Steven A. Nichols, 58

Construction and NASCAR litigation

Fast cars and blacktop are the stuff of Nichols' practice. In one of the largest arbitration awards ever in a California public construction case, he dragged a $12.1 million check out of California Department of Transportation in January for his freeway-builder client. That was just one of five hefty awards and settlements he scored against Caltrans recently on behalf of construction contractors. Then, there's the roaring, screaming side of his practice: Nichols brought home a multimillion-dollar jury verdict for NASCAR star Robby Gordon over the cancellation of a major race. Separately, he convinced racing regulators to reverse a 100-point penalty against Gordon's team.