Our Attorneys

John R. Nicholson is senior counsel to the Abbott Nicholson law firm and one of its founding partners. He is a member of the firm’s Corporate, Tax, and Estate Planning groups and has an extensive background in business planning, mergers and acquisitions, and planning personal estates.

He was admitted to the Michigan Bar in 1966 and the federal bar for the U.S. District Court-Eastern District of Michigan.

Mr. Nicholson is a member of the State Bar of Michigan’s Corporation; Finance and Business Law, and Probate and Trust Law sections. A strong proponent of the efficient delivery of legal services, Mr. Nicholson served on the state bar’s Committee on Legal Economics and wrote two papers published in the Michigan Bar Journal – “Multiple Benefits of a Computerized Inventory System” and “Legal Administrators – Helping Lawyers Manage.” He is a Fellow of the Michigan State Bar Foundation.

Mr. Nicholson applies his expertise in business and management as Chairman of the Board of Selective Micro Technologies LLC, a manufacturer of antimicrobial, disinfectant and cleaning technology.

He is a current Board member and Chairman emeritus of the Cornerstone School Association, an ISACS-accredited inner-city school ranked No. 1 school in Detroit by Excellent Schools Detroit.

Mr. Nicholson also is known for his advocacy for people with handicaps and disabilities. Since 1987, he has been President of the Leslie L. Squires Foundation, which supports the Bay Area Community Foundation and Disability Services Resource Center, serving people with disabilities in the Bay City, Michigan, area. He also served for many years as a Board member of On My Own of Michigan, which serves adults with mild developmental intellectual disabilities including Autism Spectrum Disorder, Down Syndrome, epilepsy and seizure disorders, cerebral palsy, and learning disabilities.

Mr. Nicholson is a past Chairman of the Board of Send A Cow Inc., a Christian organization working with African families to become self-sufficient farmers with hope for the future.

Mr. Nicholson formerly was President of Grosse Pointe Cable Inc. and negotiated the sale of company to Comcast in 1995. He served as Grosse Pointe Shores village clerk from 1974-83 and as a member of the Board of Tax Review. He is a past President and Board member of the Grosse Pointe War Memorial Association.

He earned his law degree at Wayne State University and bachelor’s degree from Brown University.

Mr. Nicholson lives in Grosse Pointe Farms, is married and has two grown children and six grandchildren.