New Houston litigation boutique Murphy Ball Stratton is rapidly expanding its footprint in the legal landscape. Launched in January by former Smyser Kaplan & Veselka attorneys, the firm has already outgrown its initial expectations and is increasing its downtown office space to 6,000 square feet.
Co-founders Dane Ball and Land Murphy highlighted the firm’s significant early growth, with Murphy stating, “We’ve grown, frankly, more than we’ve expected in the short time we’ve been around.” Currently staffed by eight lawyers, including six partners, Murphy Ball is actively planning to accommodate more attorneys.
The boutique firm, which was formed when its founders chose to separate from Smyser Kaplan & Veselka amid its acquisition by Steptoe LLP, focuses on white collar defense, including financial fraud, anti-corruption, and environmental crime. While many of its clients are within the oil and gas sector, Murphy Ball also handles complex commercial disputes in the healthcare and other industries.
Murphy Ball’s downtown Houston office is situated in First City Tower, previously home to Texas-founded Big Law firm Vinson & Elkins. The strategic location aligns with Houston’s robust legal market, driven by lucrative energy transactions and an active litigation docket.
The firm’s operations extend nationwide. Murphy Ball is currently representing Exxon Mobil Oil in a federal lawsuit in New York regarding a $1.3 million fuel debt payment. The lawyers are also involved in representing crew members in a federal investigation concerning the Francis Scott Key bridge collision in Baltimore.
Choosing to start their own firm instead of joining their former colleagues at Steptoe, Murphy, Ball, and co-founding partner Michelle Stratton desired more freedom from conflicts restrictions typical at large firms. “They just have lots and lots of clients that we would not have otherwise ever been exposed to, and those clients would result in having to turn down work that we would otherwise like to do,” Murphy explained. The firm aims to include contingency fee matters, which larger firms might shy away from.
Murphy Ball continues to expand its client base organically and has recently opened an outpost in New Orleans. Utilizing a mix of traditional billable hour and alternative billing arrangements, with openness to litigation funders for the right projects, the firm is set on strategic and sustainable growth. Murphy concluded, “We want to expand when it makes sense, and bring in like-minded people who are capable of doing this work for our clients at the highest possible level.”
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