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George R. Murphy
George R. Murphy
Partner — Condemnation & Eminent Domain
Partner — Condemnation & Eminent Domain

George R. Murphy

George R. Murphy
Houston

Texas Tower
845 Texas Avenue
Suite 4700
Houston, Texas 77002

George R. Murphy

Recent Matters

  • Lead Counsel representing property owner in condemnation, securing a Special Commissioners’ Award of $34.2 million, an increase of 109% over Harris County Flood Control District’s (“HCFCD”) initial offer of $16.4 million; the HCFCD was acquiring approximately 187 acres of a 276 acre tract for a regional detention facility; HCFCD did not appeal the award, which then became a Final Judgment

  • 2022 Settlement for $5.1 million, an increase of 439% over the initial offer of $946,000, for a car dealership owner in Lewisville, Texas involving a partial taking wherein the State was taking a substantial portion of a dealership’s display parking for the widening of Interstate 35E north of Dallas

  • Lead Counsel representing large industrial developer in Liberty County, Texas in securing a settlement of $13 million, an increase of 94% over the Texas Department of Transportation (“TxDOT”) initial offer of $6,969,400, for the partial acquisition of the owner’s property for construction of segment I-1 of the Grand Parkway in Dayton, Texas; this settlement was achieved quickly, without the matter having to go into litigation

  • Jury verdict of $12.2 million, 281% above State’s First Offer – Lead counsel in a jury trial resulting in a Judgment in favor of the owner of a 52.75 acre tract of land in the Klein area of Northwest Houston that was taken by the State of Texas for construction of a portion of the Grand Parkway and an associated detention pond; the trial resulted in a final judgment of $12.4 million on an original offer of $3.2 million; the State did not appeal the verdict

  • Jury verdict of $9.25 million, 110% above State’s Offer – Lead counsel in a jury trial resulting in a judgment in favor of the owner of a refrigerated warehouse facility in Houston, Texas that was condemned for the State’s US 290/610 Expansion Project; the trial resulted in a final judgment of $10.36 million compared to the State’s offer of $4.40 million; the State did not appeal the verdict

  • Jury verdict of $1.95 million, 1,005% above County’s First Offer – Lead counsel in a jury trial involving a partial taking of property developed and operated by a trucking company in Houston, Texas, which was condemned for Harris County’s Hardy Toll Road Extension Project; the trial resulted in a final judgment of $2.2 million on an original offer of $177,000; Harris County voluntarily dismissed its appeal

  • Jury verdict of $11.5 million, 292% above State’s First Offer – Lead counsel in a jury trial resulting in a judgment in favor of the developer of a large anchored retail development in Montgomery County, Texas, a part of which was taken for construction of the Grand Parkway; the property taken by the State was planned for development as pad sites fronting a big-box retail store; the State appealed the trial verdict and the parties settled shortly after the appeal was filed, for $11.3 million, despite the State’s original offer being only $2.94 million

  • Jury verdict of $6.1 million, a 283% increase in Compensation to Client – Lead counsel in a jury trial resulting in a judgment for a large grocery company related to the State’s condemnation of a part of the client’s retail development for construction of the Grand Parkway in Montgomery County, Texas; the trial resulted in a final judgment of $6.3 million on an original offer of $1.2 million

  • Combined Jury verdicts of $19.4 million, a 292% increase in compensation to client – Combined jury trial verdicts for 100% of the compensation sought in a consolidated trial of two cases involving commercial reserve parcels owned by the same entity taken for the Grand Parkway in Harris County, Texas; the Final Judgment, which totaled $20.1 million, was affirmed by the Houston 1st Court of Appeals in State v. Gleannloch Commercial Development, LP, 2018 WL 4134926 (Tex.App.—Houston [1st Dist.] Aug. 30, 2018, pet. denied)

  • Jury verdict of $13.2 million, 367% above State’s Compensation Offer – Jury trial verdict 40% above the property owner’s own appraisal value; the client was the owner/developer of the commercial reserves fronting a large master-planned residential development, portions of which were taken  for the Grand Parkway in Harris County, Texas; the Judgment was affirmed by the Houston 14th Court of Appeals in State v. Gleannloch Commercial Development, LP, 2017 WL 6559745 (Tex.App.—Houston [14th Dist.] Mar. 8, 2018, pet. denied)

  • Jury verdict of $922K, 367% above State’s Compensation Estimate – Lead counsel in a jury trial resulting in a judgment in favor of a family who owned a tract of vacant land, a part of which was taken for a detention pond associated with the widening of FM 529 in the Katy, Texas area; the trial resulted in a final judgment for the family totaling $950K, on an original offer of $360K; the jury verdict was affirmed on appeal; see State v. Chana, 464 S.W.3d 769 (Tex.App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 2015, no pet.)

