Sean A Nicholson

Sean A Nicholson

4.6
Rating: 8.3

Licensed for 27 years

Criminal defense Lawyer at Vancouver, WA
Practice Areas: Criminal Defense, Expungement

1220 Main Street, Suite 400, Vancouver, WA

About Sean

Biography

Practice Areas

2

Practice Areas

Criminal Defense 99%

Domestic Violence, Driving Under the Influence & DMV Defense, Theft/Fraud/Embezzlement Cases, Elder Abuse, Drug Offenses, Assault/Battery, Burglary/Robbery, Trespassing, Vandalism, Probation Violations.

28 years

99%
Expungement 1%

If you have fulfilled your probation obligations, we can aid you in having your guilty or no contest plea changed to a not guilty finding and dismissal of the accusations or pleading. Thereby effectively cleaning your record. Call for details.

28 years

1%

Fees and Rates

Cost

Free Consultation

$0 first 30 minutes

Retainer

Always


Payment Methods

  • Cash
  • Check
  • Credit Card

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Licenses

Licensed in Washington for 6 years

State: Washington

Acquired: 2019

Active

No misconduct found

Licensed in California for 27 years

State: California

Acquired: 1998

Active

No misconduct found

Location

Pacific Defender Law Group

1220 Main Street, Suite 400, Vancouver, WA, 98660

Pacific Defender Law Group

601 West 1st Avenue, Suite 1400, Spokane, WA, 99201

Pacific Defender Law Group

400 Union Avenue SE, Suite 200, Olympia, WA, 98501

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Sean A Nicholson's Reviews

Avvo Review Score

4.6 /5.0

48 Client Reviews

Showing 6 - 10 of 48 reviews

Posted by Lucy | April 22, 2022 | Hired Attorney | DUI & DWI

Best guy for a difficult situation

I hired Sean after speaking with about five other lawyers. I liked that he was no-nonsense and direct with me, which helped me face the dire situation I was in. It was my first DUI but I had a high alcohol amount and did not act so nicely to the cops. Sean calmed me down and walked me through the ...process I would face. When he wasn't available by phone, Leslie was or he answered by e-mail.. I got a great deal and awesome help. Thank you Pacific Defender!

Posted by Tamela | March 09, 2022 | Hired Attorney | DUI & DWI

Do not waste your money

Hired Sean for a DUI case. We had no contact with him prior to count date. The bit of contact had, was Sean bragging about himself. He got extremely rude on the phone, when we switched lawyers. And refused to transfer documents to new legal team. Told me that I didn’t know crap about all he has done,... and was talking out of my rear end. Said he had 15 communications with Prosecuting attorney. Sean is Braggadocios, and rude to his clientele.

Sean Nicholson

Replied last April 27, 2022

This review is not a client. This individual was irate because the actual client did not show up to his court hearing, despite it being scheduled 60 days in advance per his request, they then expected us to make a false statement to the court regarding why he was not present for court. She also complained about the portions of the law that are mandatory minimums penalites imposed by court as a MINIMUM penalty. We cannot do better than the minimums, unless the case is eligible or has facts supporting reduced charges, many are not. I have followed this case and will continue to do so, it will result in the exact terms that were negotiated. The new counsel is going to "acheive" the exact same result. However, I will work to be more patient in these situations.

Posted by anonymous | March 03, 2021 | Hired Attorney | DUI & DWI

DO NOT PAY FOR A DUI LAWYER IN CALIFORNIA.

Especially Sean and Leslie Nicholson. From my experience with this so called law firm, no matter the representation, your Discovery tells the judge all he/she needs. And a lawyer here, according to Sean and Leslie has to follow that ruling. So what is the purpose of a DUI Lawyer if there's no con...sideration of the accounts in your Disovery? None at all! Despite that fact, Sean is incompetent and demeaning. He's all over the place and cannot give credible advice in whatever state he's licensed in now. Hell... how would you know if he even understands YOUR state laws? His prior reviews must be from family members or he just deletes the ones that dont give him a 5 star rating. Hmmmm... at any rate, gotta call B.S. on this guy.

