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Nutter Continues Growth With Addition of Three Partners in Its Real Estate, Intellectual Property, and Labor, Employment and Benefits Practices
Print PDFNutter is pleased to announce additions to its expanding Real Estate, Intellectual Property, and Labor, Employment and Benefits practices. Robin Levitt Topol will be a partner in the firm’s Real Estate Department and chair of its Leasing practice in New York; Timothy M. Murphy, a patent attorney, will be a partner in the Intellectual Property Department; and Emily Grannon Fox, who is rejoining the firm, will be a partner in the Labor, Employment and Benefits practice group. Topol will be resident in the firm’s New York office, Murphy will be based in Nutter’s Boston and New York offices, and Fox will be resident in Boston.
“Nutter continues to thoughtfully expand in strategic practice areas where we foresee increased demand, such as real estate, intellectual property litigation, and employment,” said Michael Scott, Nutter’s co-managing partner.
Topol brings deep experience in commercial real estate and significant expertise in leasing and subleasing. She has spent her career representing top-tier clients in major U.S. metropolitan areas, with a concentration on leasing and subleasing and acquisitions, dispositions and financings of commercial property, including shopping centers and other commercial office buildings, office space, medical facilities and medical offices, industrial warehouses, and retail property. She represents some of the country’s largest accounting firms, marketing, advertising and public relations companies, and health care companies. Topol has been recognized as a Bisnow “Power Women in Commercial Real Estate.” She earned her J.D. from New York University School of Law, an Executive Management Program – EMMP from Yale School of Management, and her B.A., cum laude, from Barnard College.
“Robin brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to Nutter. She is a trusted legal advisor to some of the nation’s largest commercial landlords and tenants, and will be invaluable to our clients and the broader Nutter community,” said Marianne Ajemian, chair of Nutter’s Real Estate Department. Scott added that the firm is “thrilled to welcome Robin to our growing New York office. Her unique knowledge of the New York leasing market will seamlessly amplify Nutter’s real estate team and provide additional expertise for our New York client base.”
Murphy focuses his practice on patent litigation and the development of complex intellectual property portfolios. With extensive experience representing clients before the U.S. Patent Trial and Appeal Board, he has an exceptional track record in handling inter partes reviews and patent interferences. As a registered patent attorney with several decades of experience, Murphy has successfully managed mission-critical patent portfolios, protecting key company innovations that often form the cornerstone of a company’s value proposition.
In addition to his legal practice, Murphy is a recognized thought leader in the field of intellectual property law. He has served as co-chair of the Intellectual Property Law Section of the Boston Bar Association and is a speaker at the Boston Bar Association and Massachusetts Continuation Legal Education, Inc. Murphy holds a J.D. from Columbia University School of Law and a B.S. in mechanical engineering, also from Columbia University.
“We are thrilled to welcome Tim to our practice, as we highly value his ability to expertly protect the intellectual property of our clients as they scale and grow their businesses,” said Steven Saunders, chair of Nutter’s Intellectual Property Department. “With his extensive experience and understanding of the nuanced needs and challenges specific to IP litigation, Tim both broadens and deepens our ability to represent our clients in high-stakes matters.”
Rejoining Nutter’s Labor, Employment and Benefits group, Fox spent nearly ten years with the firm representing clients on labor and employment matters. She has significant expertise in prosecuting and defending against breaches of non-competition, non-solicitation, and non-disclosure agreements. She also has defended employers against state and federal claims relating to whistleblower protection statutes, wage and hour laws, discrimination, retaliation, wrongful discharge, and tortious interference with contractual relations. Fox also regularly provides counseling to HR professionals managing diverse types of workforces on day-to-day employee relations issues, policies, hiring and firing, leaves of absence, and changes to state and federal law to remain compliant and avoid litigation. Fox previously served as Global Employment Counsel for MKS Instruments, Inc. Fox earned her J.D., magna cum laude, from Boston College Law School and her B.A., cum laude, from Williams College.
“Emily’s practice covers every aspect of labor and employment law, including employment benefits matters and employment litigation,” said Liam O’Connell, Nutter’s co-managing partner. “We are delighted that Emily has returned to the firm. She is an exceptionally talented lawyer whose in-house experience will only serve to make her even more effective in serving the needs of our clients.”
Nutter’s Real Estate Department provides expertise on a wide range of legal challenges surrounding all types of real estate, including the most complex transactions and developments. The team has broad experience covering real estate transactional and finance work, as well as related entitlement, land use, and environmental matters. Owners, operators, lenders, developers, tenants and others involved in real estate transactions frequently turn to Nutter for legal advice and services. In 2022, Nutter’s national real estate practice managed 310+ commercial property acquisitions and dispositions; oversaw the permitting for 195+ real estate developments; and handled 230+ real estate loans valued at $4.7 billion.
The firm’s Intellectual Property Department advises clients on patent portfolio development, counseling, and prosecution; due diligence; litigation; trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets; licensing; international IP rights; and opinions of counsel. Global corporations, mid-market and emerging companies, and investors turn to Nutter to protect, enhance, leverage, and capitalize on their IP assets.
Nutter’s Labor, Employment and Benefits practice group is comprised of a seasoned, interdisciplinary team who bring deep knowledge of labor and employment law and deliver practical and innovative problem-solving approaches to every matter. The firm represents clients in the litigation of labor and employment disputes in state and federal courts, administrative agencies, and mediation and arbitration proceedings, across a wide variety of industries, including construction, retail, banking, financial services, hospitality, health care, insurance, and transportation.
About Nutter
Headquartered in Boston, Nutter provides legal counsel to industry-leading companies, entrepreneurs, institutions, foundations, and families, across the country and around the world. The firm’s corporate, intellectual property, litigation, real estate and land use, labor and employment, tax, and trusts and estates practices are national in scope. The firm was co-founded in 1879 by former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Louis D. Brandeis, before his appointment to the Court. For more information, please visit www.nutter.com and follow the firm on LinkedIn.
