Nici Workman

Nici is a partner in the Vorys Columbus office and chair of the firm’s finance practice.  Her practice focuses on commercial and structured finance matters, representing national and regional banks and public company and other large corporate borrowers in a wide range of financing transactions including syndicated and multi-currency credit facilities, asset-based lending facilities, acquisition financings, leveraged ESOPs, mezzanine financings, mortgage warehousing facilities and securitizations.

In addition, Nici regularly represents financial institutions and corporate end-users, including public companies, energy companies, manufacturing companies and retailers, in connection with derivative transactions under the ISDA Master Agreement and its related suite of documents, including drafting and negotiating related Schedules and Credit Support Annexes, and related regulatory matters under Title VII of Dodd-Frank, including the negotiation of Futures and Options Agreements and Cleared Derivatives Transactions Addenda with FCMs in connection with mandatory derivatives clearing under Dodd-Frank.

Nici has been recognized multiple times by Chambers USA as a leading lawyer in banking and finance and has been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America as a Banking and Finance Law “Lawyer of the Year” for 2024.  Nici is also a member of the ESOP Association.

In addition to her finance practice, Nici is the immediate past chair of the Vorys Women's Network and, in 2019, was one of only 15 attorneys nationally to be included on the shortlist for the Chambers Gender Diversity Lawyer of the Year award. 

Career highlights include:

• Advising Worthington Industries, Inc., in its spin-off of Worthington Steel, Inc., as an independent, publicly traded company
  
• Advising multiple banks on legal issues relating to the transition from LIBOR to replacement benchmark rates, including revising or creating form loan documents and documentation guidelines, strategizing on creative approaches to documenting the transition of existing LIBOR loans to replacement benchmark rates, and advising internal LIBOR bank working groups on a whole host of issues relating to LIBOR transition
• Advising Big Lots, Inc. in connection with its $900 million senior secured asset-based revolving credit facility
  
• Advising a public company retailer in its $550 million asset-based credit facility
  
• Advising Greif, Inc. in its $2.475 billion credit facility and $500 million Notes offering in connection with the financing of Greif’s acquisition of Caraustar Industries Inc., a Georgia-based box manufacturer, for a purchase price of $1.8 billion
• Advising Air Transport Services Group in its $1.28 billion credit facility in connection with the financing of its acquisition of Omni Air International, a Tulsa-based services carrier, for a purchase price of $845 million
• Advising a public company retailer in the expansion of its $400 million credit facility in connection with its acquisition of a product design and brand development company, for a purchase price of approximately $340 million
• Advising an energy development company in connection with its project finance facilities, including a complex collateral agency and intercreditor agreement structure, and all of its derivatives documentation and trading activities for multiple project companies
• Representing a variety of national and regional banks in connection with dozens of complex syndicated and multicurrency facilities, PE sponsor-back acquisition facilities, leveraged ESOPs, and asset-based credit facilities
• Regularly representing a regional bank swap dealer in connection with its derivatives activities, including managing an outside documentation negotiation process, regularly negotiating ISDA Master Agreements and other related documents, providing regular regulatory advice in respect of a variety of matters under Dodd Frank, and conducting due diligence and providing regulatory advice in connection with its acquisitions of other banks
  

Nici received her J.D. cum laude from the University of Cincinnati College of Law, where she was a member of the Moot Court Board, and her B.A. summa cum laude in economics from Capital University.

Honors & Recognitions

The Best Lawyers in America, Banking and Finance Law "Lawyer of the Year," 2024

Columbus CEO, Best Lawyers, Banking & Financial Service, 2022-2024

Chambers and Partners, Leading Lawyer in Banking & Finance, 2021-2025

IFLR1000 Corporate & Financial List, Banking and Finance and Capital Markets: Structured Finance and Securitization – Notable Practitioner, 2020

The Best Lawyers in America, Banking and Finance Law, 2021-2025

Short List for the Chambers Gender Diversity Lawyer of the Year, 2019

Columbus Business First, 40 Under 40, 2019

Ohio Super Lawyers Rising Stars, Banking, 2014, 2017-2018, 2022

Professional & Community Activities

Ruling Our eXperiences (ROX) Board of Directors, Member, 2018 to present; Chairperson, 2020 to present

The Wexner Center Foundation, Member of the Board of Trustees, 2023 to present

The ESOP Association, Member

Leadership Columbus, Class of 2018

Capital University Alumni Advisory Board, Board Member, 2014-2019

Committee on Professionalism of the Supreme Court of Ohio, Lawyer-to-Lawyer Mentoring Program, Mentor, 2013 to present