Nicholas is a consultant and a leadership coach. His coaching practice focuses on coaching partners and senior business services professionals in law firms. At the heart of all his coaching work are communications and relationships. He enjoys working with firm leaders, practice group leaders and other partners on how to get the best out of their teams. He also works with partners and associates (and general counsel) on a wide range of issues such as executive presence, how to increase personal effectiveness and business development.
As a consultant, Nicholas brings a deep experience and understanding of people management and the business of law to all his projects. These include supporting firms with how to attract, develop, engage and retain talent, as well as advising on hiring and integration. Projects have involved him in advising firm leaders and talent management teams on:
Partner feedback programs (upward reviews and 360s).
New approaches to performance management.
Changes to the associate career model.
Competency frameworks.
Lateral partner hiring processes and interviewing techniques.
Nicholas also supports firms in developing and building coaching cultures and authors the Volta Coaching Insights Survey, a biennial industry report on trends and developments in the use of coaching in law firms.
Nicholas has held several leadership positions in top tier global law firms. He began his career as a corporate associate, first at DLA Piper, and then at Freshfields. He later became a Partner and Head of Knowledge Management at Pinsents in London, where he designed and implemented high-impact training initiatives and developed expertise in risk management. Nicholas also served as the Chief Human Resources Officer at Dewey & LeBoeuf, where he built and led award-winning teams in an integrated talent management department designed around the life cycle of an attorney at the firm.
Originally from the UK, Nicholas has lived and worked in New York since 2008. He has also lived in Germany, Hong Kong, and London. He brings deep experience in international legal services, law firm management, strategic growth and professional development to his engagements, leveraging his background and fluency in trans-Atlantic legal operations to deliver powerful solutions to clients operating in an increasingly diverse and globalized business.
Nicholas completed his legal education in the UK at the College of Law, in Guildford, having graduated from the University of Surrey, with a BSc (Hons) in Linguistic and International Studies. He is admitted as an attorney (solicitor) in both England and Hong Kong.
In addition, Nicholas is a professional coach having earned multiple certifications and credentials in coaching and HR:
Results Trained Coach – NeuroLeadership Institute (NLI) Brain Based Coaching Certificate.
Team Coach – Brown University in partnership with ACT – Certificate Program.
ACC credential awarded by the International Coaching Federation (ICF).
Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) by Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM®).
Global Professional in Human Resources (GPHR) by Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI®).
Master Coach by the Behavioral Coaching Institute (BCI).
Mental Health First Aid by the National Council for Behavioral Health.
Emotional Quotient Inventory – certified to administer the EQ-I 2.0 and EQ 360 assessments.
Korn Ferry – certified to administer the KF360 assessment.
Nicholas is a member of the Law Society of England & Wales, ICF, the Professional Development Consortium (PDC) and SHRM.