Nicole C. Hancock
Experience
Nicole is the Boise Office Managing Partner and she is a trial attorney handling
complex business litigation matters in federal and state court. Nicole’s trial practice
emphasizes business transactions, contract claims, trade secret defense and
enforcement, corporate torts, and injunction actions. Nicole has successfully firstchaired trials in federal and state courts, arbitration, and regulatory actions that
range from high-stakes litigation to smaller matters that have an impact on her
clients’ businesses. Clients describe Nicole as a “smart and tenacious lawyer,” who is
“not afraid to tackle tough cases,” according to a Chambers USA survey.
Nicole previously worked as Corporate Counsel for a global agricultural seed company,
and with this experience Nicole continues to serve the industry as a member of Stoel
Partner
Rives’ Food and Agribusiness team. She works with processing, manufacturing, and
other agricultural companies as well as entities in the beer and wine manufacturing
Boise, ID
and distribution industry. Nicole assists clients in maneuvering through agribusiness
(208) 387-4231 direct
regulations, including compliance with the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA),
Plant Variety Protection Act (PVP), Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA),
federal seed regulations, and regulatory oversight of agricultural and food processing
companies.
Nicole is a business-savvy and tenacious trial attorney, focusing on her clients’ needs.
(208) 389-9040 fax
nicole.hancock@stoel.com
Education

J.D., 2002, magna cum laude
Nicole serves as outside general counsel to local Idaho companies, using her
Editor-in-Chief, Willamette Law
experience as in-house counsel to provide legal services that align with each
company’s individual business goals and strategies. Nicole uses her business and
courtroom experience to develop and implement winning legal strategies that reach
Review




distribution rights to sub-distributor of beer and wine products.
Successfully settled matter on behalf of Plaintiff enforcing breach of noncompetition agreement and third party interference with business relationships
in advance of trial.
Agribusiness Seminar, Harvard Business
School Executive Education, Jan. 2011

IADC Trial Academy, Stanford
University, 2010
Bill Jones Distributing v. Hayden Beverage: Successfully obtained injunction and
declaratory relief against Hayden Beverage for unlawfully terminating

Interpretation, 1998
Lead counsel representing dairy producer-handlers and out-of-state producer in
nine-week USDA Federal Milk Marketing Order promulgation hearing.
Western Oregon University, B.S.,
American Sign Language English
her clients’ goals.
Representative Work
Willamette University College of Law,
Admissions

Idaho

Oregon

Washington

U.S. District Court for the District of
Idaho

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth
Circuit
Nicole C. Hancock

City of Eagle v. Premier Industrial: Successfully settled condemnation action on behalf of private property owner in
condemnation eminent domain action filed by the City of Eagle.

Rule Steel v. Michael Arevalo: Lead trial counsel in Idaho State Court for three-week jury trial. Obtained unanimous verdict in
favor of client, recovering 100% of all compensatory damage claims, and recovering on punitive damage claim in financial work
out case with claims of breach of fiduciary duty, fraud, breach of contract, and punitive damages.

Rule Steel v. Michael Arevalo: Successfully obtained full dismissal on summary judgment of all counterclaims for breach of
contract (written and oral), unjust enrichment, quantum meruit, conversion, tortious interference with contract, and tortious
interference with prospective economic advantage, alleged against client in financial work out litigation.

Dornoch Holdings International v. ConAgra Lamb Weston: Successfully obtained full dismissal with prejudice on behalf of
ConAgra Foods Lamb Weston against plaintiffs' multiple claims for breach of contract and breaches of fiduciary duties arising out
of an option agreement to acquire a South American potato processing entity. The U.S. District Court for the District of Idaho
specifically found that the plaintiffs, the owner of plaintiffs and/or the plaintiffs' counsel were "deceitful" to the Court and
"intended to defraud the court by conceal[ment]." Having found discovery abuses, and the willful deception of the Court, the
multimillion-dollar case was dismissed in its entirety with prejudice.

Aardema, Bettencourt, Golden Valley Dairy et al. v. Northwest Dairy Association: Trial counsel on a three-person trial team in
a three-week jury trial for Northwest Dairy Association in Twin Falls County, Idaho, resulting in a full defense verdict against
claims for breach of fiduciary duty, fraud, and breach of contract with a multimillion-dollar claim over forward milk price
contracts against the dairy cooperative.

Hull Farms v. Reitsma: Successful jury trial recovering damages on an intentional interference claim and establishing easement
rights for agricultural business.

TEC Distributing v. Hayden Beverage: Successfully obtained protective order on behalf of a beer and wine distributor in
protecting franchise distribution rights and defined statutory protection afforded franchisees in Idaho.

Borders Melon Co. v. Dulcinea Farms, Inc.: Successfully resolved litigation during federal court trial in McAllen, Texas, for large
produce company defending against claims under the Perishables and Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA) and breach of
contract against grower.

