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CHRIS NICHOLS

PARTNER

Chris Nichols is an experienced attorney with over 22 years of legal experience in land use and zoning law, municipal law, real estate, economic development, administrative law and complex civil litigation. Chris joined Brady & Hamilton in September 2024 after relocating to Lubbock from Houston.

Prior to joining Brady & Hamilton, Chris spent two years as Senior Counsel at Wilson Cribbs + Goren which is the largest exclusive real estate firm in Houston, Texas, and before was the Managing Attorney and Shareholder of his own firm – The Nichols Firm, PLLC – from 2016 to 2022. In this role, he served as the City Attorney and/or General Counsel for numerous home rule and general law cities, as well as various economic development corporations and special districts. He has extensive experience providing legal guidance and representation on a wide range of land use issues relating to municipal law, zoning, administrative appeals, eminent domain, economic development, litigation, and more.

Earlier in his career, Chris was associate attorney at Randle Law Office Ltd., L.L.P. from 2007 to 2016, where he gained significant experience in local government and administrative law, again serving as City Attorney and General Counsel for many local governments in southeast Texas. Mr. Nichols also cultivated a private practice focusing on governance and operational issues affecting non-profit and community association entities.

Mr. Nichols received his J.D. from Texas Tech University School of Law in 2001 and his Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Argumentation/Rhetoric from Baylor University in 1996. He is admitted to practice law in the State of Texas, the United States Supreme Court, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the United States District Courts for the Southern and Northern Districts of Texas. Over the years, Chris has been involved in several notable cases at the Supreme Court, Fifth Circuit, and Texas appellate court levels.

J.D., Texas Tech University School of Law (2001)
B.A., Baylor University (1996)

State Bar of Texas
Lubbock Bar Association

U.S. Supreme Court

- Warner-Lambert Co. v. Wakefield, 544 U.S. 1044, 125 S.Ct. 2252 (May 16, 2005). [punitive damages]

5^th Circuit Court of Appeals

- Hartford Fire Ins. Co. v. City of Mont Belvieu, 611 F.3d 289 (5th Cir. 2010). [statute of limitations and estoppel; performance bond claim]

Texas Courts of Appeal

- City of Patton Village, Texas v. Concerned Citizens Against Wrongful Annexation, No. 09-21-00368-CV, Ninth District Court of Appeals – Beaumont, Texas; on appeal from the 457^th Judicial District Court of Montgomery County, Texas; Trial Court Cause No. 20-02-02477. Trial court’s granting of summary judgment for “citizens” reversed and rendered on appeal in favor of the City based on validation statute. [annexation]
- A Status Construction, LLC v. City of Bellaire, Texas, No. 01-21-00326-CV, First District Court of Appeals – Houston, Texas; on appeal from the 129^th Judicial District Court, Harris County, Texas; Trial Court Cause No. 2020-51751. [immunity]
- Southwyck, Section VI Homeowners’ Ass’n v. Southwyck Cmty. Ass’n, No. 14-16-00139-CV, 2017 Tex. App. LEXIS 9789 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] Oct. 19, 2017). [restrictive covenants]
- Cernosek Enters. v. City of Mont Belvieu, 338 S.W.3d 655 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 2011). [immunity]

Other Cases of Interest

- Angelica Trevino and Eric Trevino v. Lisa Hernandez, Flabea Cruz and Re/Max Signature; Cause No. 18-DCV-252525, 400^th District Court of Fort Bend County, Texas. [seller’s disclosure and breach of professional duties; favorable verdict for seller and award of damages and attorney’s fees; post judgment appeal pending]
- Southwyck Section IV Homeowners’ Association v. Southwyck Community Association, Inc.; Cause No. 104559-CV, 239^th District of Brazoria County, Texas. [enforcement of court of appeals mandate]
- Copperfield Place Property Owners Association, Inc. v. Copperfield Place Village Property Owners Association, Inc., et al; Cause No. 2019-29669, 333^rd District Court of Harris County, Texas. [complex case between master and village associations, ratification of past acts of non-profit association, dissolution and merger of corporate entities, disannexation of village association; favorable judgment]
- SignAd, Ltd. v. City of Mont Belvieu and Mont Belvieu Board of Adjustment; Cause No. 23618, 344^th District Court of Chambers County. [billboard and land use entitlements]
- Lamar Consolidated Independent School District v. The City of Fulshear, by and through, The City Council of The City of Fulshear, and Thomas “Tommy” Kuykendall, In His Official Capacity as Mayor of The City of Fulshear; Cause No. 11-DCV-187276, 268^th District Court of Fort Bend County, Texas. [land use entitlements]
- City of Meadows Place, Texas v. Maynard C. Galvin and Steve W. Galvin; Cause No. 09-DCV-172178, in the 268th District Court of Fort Bend County, Texas. [substandard buildings]
- City of Meadows Place, Texas v. Kent Cavender; Cause No. 09-DCV-170986, in the 434th District Court of Fort Bend County, Texas. [substandard buildings]
- City of Cresson, Texas v. City of Granbury, Texas; Court of Appeals, Second District Court of Appeals; Trial Court Civil Case No. 02-06-00227-CV. [annexation]
- The City of Hunters Creek Village, Texas v. The City of Piney Point Village, Texas, by and through, The City Council of The City of Piney Point Village and Peter G. Nemeth, In His Official Capacity as Mayor of The City of Piney Point Village, Texas; Cause No. 2012-03491, in the 269^th Judicial District of Harris County, Texas. [drainage; inverse condemnation]
- The City of Hunters Creek Village, Texas v. The City of Piney Point Village, Texas, by and through, The City Council of The City of Piney Point Village and Lee Butler, In His Official Capacity as Mayor of The City of Piney Point Village, Texas; Cause No. 1010490, in the County Civil Court at Law No. 1 of Harris County, Texas. [drainage; inverse condemnation]

