Anthony D. Capasso (left) and R. Brant Forrest
By Joshua Burd
Murphy Schiller & Wilkes LLP has named two new partners in key roles, adding Anthony D. Capasso and R. Brant Forrest as co-chairs of its construction law and litigation practice groups.
The firm, which is based in Newark, said the 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. Collectively, they 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 new additions give MSW a core construction and litigation practice and strengthen its capabilities as a real estate-focused boutique law firm.
“We are incredibly excited to welcome Anthony and Brant to our growing team,” said Kellen F. Murphy, MSW’s managing partner. “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.
“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.”
In a news release, MSW said Capasso is a distinguished New York-metro-centric lawyer with expertise in handling high-value complex construction litigation and transactions. With more than 20 years of experience, he holds distinctions as a fellow of the prestigious Construction Law Society of America and Trial Law Institute and as a SuperLawyer for both the New York metro and New Jersey areas every year for more than a decade.
The firm added that Capasso represents major companies and high-net-worth individuals in their most significant disputes, making him the go-to lawyer for clients. His practice includes the representation of design professionals such as architects, civil engineers, structural engineers, geotechnical engineers and mechanical engineers, as well as owners, construction managers, general contractors, prime and trade contractors and joint ventures in litigation, construction transactions and construction project and risk management situations.
Capasso, whose expertise also spans several legal disciplines, including construction, professional liability and business law, received his J.D. from Seton Hall University School of Law and his B.A. with highest honors from Rutgers University’s Newark College of Arts and Sciences, Honors College.
“We are excited to join a team of leaders in industries so inextricably intertwined with our thriving construction and litigation practices,” Capasso said. “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.”
Forrest has litigated a broad spectrum of construction and commercial cases in the state and federal courts of New Jersey and New York, the news release said. He advises clients on construction liens, construction defects, delay damage claims, breach of contract issues, environmental claims and business disputes, while also boasting significant experience in negotiating and drafting any type of contract document in construction, along with joint venture agreements, development agreements and operating agreements.
MSW added that Forrest received his J.D. from Seton Hall University School of Law and a bachelor’s from Pennsylvania State University.
“I am thrilled to join the talented attorneys at Murphy Schiller & Wilkes LLP,” Forrest said. “The firm’s client base and focus on the real estate and construction industries has a great synergy with our practice. 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.”
