Phil is an active trial lawyer with over 40 years of experience in the court room. He has broad litigation experience in wrongful death and personal injury and cases. He represents clients in complex commercial litigation with extensive experience in business litigation including contracts, commercial construction, finance, safety, environmental, personnel, and natural resources matters. His practice concentrates in personal injury and commercial litigation.

Phil is admitted to practice in the State Courts of Wyoming, Colorado, and Oregon. He is admitted before the United States District Courts for the Districts of Wyoming, Colorado, North Dakota, and the Northern District of Illinois (General and Trial Bar); the United States Court of Federal Claims; the United States Courts of Appeal for the Tenth and Federal Circuits; the United States Tax Court; and, the United States Supreme Court. Phil is a member of the Wyoming, Colorado, and Oregon State Bar Associations, the Wyoming Trial Lawyers Association, and the American Bar Association. Mr. Nicholas is rated “AV®” by Martindale-Hubbell and Super Lawyers® by Thomson Reuters. Phil is a past President of the Wyoming Trial Lawyers Association (202-2021). He serves as a Commissioner for the Uniform Law Commission appointed by the Governor of Wyoming.

Phil served for twenty years in the Wyoming Legislature; consisting of twelve years in the Senate and eight years in the House of Representatives. He has served on numerous committees including Appropriations, Judiciary, Revenue, Travel, Recreation, and Wildlife Committee, and on the Rules and Procedures Committee. He was Chairman of the Appropriations Committee in both the House and the Senate, for a total of ten years. Phil was elected to and served as Senate Vice President, the Senate Majority Floor Leader, and Senate President. He served as President of the Senate from 2015-2016. Phil has served on many interim committees, including the Judicial Reorganization Committee which resulted in the reorganization of our present Court System including the establishment of the Circuit Courts. A full listing of committees Phil served on can be found at http://legisweb.state.wy.us/LegislatorSummary/LegDetail.aspx?LegID=594 . Phil continues to serve on the Capitol Restoration Committee and the University of Wyoming Science Initiative.
Locally, Phil previously served on the Albany County Hospital Board of Trustees, Hospice of Laramie, the Laramie Area Chamber of Commerce Board, the Albany County Planning Commission, and the Laramie Economic Development Corporation. He is a co-founder of the Laramie Beautification Committee.