2024- BISNOW Houston; Moderator – Houston Master Planned Communities Conference

2024- Houston Bar Association; What’s New and What’s Hot – Regulation in the ETJ, Boards of Adjustment and Subdivision Platting

2023- Houston-Galveston Area Council (HGAC) Newly Elected Official Workshop; Open Meetings Act Training (Texas AG Accredited)

2023- BISNOW Houston; Moderator – Adaptative Reuse in Houston

2023- UT CLE Land Use Conference: Land Use Fundamentals; The Power of the City Limits and ETJ Authority and Development Agreements

2022- Texas Bar CLE: Advanced Real Estate Strategies; Land Use Regulation Outside Urban Areas and Large Cities

2022- HGAC Newly Elected Official Workshop; Open Meetings Act Training (Texas AG Accredited)

2021- TML Economic Development Conference; Chapter 380 Economic Development Agreements, the Right Stuff?

2019- TML Economic Development Conference; Chapter 380 Economic Development Agreements, the Right Stuff?

2019- TMCA/TMCCP Legislative Update Seminar; Planning & Zoning

2019- TML Newly Elected Official Training; Municipal Revenue Sources: Generating Revenue

2019- City Hall Essentials Municipal Law Seminar; Overview of Municipal Sign Law

2019- HGAC Newly Elected Officials Workshop; Open Meetings Training (Texas AG Accredited)

2019- TML Small Town Conference; Economic Development for Small Towns

2018- TML Economic Development Conference; “Chapter 380 Agreements: The Right Stuff?”

2018- TML Newly Elected Official Workshop; “Municipal Revenue Sources”

2018- UT CLE Land Use Conference; “The regulation of solicitation, the homeless, and charitable donation bins in the shadow of Reed v. Town of Gilbert (& Thayer v. City of Worcester).”

2017- Texas City Attorneys Association Summer Conference; “Close Encounters of the Drone Kind.”

2017- HalfMoon LLC, Texas Land Law for Civil Engineers and Land Surveyors

2016- Texas Association of Appraisal Districts Conference. “Tax abatement fundamentals and the implications for Texas Cities and Counties”

2016- UT CLE Land Use Conference: Land Use; The impact of Reed v. Town of Gilbert on local government sign regulation.

2015- UT CLE Land Use Conference; “Signs of the Times: Regulation Fundamentals and Cases of Interest.”

2015- HalfMoon Seminars – Texas Land Laws; “Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law” and “Understanding Public Dedications & Easements.”

2015- Foxmoor Continuing Education – Estate Planning: Key Issues for Attorneys, Accountants & Financial Advisors; “Litigation Tips & Strategies for Estate Planning Cases.”

2014- HalfMoon Seminars – Texas Land Boundaries and Access Rights; “Locating and Understanding Easements and Rights of Way” and “Avoiding, Identifying and Resolving Ethical Issues in Real Estate-Related Professional Practice.”

2014- Texas City Attorneys Association Summer Conference “Economic Development Panel: Recent Developments and the Tools to Deal with Them”

2011- Texas City Attorneys Association Summer Conference; “Billboard and Sign Regulation: Recent Cases and Trends”

2010- TML / Texas City Attorneys Association Sign Law Conference; “Current Issues in Sign Regulation”

2010 to 2014- HalfMoon LLC, Texas Land Law for Civil Engineers and Land Surveyors

Habitat for Humanity

CHRIS NICHOLS

PARTNER

Chris Nichols is an experienced attorney with over 22 years of legal experience in land use and zoning law, municipal law, real estate, economic development, administrative law and complex civil litigation. Chris joined Brady & Hamilton in September 2024 after relocating to Lubbock from Houston.

Prior to joining Brady & Hamilton, Chris spent two years as Senior Counsel at Wilson Cribbs + Goren which is the largest exclusive real estate firm in Houston, Texas, and before was the Managing Attorney and Shareholder of his own firm – The Nichols Firm, PLLC – from 2016 to 2022. In this role, he served as the City Attorney and/or General Counsel for numerous home rule and general law cities, as well as various economic development corporations and special districts. He has extensive experience providing legal guidance and representation on a wide range of land use issues relating to municipal law, zoning, administrative appeals, eminent domain, economic development, litigation, and more.

