Our Defense Practice
The Nickles Group Defense Practice has decades of combined experience in the defense, homeland security, and national security areas. Our defense team leverages relationships inside Congress and the Executive Branch to guide clients – regardless of their size or level of entry into the marketplace – to advance and protect major procurement initiatives
Don NicklesChairman & Ceo
Don Nickles is chairman and CEO of The Nickles Group, a firm he founded in 2005 after serving in the U.S. Senate for 24 years. He oversees the firm’s government relations and consulting practices, also providing strategic advice to clients on a wide range of policy issues.
Nickles was elected at age 31, the youngest Republican U.S. Senator in history, and was later elected by his peers to leadership positions including Assistant Majority Leader, Chairman of the Senate Republican Policy Committee and Chairman of the Republican Senatorial Committee. Through his leadership roles, he earned extensive national security expertise. He also served as Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, and was a senior member of the Senate Finance and Energy Committees. As Assistant Majority Leader, Nickles served as Republican Whip for five years. Prior to his time in the U.S. Senate, Nickles served in the Oklahoma State Senate and worked for Nickles Machine Corporation, a family business based in Oklahoma.
Luke Holland partner
Luke Holland is a Partner at The Nickles Group. His deep understanding of policy and politics allows him to design creative strategies in a historically divided Washington. He spent more than a decade on Capitol Hill shaping policies across a broad spectrum of complex policy areas including defense, energy, aviation, transportation, tax, and trade, earning a reputation as a trusted advisor, straight shooter, and relentless advocate.
Luke served five years as Chief of Staff to Senator Jim Inhofe (R-OK), supporting his leadership of the Senate Armed Services Committee and annual passage of the National Defense Authorization Act. He worked closely with Republican and Democratic Members of the House and Senate as well as senior leaders of the Executive Branch.
Jeff Choudry
Partner
As a Partner at The Nickles Group, Jeff Choudhry provides domestic and international clients with an advocate highly knowledgeable in House and Senate procedure and – most importantly – with the access to achieve their desired legislative and policy outcomes. Jeff provides advice, counsel and strategic consulting on matters on competition issues such as anti-trust, mergers, and acquisitions. He also works in the defense, foreign policy and diplomacy space, with a particular focus on China. Jeff has a deep knowledge of the House defense and appropriations processes.
The bulk of Jeff’s Capitol Hill career centered on his work with a senior member of the House Judiciary Committee and Republican Study Committee, Congressman Trent Franks (R-AZ.), a senior member of the House Judiciary Committee and Republican Study Committee. Jeff started his Capitol Hill career with the House Committee on Small Business chaired by then-Congressman Don Manzullo (R-IL.).
Don KentPartner
Don Kent is a Partner at The Nickles Group. He brings 25 years of public and private sector experience navigating complex legislative and regulatory agendas. Don leads the firm’s homeland security and defense team as well as practice areas related to cybersecurity, immigration, bioterrorism, technology, and pandemic response.
Pulling from his diverse experience and knowledge, ranging from playing a pivotal role in standing up the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), to a deep familiarity with the Senate appropriations process, to assisting a space industry client gain competitive advantage over an entrenched incumbent, Don helps clients think strategically and take the right proactive steps in Washington to achieve their business goals. His ability to understand policy, legislation, and process makes him an asset to clients looking for business-minded advocacy and strategic counsel. Don also serves on the Senior Advisory Group of the Washington Homeland Security Roundtable and is a Leader of the Council on National Security and Immigration.
Prior to joining The Nickles Group, Don served as Chief of Staff for Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI), advising the Senator’s activities on the Budget Committee, Committee on Appropriations and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. He also served as Assistant Secretary of DHS under Secretary Michael Chertoff and Senior Advisor to Secretary Tom Ridge, where he managed communications to Congress on behalf of the Administration and the DHS Secretary.