Ringing in the new year at midnight on January 1, 2021 looked quite different from previous years. Many people welcomed the changes that would come from the fresh start of a new calendar year. For Murphy, Pearson, Bradley & Feeney, a California-based litigation firm, the ending of 2020 was the beginning of a significant change for the firm. Murphy, Pearson, Bradley & Feeney welcomed its first female managing an office at the firm, Shareholder Kimberly Shields.
Timothy Halloran, the Managing Partner of Murphy, Pearson, Bradley & Feeney, has been encouraging Kim to expand her representation to include the Sacramento area and surrounding markets. When the prior Managing Partner of Sacramento retired at the end of 2020, it was the perfect opportunity to make it official for Kim to manage that office.
“We wanted her to head up this office because Kim brings energy, leadership and talent to our Sacramento office,” says Tim.
Kim is the first female Managing Partner that the firm has had since its formation in 1978. In addition to that title, Kim’s elevation to Managing Partner also means that the Sacramento office of Murphy Pearson is comprised of an all-female staff.
“It’s exciting that an ALL-FEMALE staff can and will be running the Sacramento office,” says Charlotte Sterling, a legal assistant who has been with the firm since 2019.
Who is Kim Shields?
Kim was born and raised in the east bay in Antioch, California. Kim received her B.A. from U.C. Davis (with honors) and her J.D. from USF School of Law (cum laude). Kim joined the firm in March 2007 as an Associate. Smart, dedicated, loyal, and motivated are a few words to describe Kim.
“Kim is an excellent lawyer. The firm is grateful for her contribution to the legal community and her passionate commitment to her clients’ interests. Kim always provides the firm’s clients with reasoned and thorough advocacy,” says Tim.
Splitting her time between the San Francisco and Sacramento offices, Kim will blend the larger office resources and strengths of San Francisco with the intimacy and closeness that the Sacramento office provides to the community.
About the Sacramento Office.
Kim’s team consists of Heather Barnes (Director), Alina Pavlova (Associate based in San Francisco), Jaclyn Tran (Associate based in San Francisco), and legal assistants Carmen Martinez (San Francisco) and Crystal Roberts and Charlotte Sterling (both in Sacramento). Kim is excited to lead this strong and dynamic group of women and says that her team brings a different perspective to its clients’ matters.
“I am thrilled to be managing the Sacramento team. Heather is the best person to have as a junior partner. Together we have strong trial experience, and we are confidently able to explore and recommend resolution solutions for our clients as well. Ultimately, we want to help our clients and do what is best for them and their cases,” Kim says.
The Sacramento team will continue to primarily handle professional liability and employment matters. The office is proud to have a large representation footprint, extending from Sacramento County to El Dorado, Placer, Del Norte County, and all Northern California counties in between.
What’s in Store for the Sacramento Office?
The attorneys in the Sacramento office will continue to represent professionals in the defense of professional liability claims and employment matters. Kim and her dynamic team have strategic plans to grow the professional liability practice and defend cases all the way up to the very northern counties of California.
“The Sacramento office has been serving clients since 1982. Kim’s leadership and management will continue to honor our firm values and serve the Sacramento community as well as surrounding counties. Importantly, Kim and Heather have a vision of how they want to see this office grow and flourish,” says Tim.
Since March 2020, the team is primarily working remotely and will take clients in the office on a as-needed basis. The firm as a whole has transitioned seamlessly to remote work, which has opened up more opportunities for Kim and the Sacramento team to accomplish the goal of expanding their representation of professional liability clients. They welcome this “fresh start” in creating something new in the State’s Capital.
For more information on representation, please reach out to Kim Shields at kshields@mpbf.com or (916) 565-0300. The Sacramento team is interested in growth. Reach out to Tim Halloran at thalloran@mpbf.com or (415) 788-1900 for more information about employment opportunities.