Over the course of his 30-plus year career, Thomas J. Nichols has represented thousands of clients and organized hundreds of business entities. Tom has extensive work experience at the state and federal levels. He is well versed in both business entity law (e.g. corporations, partnerships, LLCs) and tax law (e.g. income tax, self-employment tax, estate tax) as well as other tax considerations involved in structuring of business ventures.
Tom is uniquely qualified to advise businesses on choice of entity issues including the nuances of the various corporate structures available under Wisconsin law and cutting edge tax income planning. Tom has been and is still active in updating Wisconsin’s business entity statutes and in tax reform at the Federal level.
Honors
- The Best Lawyers in America® (1997 – 2020)
- Wisconsin Super Lawyers® (2009 – 2020)
- Elijah Watts Sells Award Winner
- American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
- Martindale Hubbell AV® Preeminent™ Peer Review Rated
Professional Organizations
- American Bar Association
Section of Taxation: Committee on S Corporations (1986 – Present), Chair (2008-2010)
- State Bar of Wisconsin
Business Law Section, Director (2002 – 2009, 2011- Present); Partnerships Committee, Chairman (2011 – Present); Legislative Committee (1997 – 2002); Business Law Committee (1995 – 1996)
- Milwaukee Bar Association
- American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
- Wisconsin Institute of Certified Public Accountants
- Wisconsin Taxation Committee (1983 to Present), Chairman (1989 – 1991)
- American Health Lawyers Association
- The Group, Inc
- S Corporation Association, Chairman, Board of Advisors
- Journal of Passthrough Taxation (CCH), Board of Directors
Speeches & Publications
- Tom Nichols is a prolific speaker and writer, giving speeches and writing on the following topics: Service Corporations, Health Care Law, Tax Requirements, Cross-Species Mergers and Conversions, S Corporations and Buy-Sell Agreements.
- Testimony, Tax Extenders and Small Businesses as Employers of Choice, U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Small Business (December, 2015)
- Panelist, Pass-through Business and Comprehensive Tax Reform: Designing Tax Reform to Grow All U.S. Business, Capitol Hill Panel Discussion (March, 2015)
- Co-Author, Tax Reform Should Go Right Down Main Street, Wall Street Journal (January 2015)
Marquette University Law School, J.D., 1979, Student Articles Editor, Marquette Law Review, 1978-79
Marquette University, B.A., 1976
Certified Public Accountant, 1983
Articles & Videos