(Nov. 2, 2026) — John C. Farrell, a veteran Long Island attorney with more than 25 years of experience in zoning, land use and municipal law, has joined Harris Beach Murtha as a partner.
John’s practice centers on land use and zoning approvals, municipal representation, commercial real estate development, Industrial Development Agency (IDA) benefit applications, environmental review, and related litigation and appeals. In separate matters and roles, he has experience representing developers, national corporations and property owners, as well as serving as counsel for various municipal and quasi-municipal entities, giving John a practical understanding of both sides of the development process.
John joins the firm’s Commercial Real Estate Practice Group, Public Finance and Economic Development Practice Group and Municipalities and Local Agencies Industry Team, working from the firm’s Long Island office.
“John’s experience is a natural fit for our growth plans on Long Island,” said Thomas J. Garry, managing partner of Harris Beach Murtha’s Long Island office. “He brings established relationships with municipal officials, developers, engineers and brokers throughout Nassau and Suffolk counties, along with a genuine ability to help clients effectively navigate complex approval processes. That combination of credibility and practical know-how is exactly what our clients need.”
He began his legal career as an Assistant Town Attorney for the Town of Babylon, advising the Planning and Zoning Boards, prosecuting code violations and handling employee disciplinary matters. He later practiced at several Long Island firms.
He currently serves as counsel to the Village of Plandome Manor and has experience representing special districts, handling governance, litigation, contract negotiations and other municipal matters, in addition to his private land use, development and real estate practice. He is a member of the Village of Babylon Zoning Board of Appeals and previously served on the Town of Babylon Zoning Board of Appeals for 13 years.
“I’ve spent my career on both sides of the table – in separate roles and matters – first advising municipal boards and then representing the developers and property owners who appear before them,” John said. “That perspective has shaped how I practice, and it’s what drew me to Harris Beach Murtha. The firm’s platform gives me the ability to serve my clients and the municipalities I represent with even more depth, while continuing to focus on what I do best.”
Charles (Chip) W. Russell, co-leader of Harris Beach Murtha’s Commercial Real Estate Practice Group, said John’s addition reflects the firm’s continued investment in Long Island.
“John has spent his entire career building credibility and relationships with the officials, boards and referral sources that make development projects happen on Long Island,” he said. “His combination of municipal insight and commercial real estate development experience is a boost to our bench strength in that important region.”
John joins the firm following Harris Beach Murtha’s recent addition of Consoli Bortolan Law Group, a Hartford-based commercial real estate boutique, continuing a period of sustained growth for the firm’s Commercial Real Estate Practice Group across the Northeast.
About Harris Beach Murtha
Harris Beach Murtha formed in 2025 via the combination of Harris Beach PLLC and Murtha Cullina LLP. A forward-thinking and innovative partnership with the benefit of more than 250 years of combined history, Harris Beach Murtha’s New York roots reach back to 1856, and the firm has had ties to New England since 1936. Harris Beach and Murtha Cullina were separately among the country’s top law firms as ranked by The National Law Journal.
Harris Beach Murtha and its subsidiaries have a strong Northeast presence, with a global reach, and represent clients locally, regionally and nationally. Clients include Fortune 100 corporations, privately held companies, emerging businesses, public sector entities, tax-exempt organizations and individuals. The firm’s practice areas and industries served span appellate, artificial intelligence, business litigation, cannabis, commercial real estate, construction, corporate, environmental, energy, financial institutions, financial restructuring, government compliance and investigations, health care, immigration, intellectual property, labor and employment, mass torts, medical and life sciences, political law, product liability, public finance, tax and trusts and estates.
Harris Beach Murtha is the exclusive member firm in Connecticut for Lex Mundi, the world’s leading network of independent firms with in-depth experience in more than 125 countries worldwide. As part of the Lex Mundi global network, Harris Beach Murtha can provide clients with preferred access to more than 22,000 lawyers around the world — all from a single point of contact. Lex Mundi allows Harris Beach Murtha to seamlessly handle clients’ most challenging cross-border transactions and disputes.
The firm’s lawyers and consultants practice from offices throughout Connecticut in Bantam, Hartford, New Haven and Stamford; New York state in Albany, Binghamton, Buffalo, Ithaca, Niagara Falls, New York City, Rochester, Saratoga Springs, Syracuse, Long Island and White Plains; as well as in Boston, Massachusetts; Providence, Rhode Island; and Newark, New Jersey. For more information, visit www.harrisbeachmurtha.com.
