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Nikki Lewis Simon

Nikki Lewis Simon

Senior Vice President and Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer

Nikki Lewis Simon, a commercial litigator with more than two decades of experience, primarily serves as Senior Vice President and the firm’s Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Officer. In this capacity, Nikki designs and guides strategic initiatives and programs to deepen firmwide diversity and inclusion efforts that further enrich client engagements and community investments.

Her role is indicative of, and integral to, Greenberg Traurig’s core values of collaboration and inclusion – principles that inform the firm’s operations and legal business in meaningful, positive ways.

Prior to assuming primary responsibilities on the business side of the firm, Nikki has represented her cross-industry clients’ business objectives by protecting their capital – human, intellectual, and financial – against claims of wrongdoing in complex commercial and class action litigation. Those matters have spanned the panoply of issues and claims businesses often face, from discrimination to wrongful death, defamation to fraud and misrepresentation, professional negligence and malpractice to breach of fiduciary duty and securities law violations.

Given her experience, Nikki is also an active member of Greenberg Traurig’s Labor & Employment Practice’s team of diverse lawyers who concentrate in strategic DEI and employment counseling. The team provides pragmatic employment legal advice- both nationwide and jurisdiction specific— that address the client’s risk tolerance, cultural realities, operational bandwidth, and budget. Together, the team and client design and implement employment compliance programs as well as strategic advice and planning that help foster positive employee relations that also strengthen DEI, including innovative operating guides and job-aides; industry tailored dynamic trainings to virtually every organizational level; employment compliance audits and employee engagement sessions with an emphasis on DEI.

DEI challenges and opportunities are integral to every decision in the employment life cycle.

Capabilities

Recognition & Leadership

  • Selected, Diversity Global Magazine, "Top 15 Diversity Officers," 2024
  • Winner, Corporate Counsel Women, Influence & Power in Law (WIPL) Awards, "Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Champion," 2024
  • Listed, The Best Lawyers in America, Commercial Litigation, 2024-2025
  • Selected, National Association of Women Lawyers (NAWL), "Rising List," 2024
  • Recognized, The National Black Lawyers, "Top 100 in Florida," 2023
  • Recognized, Daily Business Review, "Diversity and Inclusion – Individual," 2023
  • Winner, Corporate Counsel Women, Influence & Power in Law (WIPL) Awards, "Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Team Award," 2023
  • Recipient, Profiles in Diversity Journal, "Diversity Leader Award," 2022
  • Selected, Most Influential Black Lawyers List, Savoy Magazine, February 2022
  • Listed, "Top Chief Diversity Officer," The National Diversity Council, 2020 
  • Named, Lawyers of Color, Nation's Best List, 2019 
  • Recipient, T.J. Reddick Bar Association, "Achievement in the Profession Award," 2019
  • Honoree, Onyx Magazine, "Women on the Move," 2019
  • Listed, South Florida Legal Guide, 2015-2021
    • "Top Lawyer," 2019-2021
    • "Top Up and Comer," 2015-2018
  • Recipient, University of Miami School of Law, "Law Alumni Leadership Award," 2017 
  • Team Member, a Law360 "Employment Practice Group of the Year," 2011 and 2013
  • Listed, Florida Trend magazine, "Legal Elite," 2012
  • Selected, Legacy Miami magazine and Miami Herald " Legacy Legal Leader," 2012
  • Winner, Profiles in Diversity Journal, "Women Worth Watching Award," 2012
  • The Florida Bar
    • Member, Board of Governors, 2019-Present
    • Chair, Diversity & Inclusion Committee, 2018-2019
      • Past Vice Chair, Diversity & Inclusion Committee
    • Past Vice Chair, Federal Court Practice Committee
      • Former Member, Federal Court Practice Committee
      • Chair, Federal Judicial Roundtable, Federal Court Practice Committee, 2015-2016
    • Member, Business Law Section, Litigation Committee
    • Former Member, Media & Communications Law Committee
  • Member, Law360 Editorial Advisory Board, Diversity & Inclusion, 2022
  • Fellow, American Bar Foundation
  • Fellow, Wm. Reece Smith, Jr. (WRS) Leadership Academy, Inaugural Class
    • Member, WRS Leadership Academy Alumni Relations & Recruitment Subcommittee
  • Alumna, Leadership Broward, Class XXXII
  • Member, American Bar Association, Labor & Employment Law, Litigation Sections
  • Member, National Bar Association, Commercial Law Section
  • Member, National Association of Women Lawyers
    • Member, NAWL Diversity Committee
  • Member, Federal Magistrate Judge Merit Selection Panel for the Southern District of Florida, 2017
  • Member, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, Standing Black History Month Committee
  • Board of Directors, Kozyak Minority Mentoring Foundation
  • Gwen S. Cherry Black Women Lawyers Association
    • Historian, 2019-2020
    • Immediate Past President, 2018-2019
    • President, 2017-2018
  • Liaison, Women's Initiative, Greenberg Traurig (Miami)
  • Member, Virgil Hawkins Florida Chapter NBA
  • Member, Wilkie D. Ferguson Jr. Bar Association
  • Member, Miami-Dade Chapter, Florida Association of Women Lawyers
  • Adjunct Professor, University of Miami School of Law, Litigation Externship Program
  • Member, Board of Directors, University of Miami Law Alumni Association, 2018-Present
  • Charter Member, South Broward Alumnae Chapter (SBAC), Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated
  • Board of Directors, Women's Chamber of Commerce of Miami-Dade County, 2011-2012
  • Board of Trustees, Mercy Hospital, 2009-2011
  • Secretary and Board Member, The Fountain of New Life (TFONL), 2007-2011

Credentials

Education
  • J.D., cum laude, University of Miami School of Law
    • Member, University of Miami Law Review
    • Member, Moot Court Board
  • B.A., Journalism, cum laude, Florida A&M University
    • Reporter, The FAMUAN
    • DJ, WANM 90.5 FM The Voice of Florida A&M University
Admissions
  • Florida
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
  • U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida
  • U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida
  • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida