Diona Howard-Nicolas

Diona Howard-Nicolas’s practice focuses on securities enforcement, securities litigation, and regulatory compliance matters.

Before joining Bruch Hanna, LLP, Ms. Howard-Nicolas was a litigation associate for two prominent law firms in Baltimore and the District of Columbia. Through her experience, Ms. Howard-Nicolas has developed substantial litigation skills, handling a diverse array of matters involving insurance and securities litigation, commercial disputes, insurance coverage, general liability, professional liability, white collar defense, and employment litigation. She began her legal career as a law clerk for the Honorable Jeffrey Geller at the Circuit Court for Baltimore City, Maryland. She has also served as a judicial intern for the Honorable C. Darnell Jones at the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania; the retired Honorable Randolph F. Treece at the United States District Court for the Northern District of New York; and the Honorable Sally D. Adkins at the Court of Appeals of Maryland.

While attending American University Washington College of Law, Ms. Howard-Nicolas served as a Note and Comment Editor for the Administrative Law Review, where her article addressing reformation of the federal sentencing guidelines was selected for publication.

Ms. Howard-Nicolas graduated magna cum laude from Temple University in 2008 with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science.  She also earned a Master of Public Administration from the University of Pennsylvania in 2010, and received her law degree from American University Washington College of Law in 2014.

Selected Publications

• “Accounting and Auditing Law” in Elgar Concise Encyclopedia of Corruption Law (forthcoming) (co-author with Greg Bruch).
• “Negotiated Federal Sentencing Guidelines:  A Cure for the Federal Sentencing Debacle,” 65 Admin L. Rev. 665 (2013).