While it’s not in our nature to boast, we do in fact have much to celebrate.
Murphy Austin has been awarded for 2025 Best Law Firm Tier 1 Rankings for excellence in six Sacramento practice areas: Commercial Litigation, Construction Law, Construction Litigation, Corporate Law, Real Estate Law, and Real Estate Litigation. Murphy Austin was also awarded 2025 Best Law Firm Tier 1 Rankings in San Jose for excellence in Commercial Litigation.
Murphy Austin has received the honor and distinction of having four lawyers named to the 2025 Best Lawyers in America and 13 attorneys recognized in the 2024 Northern California Super Lawyers and Rising Stars lists. The firm has been named in Fortune magazine’s Top Ranked Law Firms by Martindale-Hubbell.
Best Law Firms – Tier 1 Rankings
Sacramento Metropolitan Tier 1
- Commercial Litigation (2018-2021, 2025)
- Construction Law (2010-2012, 2019-2025)
- Construction Litigation (2022, 2025)
- Corporate Law (2024-2025)
- Real Estate Law (2014-2025)
- Real Estate Litigation (2025)
San Jose Metropolitan Tier 1
- Commercial Litigation (2025)
Best Lawyers in America
- J. Scott Alexander, Construction Litigation, Commercial Litigation, and Real Estate Litigation (2024-2025)
- Russell J. Austin, Real Estate Law (1997-2025)
- Ellyn E. Nesbit, Appellate Law (2013-2024)
- D. Michael Schoenfeld, Construction Law and Construction Litigation (2007-2025)
- Alexander F. Stuart, Commercial Litigation (2013-2023, 2025), Insurance Law (2006-2025)
Best Lawyers’ Sacramento Lawyer of the Year, Construction Law
- D. Michael Schoenfeld, Construction Litigation (2015, 2017, and 2019, 2024)
Best Lawyers’ Sacramento Lawyer of the Year, Construction Litigation
- D. Michael Schoenfeld, Construction Litigation (2022, 2024)
Best Lawyers’ Sacramento Lawyer of the Year, Real Estate Law
- Russell J. Austin, Real Estate Law (2010)
Best Lawyers’ San Jose Lawyer of the Year, Appellate Practice
- Ellyn E. Nesbit (2023)
Best Lawyers’ San Jose Lawyer of the Year, Insurance Law
- Alexander F. Stuart, Insurance Law (2013, 2016, 2018, and 2023)
Northern California Super Lawyers
- J. Scott Alexander, Construction Litigation (2020-2024)
- Russell J. Austin, Real Estate (2005-2024)
- Brian P. Bowen, Tax (2023-2024) and Rising Star (2014)
- Steven A. Lamon, Civil Litigation, Real Estate (2004)
- Ellyn E. Nesbit, Appellate Law (2013-2024)
- Lisa D. Nicolls, Construction Litigation (2013-2024)
- Catherine M. Oh, Real Estate (2024)
- D. Michael Schoenfeld, Construction Litigation (2007-2024)
- Kenneth I. Schumaker, Construction Litigation (2023-2024)
- Alexander F. Stuart, Insurance Coverage (2004-2024)
- BJ Susich, Business/Corporate (2024) and Rising Star (2012-2019, 2023)
Rising Stars
- Lauren E. Barker, Health Care (2022-2024)
- Aaron B. Silva, Employment and Labor (2013-2021)
- Eric W. Spears, Business/Corporate (2020-2024)
- R. Brooks Whitehead, Business/Corporate (2015-2021)
- Vincent K. Wong, Real Estate (2021-2024)
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)
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/Sactown Magazine’s Top Lawyers List
- J. Scott Alexander, Construction (2020-2024) Construction Litigation (2022)
- Russell J. Austin, Real Estate (2015-2024), Business/Corporate (2018-2022)
- Brian P. Bowen, Tax (2016-2019, 2021, 2023-2024)
- Steve A. Lamon, Construction Litigation (2016)
- Lisa D. Nicolls, Construction (2022-2024), Construction Litigation (2015-2020)
- Catherine M. Oh, Real Estate (2024)
- Michael R. O’Neil, Anti-Trust (2016-2017)
- Deborah J. Rotenberg, Healthcare (2024)
- D. Michael Schoenfeld, Alternative Dispute Resolution (2016), Arbitration (2021), Construction (2015-2024), Construction Litigation (2015-2022)
- Kenneth I. Schumaker, Construction (2016, 2021-2024)
- Aaron B. Silva, Employment and Labor (2024)
- Eric W. Spears, Business/Corporate (2023-2024)
- Alexander F. Stuart, Insurance (2023)
- J. Michael Stusiak, General Litigation (2019)
- B.J. Susich, Securities and Corporate Finance (2016), Business/Corporate (2019, 2021-2024)
- Vincent K. Wong, Real Estate (2021, 2023-2024)
Sacramento Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 Honorees
- Aaron B. Silva (2016)
- B.J. Susich (2011)
Sacramento Business Journal’s Best of the Bar
- Russell J. Austin (2013-2019)
- Donald E. Brodeur (2013)
- Catherine M. Oh (2016, 2019)
- D. Michael Schoenfeld (2017, 2019)
- B.J. Susich (2018)
