As a Senior Trust & Estate Planner, Nick has a passion for assisting D.A. Davidson’s clients through the complexities of family wealth planning, tax planning, and end of life planning.
 
Prior to joining D.A. Davidson Trust Company in 2025, he practiced law for six years as a private practice attorney with Koley Jessen, P.C. L.L.O. His areas of focus were estate planning and administration, nonprofit formation and tax compliance, guardianships and conservatorships, gift and estate tax, and estate and trust litigation. Nick holds a law degree and bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Creighton University.
 
Nick was raised in Spirit Lake, Iowa, where much of his family still lives. Outside of work, he serves on the Board of Directors of Vita Nova Maternity Community and is active in the Omaha nonprofit community.

About Me
John serves as Co-Director of Nebraska Branches for Wealth Management and Managing Director for Investment Banking. He leads an effort to grow D.A. Davidson's collaborative presence in Wealth Management and Investment Banking in the Midwest and beyond, the results of which have produced a number of successful M&A engagements and capital financings.

Prior to joining D.A. Davidson, John was President and CEO of SMITH HAYES, and was responsible for leading the day-to-day activities of the firm. In 2016, John organized and managed the merger of SMITH HAYES with D.A. Davidson (both ESOP firms), a transaction which resulted in a successful combination of strengths and an expanded level of services for the firm's clients. He currently serves on D.A. Davidson's Leadership Council.

John graduated from the University of Nebraska with a bachelor's degree in business administration with an emphasis in economics, and completed an MBA with high distinction. He serves on the boards of directors of Hampton Enterprises, Inc. and Bryan Health.
 
 

James and his research team provide equity research and updates, portfolio analysis tools, and model portfolios of recommended equities to financial advisors and their clients, including individual investors and their families, businesses, and nonprofits. His focus is on developing multiple channels for distribution of research to D.A. Davidson’s roughly 350 financial advisors and their clients so that each client can make informed financial decisions that match their objectives and situations. James has spent over 20 years in the financial services industry, and is co-manager of the D.A. Davidson Focus List model portfolio. He is a graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles, with an MBA in finance, a bachelor’s degree in economics/management, and also holds the Chartered Financial Analyst^® designation.