Daniel J. Nichols

Daniel Nichols is an associate in the Portland and San Francisco offices of Gordon & Rees LLP. He practices complex litigation, representing clients in commercial disputes and professional liability, construction defect, employment, real estate, and environmental matters.

Daniel serves businesses of all sizes in resolving lawsuits of all sizes. He has successfully resolved complex e-discovery disputes and coordinated and conducted discovery for large, complicated matters, including mass tort and class action. Daniel’s trial experience includes multi-month trials in San Francisco State Court and a multi-week private arbitration in Oregon.

Admissions

California
Oregon
United States District Court, District of Oregon
United States District Court, Eastern and Northern District of California
United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit

Memberships

State Bar of California
State Bar of Oregon
Multnomah County Bar Association

Community Involvement

J. Reuben Clark Law Society, Portland Chapter, Board Member and Pro Bono Coordinator

Representative Experience

Most recently, Daniel served as trial counsel for a civil engineer in a multi-week private arbitration regarding a waste water treatment plant. He also recently represented a healthcare facility in an employment matter, winning a motion to dismiss claims for breach of contract, negligence, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Also within the last few months, he represented directors of a nonprofit corporation, winning a motion to dismiss claims for grossly negligent director mishandling of financial reporting. 

Mr. Nichols has also served as trial counsel in a complex toxic tort property damage case, defending a leading chemical company in two multi-month trials against a California municipality and redevelopment agency. He successfully defended a leading oil company in a toxic tort property damage and commercial contract action stemming from alleged contamination from an underground storage tank. He also assisted in the representation of a seatbelt-maker in a personal injury product liability case. Of note, Mr. Nichols obtained a finding of evidence spoliation, resulting in an adverse evidentiary sanction for the plaintiffs.
 

Publications

Use of WTO Panel Decisions in Judicial Review of Administrative Action Under U.S. Antidumping Law
1 International Law and Management Review 237 (Spring 2005)

Brown v. Board of Education and the No Child Left Behind Act: Competing Ideologies
Brigham Young University Education and Law Journal 151 (2005)

Practices

Environmental/Toxic Tort
Commercial Litigation
Construction
Professional Liability Defense
Employment Law

Offices

Portland
San Francisco

Education

J.D., magna cum laude, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University, 2005 

• Staff Editor, B.Y.U. Law Review
• Captain, International Moot Court Team
• President, International and Comparative Law Society
• Vice-President, B.Y.U. Chapter of the American Constitution Society
• Teacher’s Assistant, Contracts

B.A., Political Science, magna cum laude, Southern Oregon University, 2002

• Outstanding Graduate in Political Science

Externships

Honorable Michael Mosman and Honorable Robert Jones,
United States District Court, District of Oregon (2003-2004)