MURPHY AUSTIN ADAMS SCHOENFELD - Key Persons
Grant Downing practices corporate and business law, focused on entity formation, contract law, securities, and general business counseling and compliance.
Prior to joining Murphy Austin, Grant served as Corporate Counsel and Corporate Secretary for a refining company in the oil and gas industry with offices in North Dakota, Texas, and California. Grant's practice focused on corporate formation, contract law, business transactions, employment law, insurance, securities law, and compliance. Grant's corporate counsel experience uniquely positions him to serve clients with multi-state operations and complex business and securities issues.
Grant earned his J.D., cum laude, from University of California, Hastings College of the Law, San Francisco and received a B.A. in History and a B.A. in Political Science from University of California, Davis.
Job Titles:
- Podcast - Hot Topics in Employee Benefits, Aaron B. Silva in Conversation With Scott E. Galbreath ( June 2017 )
Scott Alexander currently serves as the managing partner of Murphy Austin Adams Schoenfeld LLP. Scott practices business and commercial litigation throughout all California state and federal courts, with a primary emphasis in construction and real estate litigation, public contracts and complex contract disputes.
Scott routinely represents public entities, private owners, general contractors, subcontractors, and architects and engineers on a broad array of issues within the construction industry, including contractor licensing matters, bid protests, prosecution and defense of impact, delay and disruption claims, defective construction claims, complex contract disputes, negligence and tort claims, false claims, and mechanics' lien, stop notice and bond claim actions. Scott's broad experiences on public (both state and federal) and private projects have provided him with critical background in the areas of design and engineering standards, construction management, construction means and methods, and the presentation and defense of construction claims.
During his legal career, Scott has attained considerable trial, writ, arbitration, and mediation experience. He has also appeared and submitted briefs before the California Courts of Appeal.
In addition to his litigation practice, Scott has significant experience drafting and negotiating all types of public and private project construction contracts, including design-build and energy service performance contracts, and related construction documentation across various construction project delivery systems.
Scott presently serves as general counsel to both a chamber of commerce and a travel and tourism organization located within the Sacramento region.
Scott received his J.D., with distinction, from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law in 1997. Prior to receiving his law degree, Scott facilitated municipal finance transactions and drafted related legislation for the California Housing Finance Agency. He graduated from Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee with a bachelor's degree in Business Administration and Economics. Prior to joining Murphy Austin Adams Schoenfeld LLP in January 1999, Scott was an associate in the Business and Tort Litigation Group with Diepenbrock, Wulff, Plant & Hannegan, LLP.
Scott is recognized by Martindale-Hubbell as an AV Preeminent Peer Review Rated lawyer. He was selected to Northern California Super Lawyers for construction ligitation in 2020, 2021 and 2022. Scott was named in Sacramento Magazine's Top Lawyers 2020 through 2022 Lists for excellence in construction law and also in construction litigation in 2022. Scott has served as Chairman of the Rancho Cordova Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors since 2019.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Member of the Sacramento County Bar Association 's Tax Section
Jeff served as Adjunct Professor in the School of Taxation at Golden Gate University from 1987 through 2003, and has been recognized with an "Outstanding Faculty" award. He participated in the California Chamber of Commerce's statewide presentations on the California Limited Liability Company Act. Jeff has also been a seminar presenter for many tax and business programs.
Jeff is an AV Peer Review Rated attorney, the highest rating given by Martindale-Hubbell for legal ability and ethical standards. He is named in the 2020-2022 editions of The Best Lawyers in America for excellence in corporate law. He is also listed in the 2019-2020 editions of Northern California Super Lawyers and was named in Sacramento Magazine's Top Lawyers Lists for excellence in tax law in 2018 and 2020 through 2022, and for excellence in business law in 2020.
Lisa Nicolls' practice focuses on all aspects of general civil litigation with an emphasis on construction and business law, which includes the representation of contractors, subcontractors, developers, owners and design professionals. Lisa's construction practice includes, but is not limited to, contract drafting, bid protests, contractor licensing issues, and prosecution and defense of claims for payment (including stop notices, mechanics liens, and payment bond claims) and for extra work, delays, and loss of productivity. Lisa has successfully handled numerous complex construction disputes and has extensive experience in mediation, arbitration and trial of such matters.
Lisa received her B.S., with honors, in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior, in 2000 and was awarded her J.D. in 2004 from the University of California, Davis. Lisa is listed in the 2013 through 2022 editions of Northern California Super Lawyers and in Sacramento Magazine's Top Lawyers List 2015 through 2020 for excellence in construction litigation and in 2022 for excellence in construction law.
Michael O'Neil leads the firm's Environmental Practice Team. His practice includes environmental law, and commercial and real property litigation.
Substantive practice areas in environmental law include CERCLA, RCRA, CWA, CAA, ESA, and their respective state-law counterparts. His environmental litigation practice includes representing clients in private and government cost recovery actions, federal and state civil enforcement actions, and administrative proceedings. Michael's transactional and regulatory compliance activities include negotiating, drafting, and due diligence investigations related to environmental matters in real estate and business transactions and providing counsel on compliance and permitting matters.
