David J. Murphy

Overview

David brings more than 20 years of real estate counsel to developers, owners, operators, and investors navigating transactions across Massachusetts. With expertise spanning life sciences developments, restaurant and hospitality ventures, mixed-use projects, and institutional real estate, David provides business-focused solutions that work for all stakeholders.

David’s practice encompasses all aspects of real estate law, with a focus on development projects, restaurant transactions, retail and shopping center deals, multifamily development, and educational and nonprofit institution transactions. As title counsel and agent, David has closed thousands of transactions across all property types, providing clients guidance from initial due diligence review to negotiated policies to address specific deal risks.

David is a member of the American Bar Association, Boston Bar Association, and Massachusetts Bar Association. He holds a B.B.A from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, J.D. from Suffolk University Law School, and LLM in Taxation from Boston University School of Law.

Development Projects

David represents developers in projects including life science developments, residential communities, and mixed-use condominium developments. His development experience spans adult communities, hotel projects in Boston’s West End, affordable housing initiatives, and medical office complexes with assisted living facilities.

Restaurant & Hospitality

David has developed expertise in restaurant and hospitality real estate, representing clients in acquisitions of restaurant businesses with liquor licenses throughout Boston’s neighborhoods, including properties in downtown Nantucket. He structures ownership arrangements and joint ventures for restaurant groups operating across multiple states and handles leasing for restaurants, bars, and entertainment venues.

Acquisitions & Investment Transactions

David’s transactional practice includes representation in shopping center purchases leased to national tenants, industrial mill building acquisitions, estate properties in Nantucket, and land assemblies in markets like Assembly Row. Recent transactions include office buildings and retail properties leased to businesses throughout Greater Boston.

Financing & Capital Structures

David structures financing arrangements for projects ranging from construction loans for apartment buildings to refinancing transactions involving tax credits. His financing experience includes shopping centers leased to national retailers, office buildings with institutional tenants, and construction financing for educational and nonprofit institutions and franchise developments.

Joint Ventures

David structures joint ventures between sponsors and investors, including equity arrangements for condominium developments and joint ventures for life sciences projects. He has restructured ownership entities for restaurant operations and created investment vehicles for portfolio development throughout Massachusetts.

Title and Escrow Services

As title counsel and agent, David has closed thousands of acquisition, construction, and financing transactions across all property types. His approach ensures transaction execution from structuring through documentation and closing.

Representative Matters

David has represented:

• Co-developer in joint venture for 600,000 square foot life science development in Somerville, Massachusetts
• Developer of 300-unit residential apartment community in Boston’s Hyde Park area
• Owner in sale of Bank of America office building in Waltham, Massachusetts
• Purchaser of multiple restaurant businesses and liquor licenses in Boston’s North End and South End neighborhoods
• Developer of mixed-use condominium developments consisting of residential and commercial retail units
• Developer in phased project consisting of construction of Jewish religious building, synagogue and 75-unit apartment building
• Owner in strategic land assembly transactions in Assembly Row area of Somerville, Massachusetts