Sean Nicholson

Replied last April 27, 2022

You got the best outcome by far of any case on calednar that day. We spent over 3.5 hours in the courtroom hallway going over it again and again, before YOU decided to accept the plea bargain. You were given repeated advice regarding your option to go to trial or accept the negotiated plea. We went over all of the offers from the offer sheet to show you that you were getting the best result of any similar case on calendar that day, which there were 55 - 60. It seems like your overall compaint has to do with California law, as inidated by your title line, it was certainly not a lack of explaining your options to you over and over again. Truly sat there with you 3.5 hours, until your case was the final case of the day, I understand you don't like the result but it had nothing to do with the time or representation. Certain offenses, such a DUI cases with priors, carry minimums that the D/A's will go, depending upon which County your case is in. You received the best result for that entire courtroom calendar that day and I personally showed that to you while at court.

Posted by anonymous | January 27, 2021 | Hired Attorney | Criminal Defense

Fantastic lawyer for my misdemeanor Hit and Run

I'm going to preface this by saying don't be an idiot and commit a hit and run. Unfortunately that is exactly what I did. Long story short, no one got hurt and I got a misdemeanor for my crime. I hired Sean after reading his firm's testimonials and I wasn't sure what to expect from a legal standp...oint. Fortunately, Sean alleviated all my concerns and charged a very fair rate, especially with the outcome that I essentially got a driving infraction and my misdemeanor dismissed. His email replies are timely and punctual and he will absolutely fight for the best deal for you. I've seen some of the other testimonials and despite the fact that my charges weren't as severe as others, but I was still worried about myself. I didn't know what to expect but he definitely exceeded my expectations in retrospect. Sean is a highly recommended lawyer for criminal defense and I will come back to him for any other help. I just hope it won't come down to that in the future!

Posted by Tracy | March 14, 2020 | Hired Attorney | Lawsuits & Disputes

HIGHLY recommend Sean A Nicholson

Sean Nicholson was amazing during the entire process. He was always available to answer any questions that I had, and would always keep me up to date on what was going on with my case. Having this be my first case, I was unaware of the process. Sean Nicholson made sure to help me understand all aspec...ts of the case and made me feel at ease the entire time. I would 100% choose his services if you are looking for a smart, trustworthy and fully educated lawyer to help you with your case!

See All Client Reviews

Sean A Nicholson's Lawyer Endorsements

Endorse Sean
William Francis Fitzgerald headshot
William Fitzgerald

DUI and DWI lawyer | Jun 23

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer."

Christine Bogosian headshot
Christine Bogosian

Criminal defense lawyer | May 25

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer. He is an excellent attorney and always looks out for the best interest of the client."

Bradford Weston III headshot
Bradford Weston

Criminal defense lawyer | Mar 19

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"I endorse this lawyer. I have worked closely with Mr. Nicholson and the other partners in his firm for over ten years. They are all great lawyers and great people. They have vast knowledge of the criminal law issues throughout the entire S.F.Bay Area and beyond and are smart and efficient lawyers. I go to Sean for advice on complicated legal matters and enjoy working with him and the other partners and associates at Nicholson and Nicholson. Sean Nicholson gets things done."

Daryl Brian Thompson headshot
Daryl Thompson

DUI and DWI lawyer | Jan 28

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse Sean Nicholson for his expertise in DUI/DWI."

Moises Aguilar headshot
Moises Aguilar

Criminal defense lawyer | Nov 21

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Mr. Nicholson is a skilled and experienced criminal defense attorney. He is an indispensible asset to his clients and the criminal defense community at large. I would not hesitate to refer a client to him if the occasion arose."

Erik W Nicholson headshot
Erik Nicholson

Criminal defense lawyer | Nov 21

Relationship: Worked for lawyer

"Mr. Nicholson was my mentor through college and law school. I had the opportunity to work in his office for several years and can personally attest to hundreds of victories on misdemeanor and felony cases as well as DMV administrative hearings. I highly recommend his services to anyone in need."

Tyrone Roman Martinez headshot
Tyrone Martinez

Criminal defense lawyer | Nov 21

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"I endorse this lawyers outstanding work. I've seen first hand how hard Mr. Nicholson works for his clients. His knowledge of criminal knowledge is deep and his commitment to his clients impressive. Mr. Nicholson is truly an asset to his clients and the legal community."

Christian K. Lassen II headshot
Christian Lassen

Unknown lawyer | Oct 24

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Top-notch attorney. Highly respected in the legal community."

