John C. Murphy

Practice Areas: Eminent Domain, Real Estate, Land Use & Zoning

John Murphy specializes in legal matters related to eminent domain, inverse condemnation, and intricate real estate trials. His client base encompasses a diverse range of public entities, corporations, and landowners.

Throughout the past six years, Mr. Murphy and his law firm have secured their clients with eminent domain awards surpassing $275 million. Over the last four years, his firm has consistently achieved some of the highest condemnation awards in the State, including a notable $48 million judgment against the County of San Bernardino in 2017.

Recognized for his exceptional legal prowess, Mr. Murphy has been repeatedly selected for inclusion in the esteemed legal directory, Best Lawyers in America, most recently in 2017, in two specific practice areas: eminent domain law and real estate law. From 2006 to 2017, the Los Angeles Times has prominently featured Mr. Murphy in its articles celebrating “Southern California’s Best Lawyers.” He has also received consistent acknowledgment in Southern California Super Lawyers by Los Angeles magazine. Orange Coast magazine has recognized him as a “Top Attorney in Orange County” in features from September 2007 to 2015.

In 2012, Mr. Murphy was honored by Best Lawyers in America, the oldest and most reputable legal peer-review publication in the nation, as the “Orange County Litigation – Real Estate Lawyer of The Year.” Southern California’s Super Lawyers magazine named him among the “Top 50 in Orange County” lawyers for the year 2012.

Mr. Murphy has acted as lead trial counsel in numerous significant and successful jury trials. His expertise is also evident through his regular speaking engagements on eminent domain matters, and his cases have garnered substantial media coverage. His legal career has been extensively covered in publications such as the Los Angeles Daily Journal, Verdicts and Settlements, and the Daily Journal. Notably, he achieved one of the largest jury verdicts ($14.6 million) ever recorded in Marin County Superior Court.

In 2006, Mr. Murphy was elected as a Fellow of the American Bar Association. His consistent excellence has earned him an “AV-Preeminent” rating by Martindale Hubbell, a prestigious recognition in the legal community.

In 2017, the Real Property Section of the State Bar of California appointed Mr. Murphy to its executive committee.

Mr. Murphy has played a key role in managing several major public agency acquisition projects, including agencies like the Orange County Flood Control District, Los Angeles Unified School District, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, Riverside County Flood Control and Water Conservation District, Orange County Transportation Corridor Agencies, Riverside County, Riverside County Economic Development Agency, San Diego Unified Port District, City of Los Angeles Department of Airports (LAWA), City of Newport Beach, and Alameda Corridor Transportation Authority.

His expertise has extended to sharing insights and strategies at prestigious conferences like the American Law Institute – Continuing Legal Education (ALI-CLE) Annual Eminent Domain and Land Valuation Litigation Conference, as well as the ALI-ABA National Eminent Domain Conferences.

Mr. Murphy also serves as Co-Chairman of the annual CLE International Southern California seminar on eminent domain, frequently speaks at Appraisal Institute seminars, and has authored articles for the Appraisal Journal.

Over the past decade, he has been a featured speaker at more than 15 International Right of Way Association seminars and programs, including the IRWA’s Annual International Education Conferences.

Mr. Murphy’s contributions extend to his authorship of chapters in prominent legal resources, such as the California Continuing Education of the Bar’s treatise on condemnation, the book “Ground Lease Practice,” and a chapter in the American Bar Association’s textbook on expert witnesses, titled “Litigators on Experts.”

With academic credentials, Mr. Murphy obtained his J.D. from the University of Southern California, Gould School of Law in 1980, and earned his B.A. with honors from the University of California, Riverside in 1976.