Murphy Austin has announced the appointments of Co-Managing Partners Lisa D. Nicolls and Aaron B. Silva, effective January 1, 2025. Both attorneys are homegrown partners who began their legal careers as associates at Murphy Austin. Both also received their undergraduate degrees and Juris Doctors from University of California, Davis and have welcomed leadership roles in the industries they serve.
LISA D. NICOLLS
Co-Managing Partner | Construction and Business Litigation Attorney
Lisa Nicolls is Murphy Austin’s Co-Managing Partner and serves as Co-Chair of the firm’s Executive Management Committee. In her law practice, Lisa focuses on complex civil litigation matters with an emphasis on construction law, which includes the representation of contractors, subcontractors, developers, owners and design professionals. In 2021, Lisa served as the first female Board President for Region Business. She has also served on the boards of several builders’ exchanges and the Sacramento Chapter of the Board of the National Association of Women in Construction. Lisa currently serves on the Board of the Association of General Contractors Delta Sierra District and the Board of Region Business. She is a graduate of Sacramento Metro Chamber’s Leadership Sacramento program and she is a Fellow of Construction Lawyers Society of America. Lisa is consistently recognized for excellence in construction law by Northern California Super Lawyers and Sactown Magazine’s Top Lawyers List.
AARON B. SILVA
Co-Managing Partner | Labor and Employment Law Attorney and Team Leader
Aaron Silva is Murphy Austin’s Co-Managing Partner and serves as Co-Chair of the firm’s Executive Management Committee. Aaron leads the firm’s Labor and Employment Practice Team. He has an extensive background defending employers before state and federal courts and several administrative boards. Aaron has served as Commissioner on the City of Folsom Utilities Commission since January 2021. He currently serves as Vice Chairperson of the Board for Folsom Chamber of Commerce. Aaron is also a member of the Dry Creek Rancheria Band of Pomo Indians, where he serves on the tribal council and served previously as Vice Chairperson of the Judiciary Committee. He is a graduate of Sacramento Metro Chamber’s Leadership Sacramento and Folsom Chamber’s Leadership Folsom programs. Aaron is a past honoree of Sacramento Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 List and he is listed in Sactown Magazine’s Top Lawyers List and was named a Rising Star by Northern California Super Lawyers for excellence in employment law.
