About William F.
William F. Nichols built his legal foundation at Linfield College, where he earned a B.A. in business and political science in 1977. He continued his studies at the University of Oregon School of Law and completed his J.D. in 1980. Those academic years set the stage for a career that would move between private practice and municipal legal work.
Fresh out of law school in 1980, Nichols joined the firm Stunz Fonda Nichols Kiyuna & Horton as an associate. That early appointment placed him in firm-based practice at a time when his law degree had just been conferred. He spent the next decades alternating between firm work and public-sector roles, an arc that reflects steady engagement with local government matters as well as private clients.
In 1999 he took a post as a lawyer at White Peterson. The move came after nearly two decades of legal work and preceded several municipal appointments. Within a year he added municipal counsel responsibilities to his résumé. In 2000 he began serving as a city lawyer for the City of Meridian. The position required regular interaction with municipal officials and the practical application of statutory and regulatory law at the city level.
Nichols later took on city counsel duties for the City of McCall in 2005. Those municipal roles recur in his record and indicate a sustained relationship with local governments in the region. The assignments involved advising city councils, reviewing ordinances, and addressing legal questions that arise in municipal administration. They also meant balancing the demands of public policy with the procedural rules that govern city operations.
Throughout his career Nichols has maintained ties to both Oregon and Idaho. He is licensed to practice in those jurisdictions and has worked on matters that reflect the cross-border nature of legal issues in the Pacific Northwest. His background in business and political science, combined with long-standing experience in municipal law and firm practice, gives him a perspective shaped by both public and private practice environments.
As of 2026 Nichols continues to practice law in Oregon and Idaho, providing legal services to municipal governments and private clients.
