Murphy Schiller & Wilkes LLP (MSW) Bolsters Its Commercial Real Estate Service Offerings with Addition of High-Profile Construction Law and Litigation Team

Newark, NJ – March 18, 2024 – Murphy Schiller & Wilkes LLP (MSW) is pleased to announce that the firm has added Anthony D. Capasso and R. Brant Forrest as partners to lead the firm’s Construction Law and Litigation practice groups.

Anthony D. Capasso and R. Brant Forrest have joined the firm as partners and will co-chair the Construction Law and Litigation practice groups. The two attorneys bring decades of experience representing developers, owners, contractors, subcontractors, and design professionals in all stages of construction in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Connecticut. Capasso and Forrest have assisted and counseled clients on public and private construction projects from planning, procurement, bidding and construction, through contract negotiation, risk and claims management, and litigation. The addition to MSW gives it a core construction and litigation practice and strengthens its capabilities as a real estate focused boutique law firm.

Capasso is a distinguished New York Metro-centric lawyer renowned for his expertise in handling high-value complex construction litigation and transactions. With over twenty years of experience, he has earned a stellar legal reputation, including distinctions as a Fellow of the prestigious Construction Law Society of America and Trial Law Institute, and selection as a SuperLawyer for both the New York Metro and New Jersey areas every year for over a decade. Mr. Capasso’s notable legal career is characterized by remarkable results and a deep commitment to excellence on behalf of his clients. He represents major companies and high-net-worth individuals in their most significant disputes, making him the go-to lawyer for his many sophisticated clients. His role as a trusted counselor and advocate has given him the opportunity to develop a profound understanding of various legal practices, including Construction, Professional Liability and Business Law.

To that end, Capasso has represented every player in the built environment. His practice includes the representation of design professionals (including architects, civil engineers, structural engineers, geotechnical engineers, and mechanical engineers), owners, construction managers, general contractors, prime and trade contractors, and joint ventures, in litigation, construction transactions, and construction project and risk management situations. Capasso received his J.D. from Seton Hall University School of Law, and his B.A., with highest honors, from the Rutgers University Newark College of Arts and Sciences, Honors College. In recognition of his scholarly achievements, he was selected to Phi Beta Kappa.

Forrest has litigated a broad spectrum of construction and commercial cases in the state and federal courts of New Jersey and New York. Clients rely upon Forrest to advise on and handle construction liens, construction defects, delay damage claims, breach of contract issues, environmental claims, and business disputes. In addition to his litigation practice, Forrest has significant experience in negotiating and drafting any type of contract document in construction, along with joint venture agreements, development agreements, and operating agreements. He received his J.D. from Seton Hall University School of Law, and his B.S. from Pennsylvania State University.

“We are incredibly excited to welcome Anthony and Brant to our growing team. This is a strategic move for our firm, as we continue to strengthen our full-service commercial real estate capabilities. The addition of the Construction Law and Litigation practices will help enhance our service offerings to existing clients and allow us to provide legal services to new clients in the real estate and construction industries,” said Kellen F. Murphy, the firm’s managing partner. “Anthony and Brant are nationally recognized attorneys whose commitment to providing unparalleled service to a wide range of clients aligns directly with our commitment to providing effective, efficient, practical and creative legal services to meet the distinct needs of our clients.”

“We are excited to join a team of leaders in industries so inextricably intertwined with our thriving construction and litigation practices,” says Capasso. “By consolidating these, we boost our collective ability to serve our mutual clients across the gamut of real estate and construction business, law and litigation. Not practices meant for attorneys who dabble, real estate, construction and litigation are serious practice areas that require deep expertise. That is what we now offer together – a one stop firm dedicated to serving the built environment.”

“I am thrilled to join the talented attorneys at Murphy Schiller & Wilkes LLP. The firm’s client base and focus on the real estate and construction industries has a great synergy with our practice,” said Forrest. “The firm’s reputation in the real estate and construction industries made it an obvious place for me to continue to service clients and further develop my practice and the firm’s values. I look forward to working with the team and expanding the firm’s construction and litigation capabilities.”