Nicole Falcey represents employers across the country in wage and hour class and collective actions, pay equity disputes, and complex employment litigation. She defends companies against claims under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), state wage and hour laws, and new pay transparency and equal pay statutes while also helping businesses avoid potential claims through strategic compliance counseling.
Nicole is known for her sharp judgment, practical approach, and ability to see the big picture. She understands that legal compliance doesn’t happen in a vacuum — it has to work within the real-world demands of running a business. Clients rely on her to deliver strategies that protect them legally while supporting their broader business objectives.
In her litigation practice, Nicole has successfully protected companies against large-scale exposure and resolved complex multi-plaintiff actions across a range of industries. She also works closely with clients on pay audits, wage and hour risk assessments, and compliance programs to help them navigate the increasingly aggressive enforcement landscape.
While her practice includes a wide variety of clients from a number of industries, she has a connection to the restaurant industry is both professional and deeply personal. Nicole worked as a waitress throughout high school, college, law school, and even while studying for the bar exam, giving her firsthand insight into the fast-paced, high-pressure realities of restaurant operations. That experience informs her passion for helping restaurants navigate the complex employment issues unique to the industry, including wage-and-hour compliance, scheduling practices, and employee relations. With a natural inclination toward advocacy and problem-solving, Nicole ultimately found her calling in the law—but in another life, she often notes, she might have been a restaurant owner, a perspective that shapes her practical, business-minded approach to counseling restaurant clients.
Clients describe Nicole as perceptive, strategic, and relentlessly focused on practical solutions. Whether defending a lawsuit or building a compliance program, she brings a measured and tactical approach aimed at protecting her clients and positioning them for sustained success.
Nicole was selected as a 2024 Fellow of the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD) and is active in attorney recruiting and mentoring within the firm.