Nicole Buffalano’s practice focuses primarily on traditional labor matters and the National Labor Relations Act. Nicole represents clients in collective bargaining negotiations, arbitrations and other collective bargaining matters, and in proceedings before the NLRB, including unfair labor practices proceedings and union elections. She also counsels clients across a range of labor and employment issues, including issues related to business organizations and corporate transactions, workplace investigations, employee handbooks, and collective bargaining issues relating to the California Labor Code. Nicole counsels clients across a variety of industries, including sports and entertainment, hotels and hospitality, healthcare, automotive, trucking, maritime, and manufacturing.
Before joining Morgan Lewis, Nicole was a board attorney with the NLRB in the New York and West Los Angeles regional offices. There she investigated, prosecuted, and negotiated settlement of unfair labor practices, processed representation petitions, and oversaw union elections.
Labor and Employment Litigator of the Year and Impact Case Award Winner, Benchmark Litigation (2023)
Recommended, Industry Focus: Sport, The Legal 500 US (2024)
Recommended, Labor and employment: Labor-management relations, The Legal 500 US (2019–2024)
Ranked, Labor & Employment, California, Chambers USA (2022–2024)
Top 10 Labor Lawyers, Benchmark Litigation (2022)
Sports Trailblazer, The National Law Journal (2022)
Top Women Lawyers in California, Daily Journal (2022, 2024)
Member, Sports and Betting Editorial Advisory Board, Law360 (2023)
MVP, Labor and Employment, Law360 (2021)
Member, Practice Group of the Year, Employment, Law360 (2017, 2019)
Finalist, Litigation Department of the Year – Labor and Employment, The Recorder (2013)