Michael represents businesses, individuals, shareholders, officers, directors, and public entities. Michael emphasizes identifying, at the outset, client objectives and implementing a cost-effective strategy to best achieve those goals. Michael is recognized by Martindale-Hubbell as an AV® Preeminent™ Peer Review Rated lawyer and he was named to Sacramento Magazine's Top Lawyers List in 2016 and 2017.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Instructor, Hastings College of the Law, University of California ( 1981 - 1982 )
- Visiting Professor of Law at King Hall School of Law
Russell Austin has extensive experience in real estate and business law. He has planned, negotiated, and documented a complete array of real property transactions and supporting documentation, including purchase and sale transactions, exchanges, syndications, partnership and LLC formations, and a wide variety of financing transactions for owners/developers, institutional and private lenders, conservation organizations and other non-profit organizations, and public agencies, including conservation transactions involving both fee acquisitions and conservation easements. Russell also has substantial experience in several aspects of real estate litigation, including complex foreclosure actions for lenders and borrowers.
In 2019, Russell received the Conservation Impact Award for excelling in environmental protection and making significant contributions toward advancing rangeland conservation. He was recognized as a Centennial Fellow in 2019 by the Sacramento County Bar Foundation for his "distinguished professional accomplishment and substantial civic involvement and philanthropy," which has earned him a legacy as one of the "founding pillars of the Sacramento legal community." He was selected in 2017 by the Sacramento County Bar Association as its Distinguished Attorney of the Year, awarded each year to the attorney who "through the practice of law, has made Sacramento a better place to live and work."
Russell is listed in 1997 through 2022 editions of The Best Lawyers in America as one of the Sacramento area's outstanding real estate attorneys and he was named Best Lawyers' Sacramento Real Estate Lawyer of the Year in 2010. He is listed in the 2005 through 2022 editions of Northern California Super Lawyers in real estate and was recognized as one of the Top 100: Northern California Super Lawyers, 2016 through 2018, and as one of the Top 25: Sacramento Super Lawyers, 2015 through 2018 and again in 2020 through 2022. Russell is named in Sacramento Business Journal's 2013 through 2019 Best of the Bar List, which recognizes top local attorneys who have been nominated by their peers and vetted by a panel of their peers. He is listed in the 2015 through 2022 editions of Sacramento Magazine's Top Lawyers List. Since 1992, Russell has been rated "AV Preeminent" by Martindale-Hubbell. He leads the firm's commercial real estate law team which received Tier One rankings for practice excellence in the U.S. News - Best Lawyers "Best Law Firms" 2014 through 2020 reports.
Russell has served as a Visiting Professor of Law at King Hall School of Law at the University of California, Davis, teaching Real Estate Finance, and as a Visiting Professor of Law at McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento, teaching a "practicum course" in Commercial Real Estate Transactions. He has also served as an Adjunct Professor in the graduate tax program at the McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento and was an Instructor at Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco. Russell was a contributing editor for Real Estate Purchase and Sale Transactions and Organizing Corporations in California, published by the California Continuing Education of the Bar. He has been a frequent panel speaker and moderator at continuing education seminars on real estate law.
Russell has been active in the Sacramento County Bar Association, has served as Chair of the Voluntary Legal Services Program and President of Legal Services of Northern California. In 1992, Russell received a President's Pro Bono Service Award from the California State Bar and, in 1993, he received a Pro Bono Publico award from the American Bar Association. In 1994, Russell was recognized by the Sacramento County Bar Association as its Humanitarian of the Year.
Russell has also been active in a number of community organizations and currently serves on the Emeritus Board of Trustees of the Sacramento Valley Conservancy. He was recognized by the Sacramento Metro Chamber of Commerce as its "Volunteer of the Year" for 2001.
Upon graduation from law school in 1980, Russell joined the San Francisco firm of Marron Reid, LLP and in 1982, helped open its Sacramento office. In 1999, Russell was one of the founding partners of Murphy Austin Adams Schoenfeld LLP, serving as its first Managing Partner from 1999 to 2001 and again from 2005 to 2007.
Russell received his B.A., with highest honors, from University of California, Santa Barbara and earned his J.D. from University of California, Berkeley School of&
Job Titles:
- Board Member ( July 1, 2011 - June 30, 2013 )
Job Titles:
- of Counsel
- Employee Benefits and Executive
- Podcast - Hot Topics in Employee Benefits, Aaron B. Silva in Conversation With Scott E. Galbreath ( June 2017 )
Scott E. Galbreath leads the Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation Practice Team. He has more than 30 years of experience representing employers in ERISA, employee benefits, and executive compensation matters. Scott also practices in the areas of tax, business and nonprofit law.
