Nicole M. Hardman
Nicole Hardman, a Principal with Neuberger, Quinn, Gielen, Rubin & Gibber, P.A., is a passionate litigator renowned for her unwavering client focus and exceptional results. Nicole commands extensive experience in high-stakes commercial litigation matters, with a proven record of achieving decisive victories for clients across a broad spectrum of disputes, including complex business controversies, contract interpretation, labor and employment matters, real estate and construction litigation, commercial lease disputes, consumer claims, business torts, insurance coverage issues, professional negligence, and banking and finance cases. Her practice is defined by a strategic, results-driven approach and a steadfast commitment to safeguarding her clients’ interests at every stage of the dispute process.
Nicole is regularly entrusted by clients to guide them through all phases of litigation in both state and federal courts, including complex appellate proceedings. Her commanding motions practice has resulted in the early dismissal or summary judgment of numerous cases, neutralizing threats and minimizing disruption for her clients. Drawing on her deep experience, Nicole excels at resolving matters efficiently—whether through pre-litigation negotiation, strategic settlements, or courtroom advocacy. Beyond her litigation prowess, Nicole’s comprehensive legal background encompasses significant work in commercial real estate, advising on acquisition, development, finance, leasing, and disposition of real property, as well as assisting clients with mergers and acquisitions. Clients value Nicole for her ability to craft tailored, forward-thinking strategies that protect their interests and drive favorable outcomes when it matters most.
Nicole’s diverse legal expertise empowers her to deliver comprehensive, practical solutions that address clients’ immediate needs while positioning them for long-term success. Her meticulous attention to detail, paired with an ability to maintain focus on the broader objectives, ensures that each client receives personalized, results-oriented representation.
Nicole graduated magna cum laude from the University of Maryland School of Law, where she served as Editor-in-Chief of the Maryland Law Review, was named a Rose Zetzer Fellow in the Women, Leadership and Equality Program, and was inducted into the Order of the Coif. She earned her undergraduate degree, magna cum laude with honors in political science, from the University of Connecticut, where she was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and was a NCAA Division I athlete.
Before joining the firm, Nicole honed her legal acumen as a judicial intern for the Honorable George L. Russell, III, United States District Court for the District of Maryland, and as a law clerk at the United States Attorney’s Office in Baltimore. She further refined her skills as a products liability associate at an Am Law 100 firm in Washington, D.C., and in the mergers and acquisitions group at a sophisticated boutique law firm in Baltimore.
Practice Areas
Representative Experience
- Successfully represented corporation and its newly-elected officers and directors in lawsuit over corporate control following a contested shareholder meeting, securing dismissal of numerous counterclaims and winning summary judgment on all remaining claims and counterclaims asserted against clients, delivering a decisive victory that reaffirmed clients’ governance and protected their strategic interests.
- Successfully defended corporation against protracted, multi-million-dollar healthcare fraud qui tam action involving several complex counts and multiple co-defendants, achieving complete dismissal of all claims with prejudice and safeguarding client’s reputation and financial stability.
- Successfully defended business consulting group in a multi-year, multi-count lawsuit involving allegations of loan default, breach of contract, fraud, civil conspiracy, and fraudulent transfer, obtaining dismissal of several claims and securing summary judgment on all remaining counts after the close of discovery.
- Represented a commercial landlord in high-stakes negotiations with national convenience store chain involving improper lease termination, successfully achieving a favorable financial settlement for the client.
- Successfully defended a commercial real estate developer in a complex dispute over land declarations and the client’s rights as declarant for a substantial commercial, retail, and residential development, resulting in a favorable settlement for the client.
- Secured a resounding defense for a real estate developer in a multi-million dollar suit brought by a national home builder, obtaining dismissal of most claims, won summary judgment on all others, and compelled the plaintiff to cover a significant portion of the client’s attorneys’ fees.
- Guided a closely held graduation regalia company through an intensive Federal Trade Commission (FTC) investigation of its trade and marketing practices, successfully satisfying all FTC concerns and enabling the client to avoid further investigation and avert millions of dollars in potential penalties.
- Represented a major shopping center developer in a significant dispute with a key tenant over lease abandonment, successfully advancing the client’s interests and securing a positive resolution.
- Successfully represented hotel chain owner in a complex case involving a borrower’s default on a $7 billion commercial real estate loan for a hotel chain that the borrower had personally guaranteed for $100 million.
- Successfully defended apartment complex owners in a high-exposure mold litigation, securing complete dismissal of all claims and saving clients over $1 million in potential liability.
- Achieved summary judgment in a case to remove the client as trustee of a corporate stock trust, resulting in the dismissal of petitioners’ extensive damages claims against the client.
- Assisted in successfully representing a large regional automobile dealership in a consumer contracts case on appeal before the Supreme Court of Maryland that resulted in an impactful decision confirming that Maryland’s statutes do not require consumer-financing agreements to adhere to the “one document rule” that applies in some jurisdictions, thus upholding the enforceability of multiple-document contracts.
- Assisted in successfully representing a family’s heir in a conflict over the proper disposition of the heir’s grandmother’s estate on appeal before the Supreme Court of Maryland regarding whether the testator intended to create a condition precedent of survivorship under Maryland’s testamentary law and whether the testator’s will expressed an intent to negate Maryland’s statutory anti-lapse presumption.
- Represented numerous corporate clients in a variety of breach of contract matters, consistently securing favorable outcomes that protected and advanced clients’ business interests.
Publications
- “Astrue v. Capato: Relegating Posthumously Conceived Children to Second Class Citizens,” 72 MD. L. REV. 1039 (2013)
Honors and Awards
- Best Lawyers – Ones to Watch in America, Commercial Litigation (2024-2026)
- Super Lawyers – 2024 Maryland Rising Stars, Business Litigation
- National Association of Women Lawyers Outstanding Law Student Award
- Department of the Army Commander’s Award for Public Service – Kaiserslautern, Germany
- Department of the Army Patriotic Civilian Service Award – Ft. McClellan, Alabama
- Roger Howell Achievement Award
Professional Organizations
- Maryland State Bar Association
- Women’s Bar Association of Maryland
- Baltimore City Bar Association
- American Bar Association
Community Involvement
- Harford County Chamber of Commerce Military Affairs Committee Member
- Chase Brexton Health Care 2026 Gala Committee Member
Professional Background
- Associate, Neuberger, Quinn, Gielen, Rubin & Gibber, P.A.
- Associate, Nemphos Braue, LLC
- Associate, Crowell & Moring, LLP
- Law Clerk, Neuberger, Quinn, Gielen, Rubin & Gibber, P.A.
- Law Clerk, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Baltimore, Maryland
- Judicial Intern, Hon. George L. Russell, III, U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland
Legal Publications
- "Astrue v. Capato: Relegating Posthumously Conceived Children to Second Class Citizens," 72 MD. L. REV. 1039 (2013)