Arnstein & Lehr LLP has announced that Erin M. Murphy has joined the law firm’s Litigation Practice Group as special counsel at its Chicago office. Arnstein & Lehr LLP, founded in 1893, has offices in Illinois, Florida and Wisconsin and is one of the oldest and most respected law firms in the country.
Murphy worked as assistant corporation counsel for the city of Chicago’s Department of Law in the Building and License Enforcement/Municipal Prosecutions Division, before opening her own law office. Prior to joining Arnstein & Lehr, she was principal at the Law Office of Erin M. Murphy, Ltd. in Chicago. She also has the experience of serving as the corporate legal supervisor for McDonald’s Corporation in its Major Litigation Group.
In her first assignment with the city of Chicago, Murphy led an unprecedented prosecution of multi-building owner slum lords. While in service of the city, she also developed policies and protocols and was instrumental in amending the Municipal Code of Chicago mandating an initial court call before holding mortgages accountable for code violations at vacant or abandoned properties. She also prosecuted complaints for the Fire Prevention Bureau and the Department of Health, besides representing the Department of Buildings. She is also well conversant with administrative appeals and procedures for initiating criminal complaints for failure to obey an administrative order.
Currently, Murphy focuses her practice on distressed property issues, municipal code violations and compliance, risk mitigation and dispute resolution, civil and commercial litigation, and administrative law and appeals.
Erin Murphy earned her J.D. in 2002 from The John Marshall Law School, where she served as the Executive Justice on the Moot Court Board. She received a B.A. from Mundelein College of Loyola University in Business Administration and Management and achieved paralegal certification from Roosevelt University.