Scott's benefits practice includes counseling for-profit, tax exempt and governmental clients on all aspects of employee benefits: choosing appropriate retirement, deferred compensation, equity compensation, cafeteria and other health and welfare benefit plans; using benefits to attract and retain key executive and management employees; using benefits (including ESOPs), in succession planning; ERISA, Internal Revenue Code section 401(a), 403(b), 409A and 457 compliance; CalPERS and PEPRA compliance; investments, prohibited transactions, and fiduciary duties; multiemployer plan funding and withdrawal liability rules; as well as drafting plan documents and correcting plan operational or document failures, and representing clients in IRS audits or Department of Labor investigations. Scott also consults with attorneys involved in litigation or alternative dispute resolution on ERISA and employee benefits aspects of their case and can serve as an expert witness.
Scott was awarded his J.D. from IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law and also earned an LL.M in Taxation, with honors, from IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law. He has earned his certification as a specialist in Taxation Law by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization. He was recognized as an Illinois Leading Lawyer in Employee Benefits in 2006 by the Leading Lawyer Network. Scott is a former officer of the Chicago Bar Association's Employee Benefits Committee and former Chair of its Executive Compensation Subcommittee.
After practicing for 20 years in Chicago, Scott moved to California where he has served as Chair of the Sacramento County Bar Association's Tax Section as well as President of the Sacramento Chapter of the Western Pension & Benefits Council. He has also served as a member of the Executive Committee of the Governing Board of the Western Pension & Benefits Council and as a board member of the Sacramento Chapter of the National Institute of Pension Administrators. He is currently the President of the Chapter.
Scott is a Fellow of the American College of Employee Benefits Counsel. Selection as a Fellow reflects the Board's judgment that a nominee has made significant contributions to the advancement of the employee benefits field. Fellows are selected by the College's Board of Governors from among employee benefits attorneys nominated for that honor and recommended for consideration by the Board's Membership Committee after considering the recommendations of regional screening committees.
Scott is a frequent writer and speaker on new developments in employee benefits. In September 2007, he helped organize, spoke at and moderated the first annual Executive Compensation Institute sponsored by the Chicago Bar Association and the John Marshall Law School. He was also instrumental in helping to establish the Capital Forum on Pensions, the Sacramento area's annual employee benefits conference established in 2013. He is also a regular contributor to the Journal of Pension Benefits published by Wolters Kluwer and the author of Murphy Austin's The Benefit of Benefits blog, which is an online resource for information and commentary on new legislative, regulatory, and industry developments in employee benefits and executive compensation.
Scott was named a Top Lawyer for Employee Benefits (2015-2017 and 2020-2022) and a Top Lawyer for Tax (2021) in the lists published by Sacramento Magazine. He was also named a Super Lawyer in Northern California Super Lawyers 2021-2022 for excellence in employee benefits law. Scott is recognized by Martindale-Hubbell as an AV Preeminent Peer Review Rated lawyer.
Spencer Turpen practices complex civil litigation throughout California, with an emphasis on construction law matters and a special focus on creative problem solving in litigation. Spencer represents public entities, private owners, developers, general contractors, subcontractors, design professionals, and sureties on a wide range of issues within the construction industry. He is dedicated to providing excellent legal representation to his clients.
Prior to joining Murphy Austin, Spencer represented clients in general and business litigation matters at a mid-sized general practice law firm in Sacramento.
Spencer earned his J.D. from University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law and received his B.A. in Political Economy from University of California, Berkeley. He was recognized in Sacramento Magazine's 2020 list of Top Lawyers in the Sacramento region.
Spencer was named a Rising Star in Northern California Super Lawyers in 2021 and 2022.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Member of the Sacramento County Bar Association 's Construction Law Section
- Partner With the Construction Law Team
Blair Shahbazian is a partner with the Construction Law Team and Real Estate Law Team and served as managing partner of Murphy Austin Adams Schoenfeld LLP from 2008 to 2012. He formerly was a partner of Diepenbrock, Wulff, Plant & Hannegan, LLP, with which he started his legal career in 1986. His practice area focuses on general civil litigation and transactions with emphasis in construction and real estate law, including negotiating and drafting contracts; public contract procurement, including bid protests; and real estate litigation. He has represented public and private property owners, developers, general contractors and subcontractors, design consultants, public entities, property management companies, receivers and suppliers of goods and services.
Blair is a member of the Sacramento County Bar Association's Construction Law Section and the American Bar Association's Public Contract Law Section and Forum on the Construction Industry. He has served as a Pro Tem Settlement Conference Judge and Arbitrator for the Sacramento County Superior Court, as well as an Early Neutral Evaluator for the United States District Court, Eastern District of California.
Blair has spoken on issues concerning public and private contracting and construction for the American Arbitration Association, the California Continuing Education of the Bar, Lorman Education Services, the Sacramento County Bar, the National Purchasing Managers Association and Sterling Education Services.
Blair is rated AV-Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell and he is listed in 2013 through 2022 editions of Northern California Super Lawyers. He was included in Sacramento Magazine's Top Lawyers List for excellence in construction litigation in 2015 and 2018 and in construction law in 2020 and 2022. He was named in Sacramento Business Journal's Best of the Bar List in 2016, 2018, and 2019. Blair graduated from University of California, Davis with a B.A. in Political Science in 1982 and earned his J.D. from Hastings College of the Law in 1986.