Jeffrey T. Nichols

Biography

Jeff is a long standing member of the Board of Directors at Crivello, Nichols & Hall and is the firm's president. He is National Trial Counsel for one of the Country’s leading manufacturers of compact farming and construction equipment and assists as National Counsel for a leading manufacturer of outdoor power equipment. He has also served as National Counsel for one of the Country’s leading manufacturers of boilers and water heaters and works with several multi-national companies on contract disputes, product performance issues and product liability claims.

Jeff has been elected by his peers for membership in the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) and served as President in 2022. He has been given the highest possible peer review rating by Martindale Hubbell (A/V), has been selected as a Wisconsin Super Lawyer, has been recognized by the Wisconsin Defense Counsel as Advocate of the Year (2016) as well as selected for inclusion in US News and World Report: Best Lawyers in America and Lawyer of the Year: Defense in 2019.

Over the past 30 years Jeff has litigated cases throughout the country and Wisconsin in both State and Federal courts, including more than 75 cases tried to jury verdict. In addition to handling cases in Wisconsin, Jeff has been admitted pro hac vice in over 25 states and has tried cases to juries in Texas, New York, Kansas, Connecticut and California (multiple times). He has successfully represented clients in jury trials dealing with issues ranging from catastrophic injuries, quadriplegia, amputations, wrongful deaths and contract disputes. Many of his trials involved claimed damages in excess of $1Million and involved alleged malpractice, product defects, performance and warning issues.

Earlier in his career, while working at Crivello, Nichols & Hall Jeff was a member of the trial team involving litigation surrounding a manufacturer of one of the world’s largest mobile cranes. That lawsuit arose out of the construction of the Miller Park Baseball Stadium in 2001 when a crane collapsed resulting in the deaths of three workers. At the conclusion of the trial the court ruled the crane was not defective as a matter of law and co-defendant was responsible for approximately $100 Million in damages.

In 2017 Jeff defended a telehandler manufacturer in a five week jury trial in Sonoma, California. Plaintiff’s attorney had asked the jury to award his client $26Million following a double amputation that plaintiff claimed was caused by a defective machine. After three days of deliberation the California jury found that Jeff’s client was not negligent and the product was not defective, for a complete defense verdict.

In addition to defending product manufacturers, small businesses and fortune 500 companies, Jeff also defends doctors and healthcare providers in medical malpractice and long term care cases in addition to assisting doctors in licensing issues. He has had great success in all aspects of medical defense and is proud to represent the medical community.

Closer to home Jeff is proud to sit on the Board of Directors for one of the clients that he has represented for nearly 30 years. He has tried numerous cases to juries throughout the State involving automobile accidents, products liability, medical malpractice and fire loss claims with great success.

Practice Areas

Construction Law
Industrial Accidents
Insurance Defense, Coverage, and Disputes
Negligence and Personal Injury Defense
Nursing Home and Long Term Care Liability
Product Liability
Professional Malpractice Litigation
Trucking Litigation
Wrongful Death

Bar Admissions

State of Wisconsin
U.S. District Court - Eastern District of Wisconsin
U.S. District Court - Western District of Wisconsin
U.S. Court of Appeals – Fifth Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals - Seventh Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals - Ninth Circuit
Menomonie Tribal Court
Northern District of Illinois
Western District of Texas
California Ninth Circuit
Admitted Pro Hac Vice in more than 25 states

Education

Valparaiso Law School 1990
Marquette University 1987

Professional Organizations

American Bar Association
ABOTA - Wisconsin Chapter - Advocate
State Bar of Wisconsin
Defense Research Institute
Civil Trial Counsel
Milwaukee Bar Association
Milwaukee Insurance Adjusters Association
Transportation Lawyers Association
Seventh Circuit Bar Association
FDCC – Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel