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, 2019-2022), Construction Litigation (2022), Real Estate Law (2014-2022), and Commercial Litigation (2018-2021). We are also named in Fortune magazine's Top Ranked Law Firms by Martindale-Hubbell.

Murphy Austin has received the honor and distinction of having 17 attorneys recognized in the 2022 Northern California Super Lawyers and Rising Stars lists and five lawyers named to the 2023 Best Lawyers in America. Additionally, Murphy Austin construction law partner Michael Schoenfeld has four times been named Best Lawyers’ Sacramento Lawyer of the Year and was named for excellence in Construction Law (2015, 2017, and 2019) and Construction Litigation (2022). Insurance law partner Alex Stuart was named three times as Best Lawyers' s San Jose Lawer of the Year in Insurance Law (2013, 2016, and 2018). Real estate partner Russell Austin was named Best Lawyers Sacramento Lawyer of the Year in Real Estate in 2010. Russell Austin was also 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.

Northern California Super Lawyers

J. Scott Alexander, Construction Litigation (2020-2022)
Russell J. Austin, Real Estate (2005-2022)
Jeffrey W. Curcio, Tax Law (2019-2020, 2022)
Scott E. Galbreath, Employee Benefits (2021-2022)
Steven A. Lamon, Civil Litigation, Real Estate (2004)
Dennis R. Murphy, Employment and Labor (2005, 2006, and 2011-2022)
Ellyn E. Nesbit, Appellate Law (2013-2022)
Lisa D. Nicolls, Construction Litigation (2013-2022)
D. Michael Schoenfeld, Construction Litigation (2007-2022)
V. Blair Shahbazian, Construction Litigation (2013-2022)
Alexander F. Stuart, Insurance Coverage (2004-2022)

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, 2020-2022)

Best Lawyers in America

Russell J. Austin, Real Estate Law (1997-2023)
Jeffrey W. Curcio, Corporate Law (2020-2023)
Dennis R. Murphy, Commercial Litigation (2014-2021)
Ellyn E. Nesbit, Appellate Law (2013-2023)
D. Michael Schoenfeld, Construction Law and Construction Litigation (2007-2023)
Alexander F. Stuart, Commercial Litigation (2013-2023), Insurance Law (2006-2023)

Best Lawyers' Sacramento Lawyer of the Year, Construction Law

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

Best Lawyers' Sacramento Lawyer of the Year, Construction Litigation

D. Michael Schoenfeld, Construction Litigation (2022)

Best Lawyers' San Jose Lawyer of the Year, Insurance Law

Alexander F. Stuart, Insurance Law (2013, 2016, and 2018)

Best Lawyers' Sacramento Lawyer of the Year, Real Estate Law

Russell J. Austin, Real Estate Law (2010)

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)

Sacramento Magazine’s Top Lawyers List

J. Scott Alexander, Construction (2020-2022) Construction Litigation (2022)
Russell J. Austin, Real Estate (2015-2022), Business/Corporate (2018-2022)
Brian P. Bowen, Tax (2016-2019, 2021)
Jeffrey W. Curcio, Tax (2018, 2020-2022), Business/Corporate (2020)
Scott E. Galbreath, Employee Benefits (2015-2017, 2020-2022), Tax (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), Construction Litigation (2022)
Michael R. O'Neil, Anti-Trust (2016-2017)
D. Michael Schoenfeld, Alternative Dispute Resolution (2016), Arbitration (2021), Construction (2015-2022), Construction Litigation (2015-2022)
Kenneth I. Schumaker, Construction (2016, 2021-2022)
V. Blair Shahbazian, Construction Litigation (2015, 2018), Construction (2020, 2022)
J. Michael Stusiak, General Litigation (2019)
B.J. Susich, Securities and Corporate Finance (2016), Business/Corporate (2019, 2021-2022)
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)