Blank Rome LLP is pleased to announce that Caitlin M. Murphey and Terence Liao have joined the firm’s Orange County office as associates in the Corporate, M&A, and Securities and Labor and Employment practice groups, respectively. Caitlin joins Blank Rome from Snell & Wilmer LLP and Terence joins the firm from Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Steward, PC.
Their arrival further expands the firm’s Orange County presence and builds on the recent addition of nationally recognized hospitality lawyers Mark S. Adams and Joseph J. Mellema, who joined as partners in earlier this month.
Caitlin advises public and private companies on corporate, transactional, and securities matters, including Securities Exchange Commission (“SEC”) reporting and compliance, public and private offerings, exchange listings, mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, and strategic transactions. She also guides clients through acquisitions, divestitures, and business combinations, overseeing due diligence, term sheet and transaction document negotiations, coordination with specialist teams, and deal execution.
Admitted to practice in California, Caitlin received her J.D. from the University of San Diego School of Law, and her B.A., summa cum laude, from Montana State University. While in law school, she served as comment editor for the San Diego Law Review and was a member of Phi Delta Phi International Legal Honor Society.
Terence represents clients ranging from small businesses to Fortune 500 companies in workplace-related disputes. He defends employers in single- and multi-plaintiff matters involving claims of wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and wage and hour violations—including the Private Attorneys General Act (“PAGA”) and class actions—in both state and federal courts. He also advises clients on employment policies, regulatory compliance, and day-to-day employee relations, providing practical, business-focused guidance.
Terence is licensed to practice in California, and received his J.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law, and his B.A. from the University of California, San Diego. During law school, he served as a law clerk at a law firm in Taipei where he reviewed English-language contracts for technology-sector clients and assisted with arbitration matters.