Yvonne Elizabeth Todd headshot
Yvonne Todd

Criminal defense lawyer | Oct 23

Relationship: Worked for lawyer

"I strongly endorse this lawyer. He is an hard working aggressive attorney who fights for his clients and gets great results. His tremendous amount of experience separates him from the rest. Sean is truly an asset to the legal community."

View All Endorsements
Christine Bogosian headshot
Christine Bogosian

Criminal defense lawyer

Bradford Weston III headshot
Bradford Weston

Criminal defense lawyer

Daryl Brian Thompson headshot
Daryl Thompson

DUI and DWI lawyer

George Vincent Vargas headshot
George Vargas

Criminal defense lawyer

Moises Aguilar headshot
Moises Aguilar

Criminal defense lawyer

Erik W Nicholson headshot
Erik Nicholson

Criminal defense lawyer

Tyrone Roman Martinez headshot
Tyrone Martinez

Criminal defense lawyer

Yvonne Elizabeth Todd headshot
Yvonne Todd

Criminal defense lawyer

Experience

Rating:  8.3 (Excellent)

Honors

1998

Excellent Acheivement in Criminal Defense, Am Jur Bankroft Whitney

Work Experience

1998 - Present

Owner/Attorney, Nicholson Law Offices

Associations

2021 - Present

Washington Defender Association

Attorney Member

2000 - Present

Los Angeles County Bar Association, Criminal Justice Section

2000 - Present

Alameda County Bar Association, Trial Practice Section

1999 - Present

California Public Defenders Association

1998 - Present

San Francisco County Bar Association

1998 - Present

State Bar of California, Solo and Small Firm Section

1998 - Present

State Bar of California, Criminal Law Section

Sample of Legal Cases

State of Washington v. W.C.

Reckless Driving

People of the State of California v. J.H.

Dismissed Felony Conviction Reduced to Misdemeanor

People of the State of California v. J.H.

Dismissal

DMV v. R.C.

DMV Set Aside – No CDL Suspension

DMV v. A.G.G.

DMV Set Aside – No CDL Suspension

DMV v. N.M.

DMV Set Aside – No CDL Suspension

People of the State of California v. B.R.

Petty Theft

People of the State of California v. S.N.S.

Dismissal

DMV v. R.R.

Set Aside – No CDL Suspension

People of the State of California v. K.M.

Dismissal

People of the State of California v. A.R.

Dismissal

People of the State of California v. R.G.

Dismissal

People of the State of California v. L.L.

Dismissal

People of the State of California v. A.G.

Dismissal

People of the State of California v. J.B.

Dismissal

People of the State of California v. F.A.

Dismissal

People of the State of California v. J.Z.

Dismissal

People of the State of California v. J.L.

Dismissal

DMV v. L.D.

DMV Set Aside - No CDL Suspension

People of the State of California v. M.P.

Dismissal

People of the State of California v. S.G.

All Charges Dismissed

Case Dismissed after Pre-Trial Conference

All Charges Dismissed

DMV v. P.N.

SET ASIDE - NO SUSPENSION CDL

People of the State of California v. J.K.

No conviction / No suspension.

DMV v. J.F.

DMV Set Aside - No CDL Suspension

DMV v. J.H.

NO REFUSAL SUSPENSION - SET ASIDE OF REFUSAL SUSPENSION

DMV v. C.P.

DMV Set Aside - No CDL Suspension

People of the State of California v. E.O.

DUI Charges Dismissed/DMV Set Aside

DMV v. T.E.

DMV Set Aside - No CDL Suspension

DMV v. J.K.

SET ASIDE - NO SUSPENSION CDL

DMV v. PTC [Private]

SET ASIDE - NO SUSPENSION CDL

DMV v. E.O. [Private]

DMV Set Aside - No CDL Suspension

DMV v. J.C.

DMV Set Aside - No CDL Suspension

People of the State of California v. C.H.

All Charges Dismissed

People of the State of California v. B.L.

All Charges Dismissed - Probation Reinstated

See More Legal Cases

Education

1998

Golden Gate Univ SOL

JD - Juris Doctor

1994

Western Oregon University

undergraduate

Languages

English

Activity

Avvo Rating

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What determines Avvo Rating?
  • Experience & background Years licensed, work experience, education
  • Legal community recognition Peer endorsements, associations, awards
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