  • Lead counsel in a jury trial for the acquisition of property needed by an electric utility client for a transmission line project in Wise County, Texas

  • Lead counsel for the acquisition of approximately 180 miles of right-of-way in multiple counties in North Texas needed by a client for CREZ transmission line projects

  • Lead counsel for the acquisition of approximately 300 miles of right-of-way in multiple counties in the panhandle region of Texas needed by client for CREZ transmission line projects

  • Lead counsel resulting in a favorable jury verdict in which the jury awarded the client 100% of the amount sought on behalf of a family who owned commercial property on I-45 in Montgomery County, which was condemned by the City of Shenandoah

  • Co-counsel for a property owner in jury trial resulting in verdict in which the jury awarded the client 100% of the property owner’s estimate of compensation; the case involved the widening of I-10 and the resulting impact on a property improved with a Class A self-storage facility in Houston, Texas

  • Lead counsel for a property owner in a jury trial resulting in a favorable verdict for the owner of a retail shopping center that lost parking as a result of the widening I-10; the Judgment was affirmed on appeal by the Houston 14th Court of Appeals. See State of Texas v. Gaylor Investment Trust Partnership, et al., 322 S.W.3d 814 (Tex.App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 2010, no pet.)

  • Lead counsel for a joint venture pipeline company in the acquisition of property needed for a new crude oil pipeline constructed across terminal/railroad property

  • Lead counsel for the acquisition of 25 miles of property for a canal project intended to provide an additional water supply source to the City of Houston and surrounding areas

  • Lead counsel for numerous property owners in settlements reached with the State of Texas related to the condemnation of their property for the expansion of several major freeways

  • Lead counsel for numerous property owners in settlements reached with Harris County related to the condemnation of their property for highway and road widening projects, toll road projects, and flood control projects

  • Lead counsel for the owner of property improved with a distribution center for a national restaurant chain resulting in a favorable verdict following a jury trial.

  • Co-counsel for a property owner in a jury trial resulting in a favorable verdict resulting from the condemnation of a portion of a property improved with big box retailer for the widening of S.H. 6 in Bryan, Texas.

  • Represented a manufacturer of asbestos-containing products as trial counsel in various counties throughout the State of Texas

  • Represented major building products manufacturer in a multiparty case involving property damage and product liability claims in combined construction/personal injury litigation resulting from the failure of a commercial building

  • Served as arbitrator in two AAA arbitration proceedings involving contract disputes and unfair trade practices claims

Credentials

  • Paul M. Hebert Law School at Louisiana State University, J.D., 1994 (Order of the Coif; Louisiana Law Review)
  • Northeast Louisiana University, B.A. with honors, 1991
  • Chambers USA, Real Estate: Land Use/Zoning (Texas), 2021–2023
  • The Best Lawyers in America© (BL Rankings, LLC), “Lawyer of the Year,” Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law (Houston), 2019
  • The Best Lawyers in America© (BL Rankings, LLC), (Houston): Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law, 2019−2024; Eminent Domain, 2017−2021
  • Selected to the Texas Super Lawyers list, Super Lawyers (Thomson Reuters), 2014−2017, 2019−2023
  • Selected to the Texas Rising Star list, Super Lawyers (Thomson Reuters), 2005
  • Member: Houston Bar Foundation; American Bar Association; Houston Bar Association (Campaign for the Homeless Committee, 1997–1998; Professionalism Committee 1998–1999); Houston Young Lawyers Association
  • Member: American Board of Trial Advocates
  • Texas
  • Louisiana
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
  • U.S. District Courts for the Western, Northern, Southern and Eastern Districts of Texas, and the Western and Middle Districts of Louisiana
  • “Litigating Easements in Texas, A Brief Summary of Relevant Law, Issues and Arguments,”  Easements in Texas, Houston, Texas, 2015
  • “Deposing the Eminent Domain Expert,” CLE International SuperConference on Eminent Domain, Austin, Texas, 2012
  • “Valuation Issues in Direct and Inverse Condemnations,” Center for American and International Law, Dallas, Texas, 2008
  • “Making the Property Owner Whole: Answering Highest and Best Use Issues When Property Is Condemned,” Center for American and International Law, Dallas, Texas, 2008
  • “Condemnation – What Is Just Compensation and What Is the Procedure for Obtaining It in Texas?,” Legal Issues for Texas Civil Engineers, Houston, Texas, 2007
  • “The ‘Scope’ of the Project Influence Rule,” American Law Institute/American Bar Association, Miami, Florida, 2007
  • “Project Influence: Is There Any Influence at All?,” Houston, Texas, 200
  • “Project Influence in the Analysis of Just Compensation,” CLE International, Phoenix, Arizona, 200
  • “The Essential Outline of Eminent Domain Law,” Legal Issues for Texas Civil Engineers, Houston, Texas, 200
  • “When Is Impairment of Access Substantial Enough to Trigger Compensation?,” CLE International, Austin, Texas, 2005
  • “The Effects of the 1995 Amendments to the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act,” Texas Association of Defense Counsel Winter Seminar, 1997
  • “Asbestos Litigation: Prescription, Contribution, Exposure, Insurance, and the Public Interest – A Casenote on Cole v. Celotex Corp.” 54 LA. L. Rev. 467, 1993