Earlier in his career, Chris was associate attorney at Randle Law Office Ltd., L.L.P. from 2007 to 2016, where he gained significant experience in local government and administrative law, again serving as City Attorney and General Counsel for many local governments in southeast Texas. Mr. Nichols also cultivated a private practice focusing on governance and operational issues affecting non-profit and community association entities.

Mr. Nichols received his J.D. from Texas Tech University School of Law in 2001 and his Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Argumentation/Rhetoric from Baylor University in 1996. He is admitted to practice law in the State of Texas, the United States Supreme Court, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the United States District Courts for the Southern and Northern Districts of Texas. Over the years, Chris has been involved in several notable cases at the Supreme Court, Fifth Circuit, and Texas appellate court levels.

J.D., Texas Tech University School of Law (2001)
B.A., Baylor University (1996)

State Bar of Texas
Lubbock Bar Association

U.S. Supreme Court

- Warner-Lambert Co. v. Wakefield, 544 U.S. 1044, 125 S.Ct. 2252 (May 16, 2005). [punitive damages]

5^th Circuit Court of Appeals

- Hartford Fire Ins. Co. v. City of Mont Belvieu, 611 F.3d 289 (5th Cir. 2010). [statute of limitations and estoppel; performance bond claim]

Texas Courts of Appeal

- City of Patton Village, Texas v. Concerned Citizens Against Wrongful Annexation, No. 09-21-00368-CV, Ninth District Court of Appeals – Beaumont, Texas; on appeal from the 457^th Judicial District Court of Montgomery County, Texas; Trial Court Cause No. 20-02-02477. Trial court’s granting of summary judgment for “citizens” reversed and rendered on appeal in favor of the City based on validation statute. [annexation]
- A Status Construction, LLC v. City of Bellaire, Texas, No. 01-21-00326-CV, First District Court of Appeals – Houston, Texas; on appeal from the 129^th Judicial District Court, Harris County, Texas; Trial Court Cause No. 2020-51751. [immunity]
- Southwyck, Section VI Homeowners’ Ass’n v. Southwyck Cmty. Ass’n, No. 14-16-00139-CV, 2017 Tex. App. LEXIS 9789 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] Oct. 19, 2017). [restrictive covenants]
- Cernosek Enters. v. City of Mont Belvieu, 338 S.W.3d 655 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 2011). [immunity]

Other Cases of Interest

- Angelica Trevino and Eric Trevino v. Lisa Hernandez, Flabea Cruz and Re/Max Signature; Cause No. 18-DCV-252525, 400^th District Court of Fort Bend County, Texas. [seller’s disclosure and breach of professional duties; favorable verdict for seller and award of damages and attorney’s fees; post judgment appeal pending]
- Southwyck Section IV Homeowners’ Association v. Southwyck Community Association, Inc.; Cause No. 104559-CV, 239^th District of Brazoria County, Texas. [enforcement of court of appeals mandate]
- Copperfield Place Property Owners Association, Inc. v. Copperfield Place Village Property Owners Association, Inc., et al; Cause No. 2019-29669, 333^rd District Court of Harris County, Texas. [complex case between master and village associations, ratification of past acts of non-profit association, dissolution and merger of corporate entities, disannexation of village association; favorable judgment]
- SignAd, Ltd. v. City of Mont Belvieu and Mont Belvieu Board of Adjustment; Cause No. 23618, 344^th District Court of Chambers County. [billboard and land use entitlements]
- Lamar Consolidated Independent School District v. The City of Fulshear, by and through, The City Council of The City of Fulshear, and Thomas “Tommy” Kuykendall, In His Official Capacity as Mayor of The City of Fulshear; Cause No. 11-DCV-187276, 268^th District Court of Fort Bend County, Texas. [land use entitlements]
- City of Meadows Place, Texas v. Maynard C. Galvin and Steve W. Galvin; Cause No. 09-DCV-172178, in the 268th District Court of Fort Bend County, Texas. [substandard buildings]
- City of Meadows Place, Texas v. Kent Cavender; Cause No. 09-DCV-170986, in the 434th District Court of Fort Bend County, Texas. [substandard buildings]
- City of Cresson, Texas v. City of Granbury, Texas; Court of Appeals, Second District Court of Appeals; Trial Court Civil Case No. 02-06-00227-CV. [annexation]
- The City of Hunters Creek Village, Texas v. The City of Piney Point Village, Texas, by and through, The City Council of The City of Piney Point Village and Peter G. Nemeth, In His Official Capacity as Mayor of The City of Piney Point Village, Texas; Cause No. 2012-03491, in the 269^th Judicial District of Harris County, Texas. [drainage; inverse condemnation]
- The City of Hunters Creek Village, Texas v. The City of Piney Point Village, Texas, by and through, The City Council of The City of Piney Point Village and Lee Butler, In His Official Capacity as Mayor of The City of Piney Point Village, Texas; Cause No. 1010490, in the County Civil Court at Law No. 1 of Harris County, Texas. [drainage; inverse condemnation]