Joseph A. Nicholson

Joseph Nicholson brought his passion for advocating on behalf of injured people and consumers to Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger in 2017. Since then he has successfully represented individuals and families who suffered catastrophic injuries or wrongful death in a wide variety of contexts from automobile collisions to elder abuse and defective products.

In 2018, Joseph was part of a Walkup trial team that won a $5,510,000 verdict—one of the highest ever in San Luis Obispo County—on behalf of an injured motorcyclist against a general contractor who violated traffic control safety rules. In 2019, he helped secure a 7-figure settlement for a 68-year-old woman who was run over by an automobile driven by an employee of a local restaurant.

Joseph has been named a California Super Lawyers Rising Star, a peer designation awarded to no more than 2.5 percent of attorneys in each state. Motivated by a profound respect for the power of the civil justice system to protect citizens from corporate and institutional wrongdoing, Joseph continues to level the playing field for individual victims through diligent and comprehensive preparation of cases for trial or fair settlement.

Joseph is a 2012 graduate of UC Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco. After graduation he joined a nationally recognized Bay Area asbestos litigation plaintiff’s side law firm and worked with a team of highly experienced litigators on cutting edge issues affecting mesothelioma victims. As an associate, Joseph litigated all aspects of asbestos and mesothelioma cases on behalf of workers and their families throughout California.

Joseph is a member of the San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, Bar Association of San Francisco, Consumer Attorneys of California, the American Association for Justice, and the National Lawyers Guild. He lives in San Francisco and enjoys sailing in the San Francisco Bay.

Areas of Practice

• 50% Personal Injury – Plaintiff
• 50% Wrongful Death – Plaintiff

Litigation Percentage

• 100% of Practice Devoted to Litigation

Bar Admissions

• California, 2012

Education

• University of California, Hastings College of the Law, San Francisco, California
  • J.D. cum laude – May, 2012
  • Law Journal: Hastings Business Law Journal, Associate Editor, 2011 – 2012
• University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
  • B.A. – 2001
  • Major: English

Published Works

• Plus Ultra: Third-Party Preservation in A Cloud Computing Paradigm, 8 Hastings Bus. L.J. 191 , Winter, 2012

Professional Associations and Memberships

• San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association
• Alameda / Contra Costa Trial Lawyers Association
• American Association for Justice, 2012 – Present
• National Lawyers Guild
• Consumer Attorneys of California, 2012 – Present

Past Employment Positions

• Kazan, McClain, Satterley & Greenwood, Associate, 2012 – 2016

Pro Bono Activities

• American Civil Liberties Union
• National Lawyers Guild