Shaw & Murphy, PLLC
Real Lawyers for Real People
For nearly 50 years, we've provided high-caliber personal and business legal services to clients in Ithaca, Cortland and surrounding communities, We are general practice lawyers on purpose: Our clients benefit from our broad knowledge of the law, our careful listening and our focus on how the law interacts with all facets of our clients' lives.
General Practice, Ithaca, New York
Practice Areas
At Shaw & Murphy, PLLC, we provide the following legal services.
Business Support
Interested in starting a business, but not sure which entity is right for you? We can help, whether it be::
- Forming a B Corporation
- Setting Up an S Corporation
- Creating LLCs or PLLCs
- Organizing Community Groups
- Buying a Business
- Selling a Business
- Merging Businesses
- Dissolving/Closing a Business
-
Setting Up a Not-for-Profit
To support your business, we also have experience in:
- Employment Law
- Commercial Law
Family Matters
We help clients navigate the turmoil of difficult relationships, helping find the solution that best fits a client's needs and goals in disputes such as:
- Child Custody & Visitation
- Child Support
- Relocation
- Adoption
- Separation Agreements
- Divorce
- Spousal Maintenance
- Alternatives to Court
Title IX, College Discipline, and Student Misconduct Defense Matters
We have decades of experience in helping students and staff navigate college and university rules whether as victim or respondent:
- Student Code of Conduct Violations
- Title IX and Sexual Harassment
- Substance Abuse Issues
- Staff Code of Conduct Issues
- Academic Integrity Problems
- Assault, Harassment, Mischief
- Fake ID Issues
Wills, Trusts, and Estate Planning
Whether you're fresh out of grad school, newly married, combining families, or starting retirement, we can assist you and your family with:
- Wills
- Powers of Attorney
- Health Care Proxy/Living Wills
- Trusts
- Estate Administration/Probate
- Standby Letters of Guardianship
Greek Life & Student Groups
With decades of experience as students, supportive alumni and national leaders, we guide clients through issues facing Fraternities, Sororities and other student organizations, including:
- Risk Management Training
- Officer Training
- Tailored Seminars
- Campus Disciplinary Proceedings
- Supporting Alumni Groups
- Not-for-Profit Corporations
- Building/Fire Code Compliance
- Real Property Management
- Landlord/Tenant Issues
- University Relations
- Rent and Dues Collections
Residential Real Estate
For many people, buying a home is their single biggest investment. Use our experience to advise you on:
- Evaluating a Contract to Buy/Sell
- Relationships with Brokers
- Construction Issues
- Challenging Tax Assessments
- Evaluate Mortgage Options
- Foreclosures
- Boundary Line Issues
- Zoning/Code Compliance
- Leases
- Evictions
Commercial Real Estate
We have decades of experience helping large and small real estate businesses with:
- Buying and Selling Income Properties
- Sec. 1031 Exchanges
- Construction Issues
- Challenging Tax Assessments
- Evaluate Financing Options
- Partnerships/Joint Ventures
- Foreclosures
- Boundary Line Issues
- Zoning/Code Compliance
- Leases
- Evictions
Criminal
We put our decades of experience to help defend clients in the criminal process, including:
- Driving While Intoxicated (DWI)
- Other Traffic Charges
- Violations (open container, harassment)
- Misdemeanors (assault, theft, mischief)
- Sexual Harassment
LGBTQIA+ Family Law
We value each individual client's gender expression, identity, and sexual orientation. Please reach out so we can help support you and your loved ones in navigating estate planning and other forms of relationship protections.
Litigation
If you have been served with a lawsuit, or have been unable to come to an agreement with an opponent, we will zealously advocate your position and guide you through the Court process. We are experienced in representing clients at trial in a variety of cases in Town, State, and Federal Courts.
Alternatives to Litigation
Court is not always the first or best way to resolve disputes. Based on our experience and training, we will help you choose the way to resolve your disputes that works best for you or your business, including through:
- Negotiation
- Mediation
- Collaborative Law: https://collab-law.com/
- Arbitration
Appeals
Sometimes even after a well-researched and carefully conducted trial, the result is not in your favor. Based on decades of experience and, in Ms. DeWeese’s case, working for an appellate court, we have deep experience in crafting compelling arguments on appeal both to appellate courts and for appeals within college and university disciplinary proceedings.
