RJO Elevates Richard Harris, Jon-Erik Magnus, Emily Murphy to Shareholder

RJO is pleased to announce that Richard Harris, Jon-Erik Magnus and Emily Murphy have been elected shareholders of the firm, effective January 1, 2024. 

Mr. Harris focuses his practice on construction, government contracts and white-collar criminal defense. He has extensive experience in public and private construction matters, including bid protests, contract negotiation and claims, including unforeseen conditions and delay claims. He protects his contractor clients’ right to payment by way of mechanic’s liens and stop notices. He has also mediated, arbitrated and litigated construction disputes of many types. Mr. Harris has resolved disputes with general contractors, suppliers and state and local government owners. Before joining RJO, Mr. Harris served as general counsel for a public works construction firm for over six years. 

Mr. Magnus represents a wide variety of clients, from Fortune 500 companies to small family businesses, in environmental law and retail trade matters. He handles all aspects of this work throughout California and Washington, including litigation, agency negotiations and administrative proceedings. Mr. Magnus defends clients against claims involving traditional tort theories, along with those arising from the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), California’s Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control and Carpenter-Presley-Tanner Hazardous Substances Acts, the Clean Water Act and Washington’s Model Toxics Controls Act.

Ms. Murphy’s practice emphasizes labor and employment, government contracts and retail industry trade regulation. She represents employers in connection with a wide variety of employment and labor issues, including discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination and wage and hour violations. Ms. Murphy also has a wide array of civil litigation experience representing retailers and manufacturers in consumer products litigation and class actions. She has handled a significant number of complex cases and class actions from inception through trial and defended companies in the California Superior Court, the California Court of Appeals and federal district courts.