Overview

When faced with issues impacting their business, clients turn to Karen Murphy for her extensive experience in environmental and real estate law and practical approach to problem solving. Her practice encompasses regulatory, compliance and corporate aspects of environmental law, including due diligence for M&A, Industrial Site Recovery Act (ISRA) compliance, site remediation, environmental permitting, cost recovery, and other compliance issues that frequently arise with real estate and business transactions. 

Karen assists small and large businesses in the energy, industrial, and commercial sectors with the sale and purchase of environmentally impaired properties. She works closely with environmental consultants, engineers, environmental health & safety professionals to manage risks and liabilities for clients. 

In addition to her work in the environmental arena, Karen is experienced in all facets of real estate law. She is regularly called up to negotiate leases, easements and purchase agreements and for offices, warehouses, retail establishments and large industrial complexes. Her attention to detail and concern for her clients bottom line are paramount in every real estate transaction she handles.   

Karen devotes a substantial amount of time to pro bono endeavors. She is a member of the Board of Trustees of  Partners for Women & Justice, and a pro bono volunteer for Volunteer Lawyers for Justice.

Experience

Experience

  • Represent public company in remediation of former plastics manufacturing facility in Branchburg Township, NJ
  • Assisted client with the sale and transfer of environmental liabilities at an 80 acre brownfield property in Perth Amboy, NJ
  • Handled environmental permitting, land use and remediation matters for national home heating oil and propane distributor
  • Negotiate commercial and warehouse leases for logistics and transportation company
  • Handled the sale, acquisition and leasing of various agricultural, industrial and commercial properties throughout North America for international chemical company
  • Assisted client with the sale and remediation of corrugated paper manufacturing facility in Newark, NJ
  • Assist contracting businesses in New Jersey with licensing and disciplinary proceedings before the State Board of Examiners of Master Plumbers and State Board of Examiners of HVACR Contractors

News & Insights

Speaking Engagements & Events

Associations & Organizations

Professional Affiliations

  • New Jersey State Bar Association
    • Environmental Law Section
    • Women in the Profession Section
  • New Jersey Licensed Site Remediation Professionals Association
  • Morris County Bar Association

Civic Involvement

  • Board of Trustees, Partners for Women & Justice
  • Pro Bono volunteer, Volunteer Lawyers for Justice.

Awards & Honors

Awards & Honors

  • Selected to the list of the Best Lawyers in America®, 2023, 2024

2024 Best Lawyers

No aspect of this or any advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey. A description of the award methodologies can be found here

Education

  • Seton Hall University School of Law, J.D., 1998
  • Villanova University, B.A., 1993

Admissions

  • New Jersey
  • U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey
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