Murphy Austin Adams Schoenfeld LLP

Where the work is centered

Business and real estate sit at the middle of what this Sacramento firm does. The practice reaches into construction, labor and employment, healthcare, tax, and commercial litigation. Murphy Austin lists these as its core areas on its own about page. In my opinion that mix points to a firm built around companies and the deals and disputes that companies generate.

The firm formed in 1999 and works from downtown Sacramento. That gives it more than two decades in one legal market. California business rules and California real estate law change often, and a firm that has stayed in the same market tends to build up working knowledge of the local courts and agencies.

The full list of practice areas

The published list runs wider than the core group. It covers corporate and business matters, construction, real estate, labor and employment, tax and estate planning, and business and commercial litigation. It also names family law, intellectual property litigation, environmental litigation and regulation, antitrust and trade regulation, appellate work, public contracts, and nonprofits.

Construction matters tend to move through several stages before a trial ever happens: contract review at the start, claims over delay or defect, mechanics lien deadlines, and sometimes arbitration written into the original agreement. A firm that handles both the construction contract and the later dispute can carry knowledge of the deal into the fight over it. Murphy Austin lists both transactional and litigation work in this area.

How the team is built

Two co-managing partners lead the firm, Aaron B. Silva and Lisa D. Nicolls. The roster below them holds partners, of counsel, senior counsel, and associate attorneys. That spread of titles suggests a firm with settled leadership and a route in for newer lawyers.

Among the partners the site names are J. Scott Alexander, Russell J. Austin, Brian P. Bowen, Matthew H. Green, Steven A. Lamon, and Mary J. Martinelli. Michelle R. Albright and Peter A. Austin hold of counsel roles. Rebekah "Becki" R. Gibson is listed as senior counsel. Jensen J. Blaine, Grant P. Downing, and April M. Law are the associate attorneys.

The firm reports bar admissions across California and several other states, together with federal district and appellate courts. As a reviewer I read multi-state and federal admissions as a sign that some matters cross state lines or reach federal court.

Roots in the Sacramento market

Sacramento is California's capital, and a good deal of business, regulatory, and public contract work concentrates near the statehouse. A firm that names public contracts, environmental regulation, and antitrust among its areas fits a capital-city practice. Murphy Austin has worked from downtown Sacramento since it formed in 1999.

Proximity to the state agencies matters for the kinds of work the firm lists. Environmental litigation and regulation often turns on how a state board reads a rule. Public contract work runs through state and local procurement processes. A Sacramento base keeps that work close to where the decisions get made.

Business, healthcare, and tax matters

The firm's healthcare work sits next to its business and tax practices. Healthcare law in California often means licensing, regulatory compliance, contracts between providers, and the rules that govern how a medical practice operates. Tax and estate planning covers business structure, succession, and the paperwork that moves assets between generations. Murphy Austin lists all three of these areas on its practice pages.

The labor and employment side rounds out the offering for a business client. Employers deal with wage and hour rules, workplace policies, and disputes with current or former staff. A firm that already advises a company on its corporate structure can pick up that employment work without the client having to explain the business twice.

Points a prospective client can verify

The firm's own site backs up the main facts in this review: the 1999 founding, the Sacramento base, the two co-managing partners, and the named roster of partners, counsel, and associates. In my opinion the clearest signal here is breadth. Murphy Austin covers both the transactional and the litigation side of business, real estate, construction, and tax, and it staffs those areas with a mix of senior and junior lawyers.

A client comparing firms can check each of those points against the practice-area pages and the attorney list. The published roster names twelve lawyers across four levels of seniority, and the leadership names are Aaron B. Silva and Lisa D. Nicolls.