General Practice Lawyer
About Shaw & Murphy, PLLC
Shaw & Murphy is the current firm encompassing practices going back nearly 50 years We provide high-caliber, personal and commercial legal services to clients in Ithaca, Cortland and surrounding communities. We are proud members of these communities working along side our clients. We are a general practice for a reason: Clients benefit from a broad view of the law: We know how divorce impacts your business, or how buying a house means you need to think about your estate planning or how a college disciplinary issue impacts your career choices.
We are trustworthy, fair professionals, many with decades of experience, dedicated to being practical teachers and effective, assertive communicators.
Our team works together to actively listen to clients, identifying their needs and collaborating with them to find appropriate, comprehensive solutions to meet their goals.
General Practice Legal Team
Meet the team
We each bring unique backgrounds to the law firm. We continually strive for excellence in meeting our clients’ legal needs. You can find out more about our colleagues education, experiences and interests on LinkedIn.
Liam G.B. Murphy
Managing Member
Liam G.B. Murphy has an honors degree in economics from Brown University (1985) and law from New York University (1988). Admitted in New York in 1989, he practiced in large NYC law firms and in boutique litigation firms until settling in Ithaca in 1999. Liam has tried cases in Supreme Court and Family Courts over 25 years and has over 20 reported appellate opinions. He offers counselling to small business owners and local non-profits. He has deep experience in residential and commercial real estate. Liam regularly represents student groups by offering trainings and college code defense. He is a member of the Ithaca Area Collaborative Law Professionals, the Estate Planning Council of Tompkins County as well as the Tompkins and Cortland Bar Associations. When not practicing law, Liam enjoys working with young people in scouting programs, raising apple trees and exploring the Finger Lakes.
Natanya DeWeese
Member
Natanya DeWeese joined Shaw & Murphy in 2015. After graduating from Cornell Law School, Ms. DeWeese clerked for the New York Supreme Court Appellate Division, Fourth Department in Rochester, New York. After her clerkship, Ms. DeWeese worked in private practice in Rochester before coming to Shaw & Murphy.
Andrea Simoens
Senior Paralegal
Andrea joined Shaw & Murphy in 2016 as a Paralegal, bringing over 22 years of experience as a Paralegal and Office Manager for another firm. Andrea attended Tompkins Community College where she was enrolled in the Paralegal and Accounting programs.
DeAnna Eastburn
Paralegal
DeAnna Eastburn has decades of business management experience, and a Paralegal Associates Degree from Tompkins Community College.
William R. Shaw
Retired Senior Counsel
William R. Shaw graduated from Cornell with three degrees (AB, MPA, JD), followed by a decade of public service and over 40 years of private practice in federal, state and local courts and general practice of law. He was elected Mayor of Ithaca (1982-83), and later as Covert Town Judge. He helped create the Tompkins County Youth Court, Ithaca Youth Council in the 60’s. He was a member and officer with the County Environmental Management Council, chairing the first County Youth Board, and member of the Red Cross Board, Cayuga Lake Watershed, and an officer of multiple other local and municipal Boards and NFP organizations. He has been an active leader in Greek fraternities for 50 years. He was a Federal Court mediator and litigator; and an Administrative Judge for the State Division of Youth. Mr. Shaw retired in 2022, but regularly shares his experience and training with our firm's lawyers and staff, while spending more time hunting, fishing, forestry, motorcycling and some overdue travels with his wife, Gail.
Amanda Tredo
Paralegal
Amanda Tredo received her Bachelor’s Degree and Paralegal Certificate from Montclair State University in 2012, and has over a decade of experience working as a Paralegal specializing in Litigation.
Get in touch with
Shaw & Murphy, PLLC
Call us
(607) 273-2900
Location
109 East Seneca Street
Ithaca, NY 14850
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