Nicholas Martin Stringer, a giant in the legal and business community and a partner with McAfee & Taft, passed away on May 5, 2024, at the age of 83 following a heroic battle with cancer.
Born in England in 1940, “Nicky” Stringer moved to Ada, Oklahoma, with his mother several years after the death of his father, a Royal Air Force pilot who was killed in action during World War II.
From that point on, Martin was an Oklahoman through and through. He earned both his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Oklahoma and remained a devoted OU fan and supporter of his alma mater throughout his life, serving on the university’s Centennial Committee and Development Committee, as well as on the University of Oklahoma College of Law’s Board of Visitors.
After law school, Martin served as a trial attorney in the county district attorney’s office, worked as a campaign aide to a former U.S. senator, and mediated for the System Board of Adjustment of the National Labor Relations Board and the National Association of Securities Dealers. In 1971, he co-founded the law firm of McKinney & Stringer, where he would practice for the next 34 years until joining McAfee & Taft in 2005.
In a 2006 interview with The Journal Record for its Leadership in Law edition, Martin was quoted as saying that he chose a career in law because he wanted to help people solve their problems. “Every client’s problem is the most important thing on their mind at the time,” he said.
“As I think back over the past decades, one of the firm’s greatest achievements was Martin joining us,” said managing director Michael Lauderdale. “He had the heart of a lion and was always upbeat and positive. The man was fearless when it came to marketing and promoting our law firm. He was a true rainmaker and pillar of our legal community.”
“What I grew to learn and grew to love about Martin was just how supportive he was and how he took it very personally to see that this firm succeeded,” said Josh Smith. “And he didn’t just bring new business. He brought camaraderie. He brought the ability to build a team.”
Over the course of his 60-year legal career, Martin rose to become one of the state’s most prominent corporate attorneys, highly regarded for his talents not only as a skilled business negotiator and savvy strategist, but also as a rainmaker and expert relationship manager. “Face to face always wins the day” was one of his client service mottos, and his clients loved him for it.
“Obviously, Martin had a reputation for being this incredible rainmaker, which he was for sure, and he knew how to market like no one I’ve ever seen,” said Jennifer Callahan. “But it just wasn’t about marketing for him. It was about the relationships, and that’s why I think he was so effective. Clients or prospective clients could quickly feel that this just wasn’t a sales pitch, that it was real, and that if you were a client of Martin’s, he would do anything for you. He was always accessible because he cared so much.”
Among Martin’s many, many career highlights was the representation of the owners of the NBA franchise that eventually became the Oklahoma City Thunder in settlement negotiations with the City of Seattle, Washington, and subsequent relocation to Oklahoma City prior to the start of the 2008–2009 basketball season. Thereafter, he remained a trusted advisor to the Thunder ownership for years.
His achievements earned him inclusion in some of the nation’s most prominent legal guides, including The Best Lawyers in America, Oklahoma Super Lawyers, and the prestigious Chambers USA Guide to America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, where he was lauded by interviewees as client-oriented, creative and candid, having what it takes to close a deal, and admired by peers as one of the best corporate merger and acquisition lawyers in America for his knowledge of financing.
“Martin was a man of incredible vision and influence,” said Mike Joseph. “As a lawyer, his service to clients exceeded all measure of devotion to the law. He had a childlike curiosity, and he was revered by clients and lawyers alike. He led a remarkable life, and we will all miss his inspiring perseverance.”
Martin is survived by his wife, Heather, son Kevin and wife Beatrice, daughter Nichole and husband Jeff, daughter Natalie and husband Sam, son Sam and wife Elaine, two stepchildren, 11 grandchildren, one brother, and numerous friends and colleagues. He was preceded in death by his daughter Olivia.