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Nick Goldberg specializes in high-stakes complex civil litigation and white-collar criminal defense. His clients include established companies, start-ups, government entities, and executives across a broad range of industries, including software, financial services, internet security, pharmaceuticals, professional sports, and venture capital.

Nick has litigated a wide variety of complex civil cases in federal and state courts, at both the trial and appellate levels, and in arbitration proceedings. He has handled disputes involving intellectual property, contract, fraud, professional liability, antitrust, securities, and corporate law. Nick also has extensive experience helping guide venture-backed companies, founders, executives, and investors through disputes involving trade secrets, employee mobility, fiduciary duties, confidentiality agreements, and other contract issues. 

In his criminal practice, Nick represents companies and executives in internal and government investigations, including those by the U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, California Attorney General, and other government agencies. He has experience in matters involving allegations of securities fraud, insider trading, anticompetitive conduct, and campaign finance offenses. 

Nick maintains an active pro bono practice representing clients in high-impact litigation.  He was awarded the 2018 California Lawyer of the Year (CLAY) award by the Daily Journal for his representation of the County of Santa Clara in successfully challenging President Donald J. Trump’s January 2017 Executive Order attempting to defund “sanctuary jurisdictions.”       

Nick Goldberg specializes in high-stakes complex civil litigation and white-collar criminal defense. His clients include established companies, start-ups, government entities, and executives across a broad range of industries, including software, financial services, internet security, pharmaceuticals, professional sports, and venture capital.

Nick has litigated a wide variety of complex civil cases in federal and state courts, at both the trial and appellate levels, and in arbitration proceedings. He has handled disputes involving intellectual property, contract, fraud, professional liability, antitrust, securities, and corporate law. Nick also has extensive experience helping guide venture-backed companies, founders, executives, and investors through disputes involving trade secrets, employee mobility, fiduciary duties, confidentiality agreements, and other contract issues. 

In his criminal practice, Nick represents companies and executives in internal and government investigations, including those by the U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, California Attorney General, and other government agencies. He has experience in matters involving allegations of securities fraud, insider trading, anticompetitive conduct, and campaign finance offenses. 

Nick maintains an active pro bono practice representing clients in high-impact litigation.  He was awarded the 2018 California Lawyer of the Year (CLAY) award by the Daily Journal for his representation of the County of Santa Clara in successfully challenging President Donald J. Trump’s January 2017 Executive Order attempting to defund “sanctuary jurisdictions.”       

Keker Argues for 9th Circuit to Revive CREXi’s Antitrust Claims Against Rival CoStar

10/11/2024

Keker partner Nicholas Goldberg presented CREXi’s appeal to a 9th Circuit panel of judges, arguing that a lower court misapplied the legal standard for a motion to dismiss, and that CREXi’s antitrust counterclaims include questions of fact and evidence that need to be weighed by a jury. Read more

Litigating on the Front Lines of Pac-12 Power Struggle

04/04/2024

Keker Van Nest & Peters partner Eric MacMichael was interviewed by Law360 for a Q&A on representing Oregon State University in litigation and ultimately settlement after 10 schools announced their departures from the Pac-12. Read more

Keker, Van Nest & Peters Team Named Litigators of the Week, Runners-Up

September 15, 2023

The Am Law Litigation Daily has named a team from Keker, Van Nest & Peters among its Litigators of the Week Runners-Up for winning a temporary restraining order that blocks the Pac-12 Conference from holding an unauthorized September 13 board meeting. Read more

Keker, Van Nest & Peters Wins Emergency TRO in Pac-12 Governance Dispute

September 15, 2023

Representing Oregon State University, a Keker, Van Nest & Peters team secured a temporary restraining order blocking the Pac-12 Conference from holding an unauthorized September 13 board meeting. Read more

Am Law Litigation Daily: Another Dose of Litigator of the Week Runners-Up and Shout Outs

08/12/2022

Litigators at Keker, Van Nest & Peters land runners-up honors in the case they’re handling for the PGA Tour involving antitrust claims brought by suspended golfers who have joined the professional golf tour’s upstart rivals at the LIV Golf Invitational Series. Read more

Federal judge denies LIV golfers bid for PGA Tour postseason

08/09/2022

A federal judge in California ruled Tuesday that three golfers who joined Saudi-backed LIV Golf will not be able to compete in the PGA Tour’s postseason. Read more

