Nichole D. Atallah

Nichole counsels employers and their compliance professionals on a broad range of labor and employment, government contracting, and corporate governance matters. She serves as Chair of PilieroMazza’s Labor & Employment Group, one of the few legal practices in the U.S. with a multi-jurisdictional labor and employment practice dedicated to advising government contractors on their compliance obligations. Nichole’s primary goal in representing employers is to help guide them through difficult situations, proactively address compliance, and avoid costly disputes. 

Nichole’s labor and employment practice includes the entire breadth of employee and labor relations issues such as employment discrimination, pay equity regulations, wage and hour (Department of Labor) investigations and hearings, labor union negotiations, grievances, arbitrations, and National Labor Relations Board hearings. Nichole also assists business owners and their management teams in general business matters, such as interpreting and drafting employee compensation and benefit arrangements and confidentiality, non-compete, non-solicitation, and separation agreements.  

Government contractors rely on Nichole’s substantial expertise in advising government contractors of all sizes in general government contract matters such as subcontract negotiations, teaming agreements, business strategy, and FAR Part 22 compliance, including the Service Contract Labor Standards (the Service Contract Act), Construction Labor Standards (the Davis-Bacon Act), and the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs requirements. Nichole also offers guidance to tribally owned entities regarding their unique labor and employment issues, including Native American preference, sovereign immunity, and Title VII jurisdiction.

Nichole works proactively with clients via educational programs and training sessions related to the aforementioned practice areas, particularly employment discrimination, labor and employment for government contractors, the Service Contract Act, and ethics.  Please refer to the Training Modules on our website to learn more.

Related Practice Areas

• Labor & Employment
• Government Contracts
• Litigation & Dispute Resolution
• Audits & Investigations
• Native American Law & Tribal Advocacy
• Employee Incentive and Bonus Plans
• PilieroMazza Labor & Employment Training Modules
• Construction
• GSA Federal Supply Schedules

Representative Experience

Employment law experience:

• Counseling client’s regarding liability exposure when making work force decisions
• Obtaining favorable outcomes in charges before the EEOC
• Negotiating resolutions to employment agreement disputes and non-competition violations
• Obtained settlement of EEOC discrimination charge for mere pennies on the dollar where complainant agreed to dismiss her charge in exchange for a small amount of money she claimed was due to her in back wages
• Advising clients on application of workforce policies and procedures

Labor law experience:

• Successfully negotiated several collective bargaining agreements for successor contractors that inherited an organized bargaining unit from a predecessor contractor
• Obtained early resolution of several unfair labor practice charges filed with the National Labor Relations Board
• Counseled clients during the solicitation process and after award regarding the company’s relationship with the bargaining unit and its obligations
• Assists clients through the grievance and dispute resolution process

Labor law regulatory compliance experience:

• Successfully negotiated Service Contract Act liability with the Department of Labor with respect to misclassification of employees
• Obtaining a substantial reduction in back payment liability for a client that miscalculated benefits owed to employees pursuant to the Davis-Bacon Act
• Negotiated a significant reduction in Service Contract Act Liability for client and assisted the client in defending its performance of work requirements when audited
• Assisted client in working with the Department of Labor and a subcontractor to negotiate a resolution to subcontractor liability for Service Contract Act violations

General litigation experience:

• Achieved favorable pre-trial settlement for a client sued by a former employee under the Americans with Disabilities Act
• Obtained pre-trial dismissal in a breach of contract and unjust enrichment claim by bringing a motion to dismiss based on jurisdiction, revealing the weakness of the plaintiff’s claims and causing the plaintiff to voluntarily dismiss the lawsuit
• Used effective litigation tactics to persuade counsel for plaintiff in employment discrimination suit to voluntarily dismiss the case (unpublished, 2012)
• Achieved pre-trial dismissal of lawsuit and an award of sanctions in favor of our client, a corporate defendant, in a discrimination lawsuit brought by a disgruntled former employee (unpublished, 2012)

General corporate experience:

• Drafting and interpreting employment and separation agreements
• Advising clients in crafting incentive pay and executive compensation arrangements
• Successfully brought and defended claims regarding non-compete and non-solicitation agreements

