including wrongful discharge due to breach of contract, third-party beneficiary breach, and negligent supervision.
  • Obtained dismissal and sanctions against both plaintiffs and their counsel in a seven-plaintiff race harassment and discrimination case against a large corporate employer pending in the Western District of Missouri.
  • Obtained dismissal of all claims brought against a food-production employer alleging gender discrimination in the District of Kansas.
  • Obtained federal appellate affirmation of multiple summary judgment awards in both the Eighth and Tenth Circuits.
  • Obtained Missouri state court appellate affirmation in the dismissal of a multi-plaintiff lawsuit filed in Platte County.
  • Obtained dismissal of all claims in a Colorado federal court action against a large corporate employer, including claims of public policy wrongful discharge, violations of Colorado's "off duty private rights" statute, negligent infliction of emotional distress, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and defamation.
  • Successfully arbitrated a union employee's termination where the employee alleged he was fired in retaliation for making complaints of race discrimination and harassment.
  • Successfully arbitrated a union employee's termination following a violation of the company's zero-tolerance alcohol and drug policy.
  • Successfully arbitrated a union employee's termination following a driving accident.
  • Obtained dismissal of a union's petition to arbitrate based on timeliness grounds.

Before Fox Rothschild

Prior to joining Fox Rothschild, Nick honed his skills as a lawyer at the nation's most prominent employment law firms.

Bar Admissions

  • Missouri
  • Kansas
  • Washington

Education

  • University of Missouri-Columbia (J.D., 2004)
    • Member and Editor, Missouri Law Review
  • Truman State University (B.S., 2001)
    • Political Science