Keker, Van Nest & Peters Elects Four Attorneys to Partner

January 02, 2019

Keker, Van Nest & Peters is pleased to announce that the firm has elected associates Nicholas Goldberg, Thomas Gorman, Elizabeth McCloskey, and Erin Meyer to its partnership effective January 1, 2019. Read more

Keker, Van Nest & Peters Team Wins 2018 CLAY Award

March 21, 2018

Keker Attorneys Help Get Key Victory in a Fight Over Immigration, Federal Funding Read more

Calif. Judge Permanently Blocks 'Sanctuary Cities' Order

November 21, 2017

A California federal judge on Monday permanently blocked the enforcement of an executive order issued by President Donald Trump in January that calls for withholding federal funds from so-called sanctuary cities, saying it violates various provisions of the U.S. Constitution. Read more

Trump’s Order Attacking Sanctuary Cities Ruled Unconstitutional

November 20, 2017

In a historic ruling issued today, U.S. District Court Judge William H. Orrick declared unconstitutional the key provision of the Trump Administration’s Executive Order targeting “sanctuary jurisdictions,” and permanently enjoined its enforcement nationwide. Read more

Court Denies Trump’s Efforts to Undo Injunction Blocking “Sanctuary Cities” Exec. Order

July 24, 2017

A U.S. District Court has denied the federal government’s request to reconsider a preliminary injunction blocking President Donald Trump’s Executive Order defunding “sanctuary jurisdictions.” Read more

Q&A With Pro Bono Lawyer Who Helped Block Trump's Sanctuary Executive Order

04/26/2017

The nationwide injunction to block Trump's executive order defunding sanctuary cities was a win for lawyers for Santa Clara County and their pro bono counsel at Keker Van Nest & Peters. Read more

SF Federal Judge Blocks Trump Order

April 26, 2017

Keker, Van Nest & Peter's win blocking President Trump's Executive Order to defund "sanctuary jurisdictions" was featured in the Daily Journal Read more

County of Santa Clara Wins Nationwide Injunction of Trump’s Executive Order Defunding “Sanctuary Jurisdictions”

4/25/2017

In a historic ruling issued today, U.S. District Court Judge William H. Orrick granted the County of Santa Clara’s request to temporarily enjoin President Trump and his administration from enforcing an Executive Order provision that would withdraw all federal funding from the County and jurisdictions across the country deemed “sanctuary jurisdictions.” Read more

Between Trump and his Justice Department lawyers, a vast disconnect

04/26/2017

Keker, Van Nest & Peter's win blocking Pres. Trump's Executive Order to defund "sanctuary jurisdictions" was featured in Alison Frankel's On The Case column for Reuters. Read more

Trump Crackdown Confronts Sanctuary Fight, Skeptical Judge

04/14/2017

During a recent hearing in which Keker, Van Nest & Peters represented Santa Clara County, Bloomberg news reported that Trump’s Executive Order Targeting Sanctuary Jurisdictions was met with skepticism from a federal judge. Read more

Keker, Van Nest & Peters Sues Trump over Sanctuary Jurisdictions Order

February 09, 2017

In conjunction with the County of Santa Clara, KVP attorneys have sued the Trump Administration over the President’s Executive Order threatening to deny “sanctuary jurisdictions” federal funds. Read more

Keker & Van Nest Filed an Amicus Brief for Amnesty International on Behalf of Chelsea Manning

05/20/2016

Manning, a former Army intelligence analyst, was sentenced in a military court for leaking about half a million classified documents to the secret-spilling WikiLeaks site. Read more

Victories for Instacart, Qualcomm, and the San Diego County Water Authority Earn Recognition in the Recorder's Litigation Department of the Year Awards

02/26/2016

The awards recognize California litigation practices that delivered exceptional results on their clients' most critical and challenging matters. Read more

Keker, Van Nest & Peters Wins California's Top Plaintiff's Verdict by Dollar

02/16/2016

John Keker and his team brought in nearly $235 million for the San Diego County Water Authority. The big win was a key installment in California's ongoing water wars, made increasingly urgent by four dry years. Read more

$44M Awarded in Water Case - Damages Follow $188M Ruling in Suit Over Rates

10/13/2015

John Keker, Dan Purcell and their team secured another victory for the San Diego County Water Authority. Read more

San Diego Owed $188M Over Alleged Water Row Overcharges

07/17/2015

John Keker and his team win a major victory for the San Diego region. Read more

Historic Win for County Water Authority over MWD Villains

04/27/2014

Keker & Van Nest helped the San Diego County Water Authority triumph in its long-standing battle with the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California over millions in water transportation fees. Read more