Practice Areas
Banking & Finance
Business Law
Real Estate & Land Use
Securities
Start-Up Companies
Education
J.D., University of Idaho College of Law, 1985
B.B.A., University of Massachusetts School of Business Administration,
cum laude, 1982
Admissions/Memberships
American Bar Association
Fourth District Bar Association
Idaho State Bar
Idaho Supreme Court
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
U.S. District Court for the District of Idaho
Professional Publications
“A Comparison of the UN Convention for the International Sale of Goods and Idaho’s Uniform Commercial Code,” The Advocate, Vol. 52, No. 9, Sept. 2009.
“Teach an Old UCC Dog New Tricks, An overview of the U. N. Convention on the International Sale of Goods,” Business Law Today, Vol. 18, No. 1, Sept./Oct. 2008.
“What is a Business Lawyer?” The Advocate, Vol. 49, No. 9, Oct. 2006.
“Article 2A–Equipment Leasing” seminar course materials presented May 2005, ISB Business and Corporate Law Section continuing legal education seminar, Boise, Idaho.
Co-Author :
“What’s a Director to Do?” The Advocate, Vol. 49, No. 9, Oct. 2006;
“Third-Party Legal Opinions - Secured Financing Transactions,” presented Feb. 1993, Idaho Law Foundation continuing legal education seminar, Boise, Idaho.
“Negotiating Difficult Clauses in Business Agreements,” presented May 2002, Idaho State Bar Business and Corporate Law Section continuing legal education seminar, Boise, Idaho.
Professional Profile
Shareholder, Moffatt Thomas Barrett Rock & Fields, Boise, Idaho, July 2007 - present. Practice focus: business sales and acquisitions; real estate sales, acquisitions, development and leasing; finance; entity formation; general business law.
Associate General Counsel - Finance and Corporate Affairs, and Assistant Secretary, J. R. Simplot Company, Boise, Idaho, June 1994 – November 2005. Practice focus: business sales and acquisitions; equipment leasing and credit facilities (term, revolving, and private placements); negotiation and documentation of ISDA documents for interest rate and commodity hedging; real estate sales, acquisitions, development, and leasing; general commercial law; and general corporate law. Provide primary legal support to finance function and act as transfer agent for private placement notes. Support corporate secretary function by overseeing Board meeting preparation and conduct, maintaining corporate books and records, maintaining business licenses, and overseeing corporate governance policies and compliance. Advise senior management on business strategy and initiatives.
After leaving this position and before rejoining Moffatt Thomas, Christine spent a short tenure with Batt & Fisher, a Boise business boutique law firm, where her practice continued to focus on business, finance and real estate transactions.
Associate and Shareholder, Moffatt Thomas Barrett Rock & Fields, Boise, Idaho. June 1986 - May 1994. Practice focus: business sales and acquisitions; real estate sales, acquisitions and leasing; commercial and real estate loan transactions; securitized lending arrangements; commercial and agricultural loan workouts; general commercial law; and general corporate law.
Honors:
· Recipient, 2009 Burton Award for Legal Excellence.
· Woman of the Year Leadership Award, Boise Chapter, National Association of Women Business Owners, 2009.
· Recognized by Chambers USA as a leader in the field of Real Estate Law, 2008.
· Rated AV® Preeminent, Martindale Hubble.
· Tribute to Women in Industry (TWIN) Award, Women’s and Children’s Alliance, Boise, Idaho, 2000.
Representative transactions:
· Acquisition of frozen potato products manufacturing company located in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
· Acquisition of turf-products retail distribution business with assets in 14 states, requiring compliance with requirements of federal anti-trust laws for pre-merger notification.
· Multi-million dollar acquisition by 3-member buying consortium of turf seed assets and intellectual property (including PVP varieties) located in multiple states, involving approval of a bankruptcy court and compliance with requirements of federal anti-trust laws for pre-merger notification.
· Represented borrower in $275MM syndicated revolver and $105MM term loan.
· Represented lender in operating loan to a large trout farming operation, a flooring line to a large group of automobile dealerships, construction loans to real estate developers, and agricultural loan work-outs.
· $200MM leveraged lease of chemical plant, and lessee representation in other leveraged leases, synthetic leases and operating leases for rolling stock, railroad tank cars, and food processing line equipment.
· Provide legal support to large residential and commercial master planned subdivision, including covenant preparation (for residential phases and commercial components), development of form residential lot reservation and purchase agreements, negotiation and closing of commercial purchase agreements, build-to-suit leases, in-line retail leases, and pad site leases with local and national tenants.
· Provide legal support to mixed-use renovated warehouse development, including development of form leases for office tenants, retail tenants and restaurant tenants; negotiate leases with local and national tenants.
· Provide legal support for the construction, financing and operation of a condo project that included a 4-star hotel, residential condominiums, health club, events center with hospitality suites, restaurants and public parking garage.
Ms. Nicholas is a recipient of the Tribute to Women in Industry (TWIN) Award, Women's and Children's Alliance (WCA), Boise, Idaho, April 2000. She is a Board member of Ballet Idaho, and a past Board member of the Boise Saddle and Jump Club and the Idaho Hunter Jumper Association.