Nicholas Gurney

Nicholas has made it his mission to represent real people in their fight for justice, taking on defective product manufacturers, commercial trucking giants, and the insurance companies behind them. In his career, Nicholas has secured favorable jury verdicts in both civil and criminal trials, including multiple seven figure jury verdicts in civil cases. His passion for justice extends outside the office where Nicholas has served as an Adjunct Professor of Legal Studies at the University of Central Florida, teaching Torts, Evidence, Rhetoric, Legal Research, and Legal Writing before joining the faculty at Barry Law School as an Adjunct Professor of Law where he currently teaches Interviewing, Counseling, and Problem Solving to the next generation of lawyers.

Nicholas has been called upon to speak and present at many state and national trial lawyer conferences, with a particular emphasis on complex commercial trucking cases involving catastrophic injuries or wrongful deaths. Nicholas continues to speak and write on issues central to his practice and, in recent years, has been published in respected journals and periodicals, both for the Plaintiff’s bar and the Florida Bar.

In October 2016, Nicholas became one of the youngest trial lawyers ever to graduate from Gerry Spence’s famed Trial Lawyers College in Dubois, Wyoming. He has been recognized by Thompson Reuters’ Super Lawyers (“Rising Star,” 2020 – Present), Best Lawyers (“Ones to Watch,” 2021 – 2023), Elite Lawyers (2022 – 2023), Orlando Magazine (“Ones to Watch,” 2022), and the University of Central Florida Alumni Association (“Top 30 Under 30,” 2017).

Nicholas holds degrees with honors from the University of Central Florida and the University of Florida Levin College of Law (Juris Doctorate, Cum Laude). During law school, Nicholas earned the highest grade in six (6) different courses (“booking” the class) before becoming one of the few students to ever be inducted into both the Florida Blue Key National Honor Society and the National Order of Barristers. At UF Law, Nicholas earned membership into both major co-curriculars to which he applied: The Trial Team and The Moot Court Team and, upon graduation, was honored to receive the Helen G. Blechman Endowed Pro Bono Award in recognition of his donation of more free legal services than any other graduate. He holds law degree certificates in Community Service, Pro Bono Advocacy, and Criminal Justice.

Nicholas actively supports the UCF Trial Team, of which he is a distinguished alumnus and past National Tournament qualifier. Outside the office, Nicholas enjoys amateur woodworking and metalworking, trips to the dog park with his Klee Kai dog “Nate,” and spending time with his niece and nephew, both of whom are wise beyond their years.

Bar Admissions and Waivers

• The Florida Bar
• United States District Court, Middle District of Florida
• United States District Court, Southern District of Florida
• Pro Hac Vice, various jurisdictions

Awards and Involvement

• Thompson Reuters, Super Lawyers (2020 – 2024)
• Best Lawyers, “Ones to Watch” (2021 – 2023)
• Elite Lawyers, Recipient (2022 – 2023)
• Orlando Magazine, Ones to Watch (April 2022)
• UCF Alumni, Top 30 Under 30 (2017)
• Helen G. Blechman Pro Bono Award, Recipient
• Florida Blue Key Honor Society, Member
• National Order of Barristers, Member
• Trial Lawyer’s College, Graduate

Practice Areas

• Commercial Truck Crashes
• Defective Product Liability
• Wrongful Death
• Catastrophic Injury
• Personal Injury

Authorship and Leadership

• Adjunct Professor of Law, Barry Law School (Current)
• Presenter, Florida Bar on Trial Closing Arguments (2023)
• Author, Florida Justice Association Journal (2023)
• Speaker, 360 Advocacy: Auto, Truck, & Damages (2023)
• Speaker, FJA Winning Truck Cases Seminar (2022)
• Speaker, FJA Workhorse on Trucking Litigation (2022)
• Speaker, 360 Advocacy: Winning Truck Cases (2020)
• Panelist, UCF Alumni Legal Practitioners Panel (2020)
• Speaker, 360 Advocacy: GenExcellence (2019)
• Adjunct Professor, UCF Legal Studies (2019-2023)
• Head Coach, UCF Mock Trial Team (2019-2023)
• Author, Practitioner Pointer: Product Liability (2019)