Articles

• You’re Hired! Restrictions on Hiring Former Government Employees for Government Contractors, The PM Legal Minute Blog, 05.12.25
• President Trump’s DEI Executive Orders Are Back On: What Contractors Need To Know, PilieroMazza Client Alert, 03.25.25
• No More Minimum Wage Obligations Shifts Pricing Strategies for Service and Construction Contractors, PilieroMazza Client Alert, 03.18.25
• March 2025: Reducing the Negative Impacts of a Government Shutdown for Federal Contractors, PilieroMazza Client Alert, 03.12.25
• DEI Executive Orders Partially Blocked: What’s In and What’s Out, For Now . . ., PilieroMazza Client Alert, 02.24.25

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Events

• Labor Rules & Regulations: Federal Market Compliance, MCCC’s Veteran Institute for Procurement (VIP) START, 10.22.25
• Impact of the Trump Administration on Government Contracts, ACRA’s 31st Annual Conference, 09.12.25
• Multijurisdictional Employers, Part 3: Best Practices for Paid Sick Leave and Family Leave, PilieroMazza Webinars, 08.07.25
• New Employment Issues in Government Contracting, 2025 National HUBZone Conference, 07.24.25
• FUN with the FAR 2025: FAR 22 & 23, PCI’s FUN with the FAR Season 2025, 07.23.25

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Webinar Replays

• Multijurisdictional Employers, Part 1: Independent Contractors vs. Employees, Classifications Under Federal and State Laws, Webinar Replays, 05.01.25
• How to Comply with Trump’s Executive Order, Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity, Webinar Replays, 02.28.25
• Successor Government Contractor Hiring Obligations Change: DOL’s Long Awaited Nondisplacement Rule Effective February 12, 2024, Webinar Replays, 01.18.24
• Construction Roundtable: Top 4 Legal Risks for Federal Construction Contractors, Webinar Replays, 05.18.23
• Recent Trends in COVID Vaccine and Mask Mandates for Employers, Webinar Replays, 08.23.21

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Podcasts

• Clocking in with PilieroMazza: Latest Developments on DEI Executive Order and Action Items before April 21 Deadline, 04.16.25
• Clocking in with PilieroMazza: Second Chance Initiatives: Guidance for Hiring Workers with Criminal Histories, 06.20.24
• Clocking in with PilieroMazza: DOL Increases Salary Basis Test on July 1, 2024: Impact on Federal Government Contractors, 06.05.24
• Clocking in with PilieroMazza: New Board Cases Provide Guidance for SCA Price Adjustments, 05.22.24
• Employers Take Heed: DOL Revises Employee Classification Rule, 05.15.24

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News

• 2025 Super Lawyers® Honors 13 PilieroMazza Attorneys for Outstanding Legal Service, 05.29.25
• Nichole Atallah Contributes to PCI Podcast Series “Tracking Changes with the New Administration to Help You Manage Contracts and Grants”, 04.09.25
• Nichole Atallah Speaks with Federal News Network: DoD No Longer Requires Equal Employment Opportunity Clauses In Contracts, 03.19.25
• PilieroMazza Creates Resource Center to Address Executive Orders Affecting Government Contractors, 02.05.25
• PilieroMazza Earns Best Law Firms® Recognition for Excellence in Labor & Employment Litigation, 11.12.24

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Education

• Georgia State University College of Law, J.D., 2010, magna cum laude, Legislative Editor, Georgia State University Law Review
• The George Washington University, Elliott School of International Affairs, B.A., 2004
• University of California, Berkeley, 2015, Negotiations and Influence Certification

Admissions

• District of Columbia
• Georgia

• District of Columbia Superior Court
• Georgia Court of Appeals
• Georgia Superior Court
• Georgia Supreme Court
• U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit
• U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit
• U.S. District Court, District of Columbia
• U.S. District Court, Middle District of Georgia
• U.S. District Court, Northern District of Georgia

Activities

• Member, Women in Public Procurement (WIPP) Leadership Advisory Council
• Board Member, Public Contracting Institute (PCI)
• Co-Chair, Employment, Labor, and Safety Committee, American Bar Association
• Instructor, Veteran Institute for Procurement (VIP) START Program
• Teacher, Street Law Inc., providing basic legal education to high school students

Honors