Nashville Partner Nicole Sims has been recognized as an "On the Rise in Tennessee" honoree by American Lawyer Media's 2025 Southeastern Legal Awards. 

The "On the Rise" category of the Southeastern Legal Awards recognizes the Southeast's most promising lawyers under the age of 40. These individuals are noted as innovators, developing unique practice niches, amassing robust books of business, demonstrating strong leadership qualities, showing expertise in litigation or transactional work, and committing themselves to pro bono, charitable and professional volunteer work.

"Nicole is an absolute superstar and a true up-and-comer in the legal field,” said Tucker Herndon, a partner in the firm’s Nashville office. “She’s a tremendous asset to our firm, and her recognition as ‘On the Rise in Tennessee’ is well deserved. I’m excited to watch her continued success throughout her career. The best is definitely yet to come.”

Nicole is an attorney in the firm’s Corporate & Tax practice group, focusing on mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, financing transactions, and regulatory compliance. She represents clients in various corporate matters such as capital raises, private equity transactions, joint ventures, and restructurings, and has experience with cross-border acquisitions, real estate deals, and opportunity zone investments.

Nicole also advises on corporate governance, entity formation, and daily legal issues, while handling complex commercial contracts and financing transactions. Additionally, she assists with regulatory matters, including Small Business Administration loans and export control regulations.

The 2025 honorees were celebrated at a gala held on May 1st at The Whitley Hotel in Atlanta, GA. To view the full list of honorees, click here.