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Tom Murphy is a first-chair trial lawyer with more than 25 years’ experience focusing his practice in the area of commercial litigation. He is a versatile litigator who has achieved favorable results for his clients on contracts, real estate, employment law and creditors’ rights matters. Tom has been litigating cases in the state and federal courts throughout the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area and around the country. Additionally, he has argued appeals in a variety of state and federal appellate courts. A seasoned trial attorney, Tom has an established track record of success in bench trials, jury trials and commercial arbitration hearings. Tom’s representative matters* include: Defended luxury hotel developer against general contractor asserting $17 million in claims arising from a disastrous construction project. At the conclusion of a two-week trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, the general contractor was awarded nothing and Tom earned the developer […]

Morris joined Friedlander Misler in 1977 and became a principal of the firm in 1979. He has been actively engaged in a diverse civil, trial and appellate practice for more than 35 years. He has tried hundreds of cases to verdict or decision in different state and federal courts, primarily in the Mid-Atlantic Region. Morris elected senior counsel status in January 2025. As head of the firm’s General Litigation group, Morris represents a vast array of clients including governmental entities, non-governmental entities, and public and private corporations. Many of the corporations are self-insured or have risk management programs featuring substantial self-insured retentions. Morris’ practice includes the representation of regional authorities, municipalities and counties. His General Civil Litigation practice focuses on insurance related litigation for coverage issues, defense of claims, construction insurance issues, employment practices liability insurance and owner and contractor controlled wrap-up insurance programs. He also actively represents international organizations […]

Debbie Astrove is an accomplished commercial real estate attorney with more than four decades of experience. Clients turn to her to navigate the complexities of real estate transactions, with a particular emphasis on commercial leasing as well as acquisitions and dispositions of commercial real estate, to help them meet their unique business objectives. Her practice also includes all aspects of management of a commercial property, including property management agreements, brokerage commission agreements, vendor contracts and working on ESG compliance issues. Debbie is highly sought after by landlords for her substantial experience handling all aspects of commercial lease transactions for office, retail, mixed-use and industrial properties across the country, including negotiating many leases on behalf of owners with national retail tenants. A wide variety of owners and agents seek out Debbie for her landlord representation, including pension funds, REITs, private investment funds, overseas investors, brokers, property managers, private owners, banks and […]

David Astrove is an esteemed commercial real estate attorney who has spent more than 40 years focusing on the complex intersection of corporate finance and real estate transactions. He is highly sought after by clients, and as local counsel, for his negotiation skills and ability to navigate intricate financial arrangements. Areas in which David has built a reputation as a trusted advisor include debt and equity financing, acquisitions, dispositions, joint ventures, leases, partnerships, venture capital transactions, structured finance, securitizations, 1031 tax deferred exchanges and transactions involving the DC Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (“TOPA”), market and affordable housing transactions, ground leases, workouts and restructures, and other financial arrangements. No matter the entity, David applies custom strategies uniquely tailored to meet his clients’ business goals. He has collaborated extensively with national banks, large corporations, individuals, institutional investors, developers, family businesses, publicly traded real estate investment trusts (REITs), foreign investors, syndicators, 501(c)(3) […]