Nicole Valentine

Nicole Valentine

also known as Nicole Mullikin

4.9
Rating: 8.2

Licensed for 20 years

Medical malpractice Lawyer at Sacramento, CA
Practice Areas: Medical Malpractice, Licensing, Criminal Defense

2150 River Plaza Drive, Ste 250, Sacramento, CA

About Nicole

Biography

Practice Areas

3

Practice Areas

Medical Malpractice 70%

I represent physicians and hospitals in medical malpractice claims.

70%
Licensing 25%

I represent professional licensees with reporting convictions, Accusations, hearings, and petitions to reinstate.

14 years

25%
Criminal Defense 5%

I represent licensed professionals facing felony, and misdemeanor charges

20 years

5%

Fees and Rates

Cost

Free Consultation

$0 first 15 minutes


Payment Methods

  • Cash
  • Check
  • Credit Card

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Licenses

Licensed in California for 20 years

State: California

Acquired: 2006

Active

No misconduct found

Location

Low McKinley Baleria LLP

2150 River Plaza Drive, Ste 250, Sacramento, CA, 95833

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Nicole Valentine's Reviews

Avvo Review Score

4.9 /5.0

170 Client Reviews

Showing 116 - 120 of 165 reviews | 5 stars

Posted by Rick | January 31, 2019 | Hired Attorney

Caring attorney

Nicole took care of everything, which helped reduce the stress I was experiencing during this trying process.

Posted by Andreas | December 25, 2018 | Hired Attorney

Best RN License Defense Lawyer EVER!

I found Nicole Valentine after a one month long search of lawyers who have experience in license defense in California. I chose Nicole for five reasons: She has a 5 star rating on AVVO She was recommended personally by a friend’s co-worker She had experience in license defense, specifically with ...the California Board of Registered Nursing She charged a reasonable rate Though she wouldn’t promise me success, she had been successful for the person recommending her, and had a good success rate. I arrived at this decision after a 13 year long legal nightmare. Here is why I needed help in 2018 from Mrs. Valentine: My license had an accusation by the BRN in 2010 relating to my care of a patient in 2005. I had already relocated to my home state of Washington. My attorney was able to secure an offer of probation, but the probation could not be done from Washington, forcing a relocation I was financially unable to burden He advised me to take a voluntary surrender of my license. He neglected to inform me that this was essentially equal to having your license revoked by the state, and carried most of the negative consequences. He was unaware that this would have consequences in Washington. As a result my Washington license was suspended. I found an excellent attorney in Washington who was able to get my license back within six weeks. I had lost my job as a pediatric ER nurse. In 2018 after a congressional change in hiring practices, I was terminated from my position as an ER nurse at the Veterans Administration hospital where I worked. I’m giving you a lot of background information because I think it’s important to know how bad of a situation Nicole Valentine of Goyette and Associates was able to resolve favorably for me. After a free consultation she felt that she would be able to get me the best possible outcome. She is knowledgable about the board, what they look for, and what to expect throughout the process. Over the course of a month, Nicole and her team helped me to put together a mitigation package that highlighted the past thirteen years of my nursing career. Included were letters of recommendation, performance evaluations, continuing education certificates and awards. Mrs. Valentine argued my case in front of an Administrative Law Judge, and based on the strength of our case, her knowledge of the BRN and it’s requirements, was able to successfully argue for complete reinstatement of my license. No probation. No further hoops to jump through. Words are unable to express my sincere and deep appreciation to Nicole for her work, for the efforts of her team in building my case, and for her expert and in-depth knowledge of what is required to come before the Board of Registered Nursing. In reading this, I hope that I have conveyed sufficient confidence to choose Nicole Valentine to represent you. I’m so glad I did.

Posted by anonymous | November 27, 2018 | Hired Attorney

License saver!

With a DUI, as an RN in CA, the BRN can be a nightmare. Those people are not RN friends, as a matter a fact, they will try to trick you to enroll to a "Diversion Program" which is designed to ruin you, or just flat out ruin your career. BRN will make sure that you will fail and will never work as a n...urse again. Nicole has guide me through the process and provide me with laundry list of documents that needed and helped me with my personal statement. The whole nightmare ends up with a fine and citation which doesn't go public. Bravo, Nicole! I wish I hired you first when I got my DUI because my previous lawyer pretty much screwed me up, especially because you understand the impact of DUI to a nursing career (which my DUI lawyer did not know crap) Don't go facing the BRN alone. you will fail miserably, because of all the pitfalls designed to trap you! Nicole is the one that advised me to ignore the BRN's "Diversion Program" trick, and golly, was she right! With Nicole on your side, your chance of saving your license is improved by 200%!

