Attorneys
Super Lawyer 2011 – 2023
Susan C. Murphy
Susan C. Murphy has over twenty years of experience in real estate development, leasing, land use, and real estate finance. Prior to joining Dain Torpy, Ms. Murphy practiced at the Boston offices of Nutter, McClennen & Fish and WilmerHale where she represented real estate clients both locally and nationally. In addition to her private real estate practice, she has over ten years experience at the municipal level serving on the Hingham Planning Board and various committees, as well as advising on land use and real estate matters. Susan’s broad private practice and municipal experience provide her with a rare 360° perspective when advising clients with their real estate transactions.
With experience in purchases and sales, financing, leasing, development projects, municipal zoning, land use permitting and public/private development agreements, Susan brings premier law firm experience to addressing your legal services needs on a personal level.
Representative Experience
Transactional
- Represented clients in acquisition and sale of all types of commercial properties, including retail, office and industrial properties, including preparation of purchase and sale agreements and transfer documents.
- Represented wholesale business and construction contractor in connection with the acquisition and financing of multiple freezer storage buildings in multiple states, including negotiation of acquisition documents, loan documents, state specific construction law issues, title and legal opinions.
Real Estate Finance
- Represented borrower in connection with assumption of loans during acquisition of laboratory facilities in Massachusetts and Canada.
- Represented lender in multi-state, multi-property financing, refinancing and workout of mortgage loan and sale/leaseback financing of independent living, assisted living and nursing home facilities.
- Represented major insurance company lenders in financing of commercial properties in Massachusetts.
Leasing
- Represented national retailer in numerous ground lease transactions spanning from Delaware to Maine with both sophisticated developer and single property landlords. Transactions involved complex reciprocal easement and restriction agreements and site development agreements.
- Represented national child care provider in ground lease and space lease transactions in the Northeast.
- Represented landlord and tenant parties in the lease and subleasing of general office, bank, medical and laboratory space.
Municipal Real Estate
- Represented municipal finance committee in analysis of impacts of proposed sale of land held in trust for municipality.
- Drafted and negotiated a land swap and development agreement between a municipality and a private developer, including zoning amendments, for the creation of multi-family housing with affordable units and playing fields.
- Review of acquisition, loan documents, and a ground lease for a $6,000,000 Section 8 affordable housing apartment building.
Land Use and Zoning
- Drafted and presented at Town Meeting major zoning amendments including conservation subdivision bylaw, downtown overlay district (including creation of residential units in the downtown), special permit and site plan review criteria and procedures, wireless overlay district, and Chapter 40R overlay district.
- Drafted numerous special permit, site plan review and subdivision decisions, including residential and commercial subdivisions, Chapter 40B site plan recommendations, multi-family housing, office, retail and industrial developments. Projects include the mixed-use Hingham Shipyard project which involves apartment, townhome, office, retail, marina and park uses with complex shared parking, circulation and off-site improvements and design review.
Publications / Presentations
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology – Center for Real Estate
Guest Lecturer in areas of site control, site planning, municipal development agreements and leasing for Masters of Science in Real Estate Development (MSRED) degree course entitled Real Estate Ventures I & II. - “Communities Can Benefit From a Plan to Manage Municipal Real Estate”, Municipal Advocate, the quarterly publication of the Massachusetts Municipal Association, Vol. 25, No. 2 (Spring 2010)
Professional Activities and Honors
- Rated 2023 Top Lawyer by Boston Magazine
- Since 2011, Susan was named one of the top lawyers in New England in the Real Estate category by Super Lawyers, a joint publication of Boston Magazine and Law & Politics. The Super Lawyers comprise the top 5% of lawyers in the state.
- Co-Chair of the Real Estate Bar Association of Massachusetts Land Use and Zoning Committee
- Boston Bar Association: Member, Education Committee 2013-2014; Co-Chair, Real Estate Section Leasing Committee 2011-2013
- City Solicitors & Town Counsel Association
- International Council of Shopping Centers
- NAIOP
- New England Women in Real Estate/CREW
- Member of the Massachusetts IOLTA Committee
- Member, Board of Trustees of Cantata Singers, Inc.
Bar and Court Admissions
Ms. Murphy is admitted to the bars of Massachusetts and New York.
Education
J.D., Fordham University School of Law, 1990
- Fordham Law Review
B.A., College of the Holy Cross, 1987 (cum laude)
- Pi Sigma Alpha (National Political Science Honor Society)
- Political Science Department Award