Guy C. Nicholson, 1955 - to 2024

Guy C. Nicholson, a commercial litigator and appellate lawyer at Ellis George LLP in Los Angeles, died Monday. He was 69.

"The outpouring of tears and love confirms what we all know - that we were privileged to have Guy in our lives. Even with those who recently joined our firm, Guy shared freely his insights, kindness, sincerity, and good humor," read a joint statement released by firm partners Dennis S. Ellis, Keith Wesley and Eric M. George.

"As painful as this news is to bear, take some consolation in knowing that among life's great aims, Guy achieved these, no doubt among many others: a beautiful marriage with the person he loved best, and deep professional fulfillment through his friendships with - and battles fought alongside - his colleagues," the partners' statement continued.

Nicholson's practice focused on complex commercial litigation, bank regulatory disputes, and appellate matters. He also served as a judge pro tem and as an adjunct professor at Pepperdine University School of Law.

He was counsel is several high-stakes cases. Notable successes included securing defense judgments in multi-million-dollar claims such as a trade secrets misappropriation case involving Abrams main battle tank components, professional malpractice claims against a top California law firm, and federal securities law violations. Other victories include obtaining injunctions for trademark violations, defending financial institutions in regulatory and breach of contract disputes, and winning a $1.5 million verdict in a contract and economic interference case. He also defended government officials, resolved shareholder disputes, and defeated fraudulent transfer and conspiracy claims through summary judgment.

Nicholson graduated summa cum laude from California State University, Northridge, in 1978 and earned his law degree from Loyola Law School in 1982. Before joining Ellis George, he served as a partner in the Los Angeles office of Wildman, Harrold, Allen & Dixon LLP and co-founded Tisdale & Nicholson LLP.

Among his survivors is Claudia Bonilla, who also works at Ellis George.