Counsels growers and agricultural entities on state and federal laws and regulations pertaining to the packaging, sales, and
delivery of goods, including proper labeling of products, proper chemical or pesticide use on crops or lands, and other
agricultural regulatory matters.

Represents growers and other agricultural entities in various state and federal Department of Agriculture investigations and
administrative audits.

Represents agricultural entities and growers with various types of agriculture contracts, including production agreements, sales
contracts, requirement contracts, and purchase contracts.

Performance Chevrolet v. Market Scan: Successfully represented Performance Chevrolet in contract appeal to the Ninth Circuit
Court of Appeals, including recovery of all fees and costs and full collection of resulting award.
Nicole C. Hancock

Represented large agricultural company in numerous grower and production contracts, product sales contracts (for dealer,
broker, and direct sales), and licensing agreements.

Balla v. Idaho Department of Corrections: Successfully represented civil rights class action matter in preserving injunction that
protected inmates from overcrowded conditions.

Performance Chevrolet v. Market Scan: Obtained unanimous jury verdict in federal court commercial contract dispute
regarding the performance of a computer software program, resulting in plaintiff recovering its contract damages, attorney's
fees, and costs.
Professional Honors and Activities

Awarded Idaho’s Leaders in the Law by Idaho Business Review, 2014

Selected as one of "America's Leading Lawyers for Business" (Idaho) by Chambers USA (currently: Litigation: General
Commercial), 2011-2016

Listed in Mountain States Super Lawyers® (Business Litigation), 2011-2016

Listed in Top 50 Mountain States Women Lawyers, Super Lawyers®, 2016

Recipient, Idaho Business Review's Idaho Women of the Year Award, 2008

Inaugural class, Idaho Academy of Leadership for Lawyers, 2011-2012

Graduate, Boise Metro Chamber of Commerce-Leadership Boise, 2006-2008
Civic Activities and Memberships

Lawyer Representative to the Ninth Circuit Conference of the United States Court, 2015-2018

Steering Committee, Idaho Academy of Leadership for Lawyers (IALL), Idaho State Bar, 2014-2016

Advisory Board, Women in Agribusiness Summit, New Orleans, Louisiana, 2014-2016

Member, Idaho Food Producers Association

Member, Idaho Eastern Oregon Seed Association and American Seed Trade Association

Member, Idaho Women Lawyers; President, 2011-2014; Vice President, 2009-2011; Board of Directors, 2008-2015

Member, American Agricultural Law Association, 2008-present

Member, American Seed Trade Association, 2009-present

Member, Idaho Eastern Oregon Seed Association, 2009-present

Member, International Association of Defense Counsel, 2010-present
Presentations

Presenter, "Sensitive Documents, Privileges, and Work Product: Tips For Creating Smart Documents," In-house legal department
training, Feb. 2015
Nicole C. Hancock

Co-Presenter, "Idaho Civil Evidentiary Issues," at the Annual Flagship - Idaho Rules of Evidence: Tips, Traps and Trends,
sponsored by the Idaho Law Foundation, Inc., Jan. 24, 2014

Co-Presenter, "Electronic Discovery Update," National Business Institute, Boise, Idaho, Dec. 2013

Co-Presenter, "Counsel's Corner," Women in Agribusiness Summit, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Oct. 2013

Presenter, "Litigation for Food Processing Companies," Nutrition Law Seminar, Salt Lake City, Utah, Sept. 2013

Presenter, "GMO Biotechnology in the Law," The Seminar Group, Seattle, Washington, June 2013

Presenter, "Litigation in Agribusiness," Idaho Eastern Oregon Seed Association, McCall, Idaho, June 2013

Idaho Wine Law Seminar, Nampa, Idaho, Feb. 2013

Presenter, "Litigation in Agribusiness," Pacific Seed Association Annual Convention, San Diego, California, Jan. 2013

"From Field to Farm (and Stable): The Food Safety and Modernization Act," Food Safety and Modernization Act Webinar, Part I,
Jan. 2012

"Intellectual Property Strategies for Seed Protection," Idaho Eastern Oregon Seed Association Annual Meeting, McCall, Idaho,
June 2011
Publications

"Idaho District Court finds beer and wine “sub-distributorships” should be afforded same protections for distribution rights as
distributor," Stoel Rives "Alcoholic Beverages Law" Blog, Apr. 21, 2016

"New Idaho Alcohol Sampling Law is Good for Business," Idaho Business Review, July 15, 2014

Quoted in "Pacific Seed Association's Annual Convention Addresses Vital Industry Issues," Seed Today, Jan. 8, 2013

"Are We There Yet?!? A Statistical View of Equality for Women in Idaho," The Advocate, Idaho State Bar, Jan. 2013