Name: Russell Nicolet, Founding Attorney | Nicolet Law
Uploaded: August 18, 2020
Description: Russell Nicolet, Founding Attorney | Nicolet Law

Awards

top-100-national-advocates

Top 100 Lawyers

top-25-motor-vehicle-trial-lawyers

top-10-trucking-lawyers

Biography

When people tell me that I don’t sound like a lawyer… I take that as a compliment.

I know people don’t typically think of lawyers as personable or down-to-earth. But I come from a family that values authenticity and sacrifice—when you genuinely care about something, it’s not about keeping appearances or maintaining a façade. It’s about working hard for the things and the people you care about.

I approach every case with empathy, imagining myself in my client’s position and striving to provide the kind of representation I’d want for myself, my friends, or family members. I see myself in the clients I serve because, at the end of the day, I’m just a regular person too. I often tell folks, “I’m not a lawyer—I’m just an everyday person who happened to earn a law degree.” I understand the worries, whether it’s struggling to pay bills, adjusting to life after an injury, or simply trying to make ends meet with everyday expenses like gas and groceries. I feel those concerns deeply because I’ve experienced them too, and that perspective has shaped both me and my practice.

My dad grew up on a farm, starting his mornings at 5:30 a.m. milking cows before catching the bus to school—a routine he began at just five years old. Later, he carried that same work ethic into his career at UPS, where he consistently arrived early and stayed late, ensuring every job was not only finished but was a job well done. From him, I learned the importance of hard work and that there’s no substitute for putting in the time and effort to do things right.

My mom, on the other hand, taught me the importance of kindness and compassion. I saw her embody those values, even while battling and beating breast cancer. It was a tough fight, both for her and for our family, but she faced it with unwavering strength, patience, and kindness. Her journey continues to remind me that success comes from fighting hard, staying patient, and always striving to be kind.

The values my parents instilled in me fuel everything I do for my clients. They place their trust in me to handle their needs, and that’s a responsibility I take very seriously.

I was the first person in my family to graduate from law school.

I knew that becoming a lawyer was the best way I could serve my community and the people I care about.

The ability to make a difference and help people with their lives continues to drive everything I do today. As a Midwest native and legal professional, I’ve built Nicolet Law on the values that define our region: hard work, integrity, and genuine care for others. At the heart of my work is a genuine connection with my clients—people I’m privileged enough to sit next to in a courtroom.

I started Nicolet Law back in 2007, and I was so proud when all my younger siblings went to college and decided to join the firm. My brothers Adam and Ben were the second and third lawyers at Nicolet Law and my sister Holly was one of the early paralegals. Eventually even our mom joined us after decades of experience as a Registered Nurse.

We all know what’s been said about working with family. But for me, as a business owner, husband, and father of five, there’s no one I trust more than the people I know best.

Personal Injury Lawyer Russell Nicolet Posing with Local Hat

I have filled the office with people who have share the same values and work ethic—people who truly care about the clients we serve. People who are so smart they could be working for much bigger firms in much bigger cities… but who choose to be right here with us, putting in the work for our clients.

Putting in the work means going the distance.

I’m a runner and running has gotten me through some of my toughest times. Even when it gets below freezing, I push myself to run. I run directly out to a point so that there is only one way back. There is no shortcut or easy route back.

Whether I’m running outside on the pavement or running a trial inside the courtroom, I know it’s going to be a fight and I know it’s going to be tough every time. But I also know that the things that are tough are the things worth fighting for.

I can’t stand seeing people get taken advantage of, and when I take on a case for our clients, I’m all in.

Most of my cases don’t settle at mediation because I know what clients are worth and I’m always ready for the gloves to come off. I’m ready for the fight because it’s the only way to get meaningful results for my clients.

So, I embrace the work, embrace the challenge, and meet it head-on.

Recent Case Results for Russell:

$3,000,000 for client injured in semi-truck crash in Minnesota
$2,620,571 Jury Verdict for client injured at retail store in Minnesota
$1,300,000 for client injured in Minnesota in UTV crash
$1,500,000 for family of pedestrian hit in crosswalk near Milwaukee, Wisconsin
$1,500,000 for client injured in bicycle accident in Minnesota
$1,500,000 for clients injured in a car crash in Wisconsin
$1,400,000 for client injured in car accident in Minnesota
$1,117,000 for client injured in car accident in Wisconsin
$1,000,000 for teacher injured in school bus crash in Wisconsin
$900,000 for child injured at school in Minnesota

Founding And Growing Nicolet Law Office, S.C.

At Nicolet Law, we know that real, lasting change requires work. It requires sacrifice.

And we know that work is worth it in the end – for our clients, and for ourselves.

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.

Teddy Roosevelt

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Education

William Mitchell College of Law, St. Paul, Minnesota
- J.D. – 01/2007
University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point, Stevens Point, Wisconsin
- B.A.

Bar Admissions

Wisconsin, 2007
Minnesota, 2007
North Dakota, 2023
Iowa, 2024
U.S. District Court Western District of Wisconsin, 2007
U.S. District Court District of Minnesota, 2011
U.S. Bankruptcy Court Western District of Wisconsin, 2007
U.S. Bankruptcy Court Minnesota, 2011
U.S. District Court for the District of North Dakota, 2023

Press

Russell has been interviewed by numerous national media outlets, and has been quoted in well-known publications such as Forbes, Entrepreneur, Inc., Today.com, and The Huffington Post.