Goodell DeVries is pleased to announce that K. Nichole "Nikki" Nesbitt  has been elected the firm's Managing Partner, joining the limited but growing number of women who lead Baltimore-area law firms. She will transition into the role under the mentorship of Linda S. Woolf, who has led the firm since 2005.

Nikki has practiced at Goodell DeVries for the entirety of her 20 years at the bar, moving through the ranks from summer associate to partner. She has served on the firm's Executive Committee since 2017, chairs two additional internal firm committees, and mentors younger lawyers and other professionals within and outside of the firm.

"I’m honored to follow in the footsteps of Linda [Woolf] and Don [DeVries], both of them founders of the firm who have been role models for me throughout my career," Nikki stated. "I look forward to building on the top-tier litigation defense we provide for our valued local, regional, and national clients while offering exceptional professional opportunities for our lawyers." She noted, "I had the benefit of being a home-grown attorney here at the firm and am enthusiastic about providing a similar experience to other up and coming professionals. I am especially proud of the firm's advancement of women lawyers. We were among the first firms in the area to elect a woman as managing partner, and I am thrilled to receive the torch from Linda and continue running with it."

Linda Woolf, who will remain on the firm's Executive Committee and continues to lead its Commercial and Insurance practice groups, remarked, "I am delighted to work with Nikki toward transitioning the management of the firm. It's a natural step from the work she has been doing on the Executive Committee, and her dedication to the firm's continuing success is exciting to see." 

Nikki has a longstanding record of leadership and service. She is a member of the executive board of the Trial Network and served as its 2020 Chair. She is a past-president of the Maryland Defense Counsel (MDC) and served on the executive board of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation's Greater Chesapeake and Potomac Chapter.

In 2020, Nikki was  named a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation, one of the world's leading research institutes for the empirical and interdisciplinary study of law. She was a recipient of The Daily Record’s Leading Women Under 40 Award in 2011.

An experienced litigator, Nikki focuses her practice on medical malpractice defense and complex commercial litigation, as well as cases that combine the two fields. She represents health systems in Maryland and the District of Columbia, handling complicated malpractice cases and employment and compliance-related matters within those systems. Nikki also handles employment matters outside of the health care context for employers in the region.

About Goodell DeVries

Goodell DeVries is a regional law firm with a national presence. From product liability and mass torts to medical malpractice law, complex commercial litigation, insurance, toxic torts, and more, Goodell DeVries’s team of 50 attorneys handles the most complex legal challenges for clients across the country. Our lawyers are ranked among the best in the nation by leading directories, including Chambers, Best Lawyers, and Super Lawyers. Law360 has named Goodell DeVries among the top law firms for women, and in 2020, ranked it among the top law firms on women equity partnership. To learn more, visit www.gdldlaw.com.