Max Nicholas, Esq.

Max is a trial lawyer who specializes in white-collar criminal defense, securities enforcement, and complex civil litigation. He represents individuals in criminal cases and investigations brought by the Department of Justice, enforcement proceedings brought by the Securities and Exchange Commission and other federal and state regulators, and commercial disputes. In 2022 and 2023, Max was recognized as a “Future Star” by Benchmark Litigation. In 2023, he was appointed to serve on the Criminal Justice Act panel for the Southern District of New York and on the Pro Bono panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

Max founded Max Nicholas LLC in January 2024. From 2021 through 2023, Max was a partner at the New York litigation boutique Spears & Imes LLP, where he defended individuals at the pre-indictment, post-indictment, and trial phases of federal criminal cases and in a wide array of regulatory investigations. From 2014 through 2020, Max served as a federal prosecutor with the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. During that time, Max was a member of the Office’s Securities & Commodities Fraud Task Force. Max investigated and tried cases involving the mismarking of securities, investment adviser fraud, insider trading, misappropriation of investor funds, wire fraud, and money laundering. Among other cases, Max handled the prosecution of United States Congressman Christopher Collins for insider trading. Prior to his time in the Securities & Commodities Fraud Task Force, Max served as Acting Deputy Chief of the Violent and Organized Crime Unit, where he supervised investigations into healthcare fraud, racketeering, homicide, and narcotics trafficking.

Max graduated from Harvard University summa cum laude and from Harvard Law School magna cum laude. Following law school, Max served as a law clerk to the Honorable John G. Koeltl on the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York and to the Honorable Robert D. Sack on the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

Max lives in Brooklyn with his wife and daughter.