Sam grew up in Augusta and received his undergraduate degree from Vanderbilt University in 1974. He then graduated from the Cumberland School of Law at Samford University in 1978 where he was Vice President of the Student Bar Association and received the Dean’s Certificate of Appreciation.
Sam’s father practiced law in Augusta for over 40 years beginning in 1932 and Sam carries on that tradition today. Throughout his career, Sam has handled a variety of legal matters for his clients. However, he decided to focus his career on representing individuals who have been seriously injured as a result of the negligence or wrongdoing of others. He has been involved in several cases which resulted in multi-million dollar settlements. He has an AV rating by Martindale Hubble which is the highest rating for the last 10 years. Sam has been named a “Super Lawyer” in the State of Georgia and has also been selected to the National Trial Lawyers Association. He has also been named as one of the Top Attorneys in Georgia as published by the Atlanta Magazine. He is past president of the Augusta Bar Association and past member of the Board of Governors of the State Bar of Georgia. He is also a member of the American Bar Association, the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, and the American Association for Justice. He is a founding member of the Board of Directors for the Augusta Bar Foundation and past president. He currently serves on The Executive Committee of the Board of the Georgia Legal Services Program. He is also a current member of the Advisory Board for the Cumberland School of Law.
He has served as State Representative in the Georgia General Assembly, Chairman of the State Ethics Commission., the Chairman of the Board of the Augusta Preparatory Day School, and the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame. In addition, Sam is a past President of the Parish Council of the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Augusta. He is a former member of the Board of Directors of the Shield Club of Augusta where he served as Secretary. He is also a current member of the Board of Directors of the Phinizy Center for Water Sciences.
In 2021 Sam was awarded the Robert L. Allgood Service Award, which is awarded annually to a member of the Augusta Bar Association who has exhibited exemplary service and commitment to the Bar and the community over a substantial period of time.
Sam resides in Augusta with his wife Susan Eubanks Nicholson. They have three children; Katie (Rob) Wynn, Sam (Anne Marie) Nicholson, and Jane (Adam) Kuhlenbeck and eight grandchildren.
Areas Of Practice
• Serious Personal Injury
• Motor Vehicle Collisions
• Medical Malpractice
• Nursing Home Abuse & Neglect
• Wrongful Death
• Premises Liability/Slip & Falls
• Burn Injury
• Brain Injury
• Trucking / Tractor Trailer Collisions
Bar Admissions
• State Bar of Georgia, 1978
• Georgia Court of Appeals, 1979
• Supreme Court of Georgia, 1979
• U.S. District Court Northern District of Georgia, 1989
• U.S. District Court Southern District of Georgia, 1978
• U.S. Court of Appeals 11th Circuit, 1981
• U.S. Court of Appeals 5th Circuit, 1981
• U.S. Supreme Court, 1995
• U.S. Court of Federal Claims, 2000
Languages
• Greek Fraternities/Sororities
• Sigma Alpha Epsilon
• Delta Theta Phi