Posted by Allan | November 26, 2018 | Hired Attorney

Thank you for your representation

Thank you Nicole Valentine for representing me and my 2 colleagues. Excellent follow through and advice throughout the entire process. Easy to get a hold of for any questions/concerns. Very pleased with the outcome of our investigation.

Posted by Erin | November 25, 2018 | Hired Attorney

Hire this lawyer!

I hired Nicole Valentine in February of this year after I made a really stupid decision in January and got a DUI. I am an RN in California and the board of registered nursing in this state is ruthless and unforgiving. Needless to say, I was terrified. If you are in a similar situation, listen to me: ...HIRE A LAWYER TO DISCLOSE YOUR CONVICTION. Don't go at this alone, it could cost you your career. Nicole is AWESOME. I hired her to disclose what ended up being a conviction for a wet reckless. The last year has been the worst year of my life because of this stupid mistake and I had no idea what to expect or how to proceed, and I had so much on the line. To be honest, I needed a friend as well as a lawyer. Someone to help navigate me through the process and hold my hand a little bit. It's such a hard time. Nicole was just that. As opposed to my DUI lawyer who was impossible to get a hold of, Nicole was available 24/7, actually took the time to explain stuff to me, and made me feel a million times better about going through this hell. She always took the time to answer my questions and gave me hope. She's awesome. If you are going through this, I am sorry, I know the pain. Do yourself a favor and hire this amazing lawyer. She will make this terrible experience manageable. I heard from the BRN about a week ago and was issued a citation and fine- the best possible outcome. Thanks again Nicole!

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Nicole Valentine's Lawyer Endorsements

Endorse Nicole
Aaron Doyle headshot
Aaron Doyle

Licensing lawyer | Mar 10

Relationship: Opposing Counsel on matter

"I wholeheartedly endorse Nicole. I have worked with her on opposing matters for the past several years and recently together as co-counsel. She is always well prepared, articulate and professional. Nicole is a true and zealous warrior for her clients."

Jamie Evan Silverstein headshot
Jamie Silverstein

Licensing lawyer | May 20

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"I endorse this lawyer. She is very bright, competent and she fights hard for her clients. She’s also a great communicator."

John William Thornton headshot
John Thornton

Licensing lawyer | May 20

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"I have referred several nurses in trouble with the BRN (DUI, stealing medications, etc.) to Nicole - all of them have been happy with her representation and results. I've been impressed enough to refer other lawyers to her. She works well with other attorneys to achieve a result that is good both on the criminal front and the licensing front."

View All Endorsements
Samuel Eugene Spital headshot
Samuel Spital

Administrative law lawyer

Jamie Evan Silverstein headshot
Jamie Silverstein

Criminal defense lawyer

John William Thornton headshot
John Thornton

DUI and DWI lawyer

Experience

Rating:  8.2 (Excellent)

Work Experience

2025 - Present

Associate Attorney, Low McKinley Baleria, LLP

2013 - 2025

Managing Attorney of Professional Licensing Division, Goyette and Associates

2006 - 2013

Assistant Public Defender, Ciummo & Associates

2003 - 2005

Law Clerk, Protection & Advocacy, Inc.

Associations

2016 - Present

National Council of Jewish Women

Member

2005 - Present

California Public Defenders Association

Member

2016 - 2018

National Council of Jewish Women

Board Member

Education

2005

McGeorge School of Law, University of the Pacific

JD - Juris Doctor

2001

University of Central Florida

BA - Bachelor of Arts

N/A

University of Northampton

Semester Abroad

Speaking Engagements

2023

Academy of Medical Surgical Nurses Annual Convention What to Do When a Nurse is Caught Diverting Controlled Substances

2022

ASMN Annual Convention

What to Do When a Nurse is Under Investigation

Languages

English

Activity

Avvo Rating

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Avvo Rating Levels
10.0 - 9.0 Superb8.9 - 8.0 Excellent7.9 - 7.0 Very Good6.9 - 6.0 Good5.9 - 5.0 Average4.9 - 4.0 Concern3.9 - 3.0 Caution2.9 - 2.0 Strong Caution1.9 - 1.0 Extreme Caution