Ranking and Awards

While it’s not in our nature to boast, we do in fact have much to celebrate. Murphy Austin was awarded Tier One rankings in the U.S. News-Best Lawyers/Best Law Firms reports for excellence in Construction Law (2010-2012, 2019-2021) and Real Estate Law (2014-2021) and in Commercial Litigation (2018-2021). We were also named in Fortune magazine's Top Ranked Law Firms™ by Martindale-Hubbell®.

Murphy Austin has received the honor and distinction of having 14 attorneys recognized in the 2021 Northern California Super Lawyers and Rising Stars lists and four lawyers named to the 2021 Best Lawyers in America. Additionally, Murphy Austin construction partner Michael Schoenfeld has three times been named Best Lawyers’ Sacramento Construction Lawyer of the Year (2015, 2017, and 2019). Real estate partner Russell Austin was named Best Lawyers Sacramento Real Estate Lawyer of the Year in 2010 and was selected by Sacramento County Bar Association as the Distinguished Attorney of the Year in 2017 and by Sacramento County Bar Foundation as a Centennial Fellow in 2018.

Centennial Fellow the Sacramento County Bar Foundation

• Russell J. Austin awarded to “attorneys at the pinnacle of achievement who, through distinguished professional accomplishment and substantial civic involvement and philanthropy, have earned a legacy as founding pillars of the Sacramento legal community.” (2018)

SCBA's Distinguished Attorney of the Year 

• Russell J. Austin,  awarded each year to the attorney who “through the practice of law, has made Sacramento a better place to live and work.” (2017)

Top 100 list: Northern California Super Lawyers

• Russell J. Austin, Real Estate (2016-2018)

Top 25 list: Sacramento Super Lawyers

• Russell J. Austin, Real Estate (2015-2018, 2020-2021)

Northern California Super Lawyers

• J. Scott Alexander, Construction Litigation (2020-2021)
• Russell J. Austin, Real Estate (2005-2021)
• Jeffrey W. Curcio, Tax Law (2019-2020)
• Scott E. Galbreath, Employee Benefits (2021)
• Suzanne E. Hennessy, Real Estate (2019-2021)
• Steven A. Lamon, Civil Litigation, Real Estate (2004)
• Dennis R. Murphy, Employment and Labor (2005, 2006, and 2011-2021)
• Lisa D. Nicolls, Construction Litigation (2013-2021)
• D. Michael Schoenfeld, Construction Litigation (2007-2021)
• V. Blair Shahbazian, Construction Litigation (2013-2021)

Rising Stars

• Brian P. Bowen, Tax, Business/Corporate (2014)
• Lexi P. Howard, Real Estate (2021)
• Aaron B. Silva, Employment and Labor (2013-2021)
• Eric W. Spears, Business/Corporate (2020-2021)
• Spencer S. Turpen (2021)
• B.J. Susich, Business/Corporate (2012-2019)
• R. Brooks Whitehead, Business/Corporate (2015-2021)
• Vincent K. Wong, Real Estate (2021)

Best Lawyers in America

• Russell J. Austin, Real Estate Law (1997-2021)
• Jeffrey W. Curcio, Corporate Law (2020-2021)
• Dennis R. Murphy, Commercial Litigation (2014-2021)
• D. Michael Schoenfeld, Construction Law and Construction Litigation (2007-2021)

Best Lawyers' Sacramento Construction
Lawyer of the Year 

• D. Michael Schoenfeld, Construction Law (2015, 2017, and 2019)

Best Lawyers' Sacramento Real Estate
Lawyer of the Year 

• Russell J. Austin, Real Estate Law (2010)

Sacramento Magazine’s Top Lawyers List

• J. Scott Alexander, Construction (2020-2021)
• Russell J. Austin, Real Estate (2015-2021), Business/Corporate (2018-2021)
• Brian P. Bowen, Tax (2016-2019, 2021) 
• Jeffrey W. Curcio, Tax (2018, 2020-2021), Business/Corporate (2020)
• Scott E. Galbreath, Employee Benefits (2015-2017, 2020-2021), Tax (2021)
• Suzanne E. Hennessy, Real Estate (2019-2021), Health Care (2019-2021)
• Lexi P. Howard, Real Estate (2019)
• Steve A. Lamon, Construction Litigation (2016)
• Dennis R. Murphy, Employment and Labor (2015, 2016, 2018-2019)
• Lisa D. Nicolls, Construction Litigation (2015-2020)
• Michael R. O'Neil, Anti-Trust (2016-2017)
• D. Michael Schoenfeld, Alternative Dispute Resolution (2016), Arbitration (2021), Construction (2015-2021), Construction Litigation (2015-2021)
• Kenneth I. Schumaker, Construction (2016, 2021)
• V. Blair Shahbazian, Construction Litigation (2015, 2018), Construction (2020)
• J. Michael Stusiak, General Litigation (2019)
• B.J. Susich, Securities and Corporate Finance (2016), Business/Corporate (2019, 2021)
• Vincent K. Wong, Real Estate (2021)

Sacramento Business Journal’s Best of the Bar

• Russell J. Austin (2013-2019)
• Donald E. Brodeur (2013)
• Dennis R. Murphy (2013-2014)
• Catherine M. Oh (2016, 2019)
• D. Michael Schoenfeld (2017, 2019)
• V. Blair Shahbazian (2016, 2018-2019)
• B.J. Susich (2018)

Sacramento Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 Honorees

• Aaron B. Silva (2016)
• B.J. Susich (2011)

Top Health Care Lawyers 2020

• Suzanne E. Hennessy Recognized in Top Health Care Lawyers 2020 for her practice of Real Estate Law aiding Health Providers, Daily Journal, Supplement to Los Angeles and San Francisco, Read article (2020)