SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. - In coordination with University of San Francisco Athletics, the Hilltop Club will present Patrick McNicholas with the Jim Brovelli Award at the Hilltop Club Foundation Tip Off Gala this Saturday, Nov. 4.
 
The Jim Brovelli Award is presented annually to an individual who has demonstrated outstanding commitment, loyalty, dedication and service to USF's basketball program over the years. The award is named in honor of Jim Brovelli, whose Hall of Fame contributions to USF basketball as a player, coach and broadcaster spans six decades.

McNicholas' dedication to uplifting the University of San Francisco over the past forty years began during his time as a student when he served as the student body president during the 1981-82 academic year. He earned a degree in government ('83) from the College of Arts & Sciences, which subsequently led to an internship at the White House - a unique experience supported by USF connections in Washington, D.C., and the legacy of Leo T. McCarthy.
 
After obtaining a Juris Doctorate from the University of the Pacific ('86), Patrick joined the family office of McNicholas & McNicholas in Los Angeles, specializing in practice areas such as catastrophic injury, product liability, sexual assault and various consumer-oriented matters, including civil rights, aviation disasters and fire disasters. Throughout his career in litigation, McNicholas has settled numerous noteworthy cases and his firm has secured nearly $2 billion in results for clients. McNicholas is also at the forefront of California wildfire litigation, representing tens of thousands of victims. His tireless efforts have held massive utility companies accountable and improved the lives of millions of Californians.
 
In the early 1990s, he also served as an adjunct professor at Whittier College School of Law and has been a guest lecturer at Pepperdine University.
 
From 2003-2012, McNicholas served the University of San Francisco as a member of the Board of Trustees. Over the subsequent years, he also served on the USF SoCal Regional Council and Athletic Director's Circle. McNicholas has also received the USF Alumni Board of Governors Commencement Award and remains engaged with the institution as Trustee Emeritus.
 
A testament to McNicholas' broad interest in and support of USF, he played a pivotal role in raising funds and establishing The Kelly & Craig Perkins Scholarship Fund, which offers scholarship opportunities to full-time students in good standing with demonstrated financial need, with preference given to graduates of Loyola High School in Los Angeles. Additionally, Pat serves on the Board of Directors for Urban Compass, a nonprofit he co-founded, dedicated to providing education for children living in the inner city.
 
Most recently, McNicholas has directed his time and support toward uplifting USF, providing direct support to the USF athletic department and resources to support student NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) opportunities. McNicholas recognized the need to support USF NIL opportunities for students in 2022 and his understanding of how NIL support is impacting college athletic programs throughout the country has been invaluable to The Hilltop Club in its first year of operation. In 2022, Patrick was one of the first USF alumni to make a substantial contribution to The Hilltop Club and his leadership has inspired expanded support from the USF alumni community.
 
Patrick is joined in receiving this honor by his wife, Melinda, and their children, John, Michael, and Brendan McNicholas, and Devyn Ellis.
 
We invite you to join us in celebrating Patrick McNicholas and the Jim Brovelli Award at the 2023 Tip Off Gala, which serves as the official start of the 2023-24 men's and women's basketball seasons. Tickets and further information are available here.
 
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For updates and more information on the Hilltop Club, follow @HilltopclubUSF on Twitter and @HilltopClubUSF on Instagram.