Murphy & McGonigle appoints new Va. managing partner

New York-based financial services law firm Murphy & McGonigle announced Monday that Katherine McGrail, its litigation shareholder and chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer, will become the new managing partner of its Virginia office, located in Glen Allen.

She will serve on the executive committee.

“The perspective and experience of Kate, as our lead diversity officer, will be invaluable for our executive committee,” Elizabeth Lan Davis, the firm’s chair, said in a statement, “as we look forward and advise our clients in a changing and dynamic financial services marketplace.”

McGrail specializes in advising and representing broker-dealers, registered investment advisers and financial technology creators with business models that use blockchain, digital assets and decentralized finance. She also represents companies involved in investigations led by state and federal regulatory authorities and state attorneys general.

Before joining private practice, McGrail was a representative with Morgan Stanley Dean Witter & Co. and worked in the regulatory division of Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Inc. and the disclosure division at ING.

Murphy & McGonigle provides regulatory counseling, enforcement defense and high-stakes litigation services to clients in the financial services industry. The firm operates in Virginia, New York, Washington, D.C., Chicago and San Francisco.