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Nelson and Murdock Attorneys at Law[]

This law firm was established after Matt Murdock and Foggy Nelson graduated, thanks to Foggy's dad's money. Karen Page was quickly hired by Nelson as a secretary.[3] Nelson and Murdock became high profile attorneys with numerous cases and clients. Nelson eventually used his fame to successfully run and be elected as the District Attorney of New York City.

At this point the law partnership had to be dissolved. Murdock and Nelson had a brief period of estrangement when Nelson was elected. Murdock forced Nelson to leave the office and party headquarters on the eve of his election. Murdock (as the crime fighter Daredevil) knew that organized crime members had hired the Stilt-Man to kill Nelson at the law office on the night of the election.[4] Daredevil prevented the assassination. Nelson won in a "landslide" and the two eventually reconciled.

District Attorney Nelson[]

Nelson brought his team with him to the District Attorney's Office. Karen Page was hired as a secretary. Matt Murdock was hired as a "Special Assistant".[5] Murdock quickly rose to Assistant District Attorney.[6] However, Page soon quit the office to move to Los Angeles.[7] Murdock also took a leave of absence to visit Page in L.A.[8]

Later in New York, Murdock and Nelson argued over the Black Widow being charged with murder. Unbeknownst to Murdock, Nelson was being blackmailed by Mr. Klein to prosecute the Widow. Murdock defiantly announced that he would defend her. At this point, Murdock appears to have resigned as Assistant District Attorney due to his conflict of interest.[9] Murdock successfully defended the Widow. Matt Murdock became romantically involved with the heroine and the two moved to San Francisco.[10] Murdock soon became a partner at Broderick, Sloan, and Murdock for most of the time he was in San Francisco.[11]

Nelson and Murdock Reunited[]

Foggy Nelson was shot in New York. When his old friend Murdock heard the news, he hurried to his bedside.[12] Nelson recovered. Murdock stayed in New York as well. However, Nelson was defeated for District Attorney during his next re-election bid.[13]

Matt Murdock had decided to permanently remain in New York and make some changes in his life. He had begun a relationship with Heather Glenn who would eventually become his fiancée. He also decided to open "a place where the poor can come for free legal advice" and named his new practice the Storefront Legal Clinic".

Murdock and Nelson's Storefront Legal Clinic[]

Murdock sensed than Foggy Nelson would lose his election. In advance of the results, he had printed business cards for the "Storefront" with Nelson's name on it. He stated that they would "always" be partners. The "Storefront" prospered for some time. Becky Blake was hired as the Clinic's secretary. Nelson appeared to be in charge of day to day operations. Eventually, the Storefront lost it's government funding and grants. Nelson and Murdock's relationship again became strained. Nelson lamented that there were few, if any paying clients. Of course, Murdock spent a great deal of his personal time as the crime fighter Daredevil. Murdock and Nelson were also both mutually absent for crucial court cases involving their clients. The Storefront met its final demise when the Hand bombed the clinic in an attempt to assassinate Matt Murdock.[14]

Nelson and Murdock Back in Business[]

From the rubble of the Storefront, Foggy Nelson took a phone call from J. Jonah Jameson of the Daily Bugle. The Bugle was involved in a defamation lawsuit from the Kingpin for a series of articles they had run about the Kingpin's candidate Randolph Cherryh. Nelson negotiated a enormous fee from Jameson. Murdock and Nelson again appeared to put aside their differences. Rebecca Blake continued with the firm as well. The fee from the Bugle was large enough for Nelson and Murdock to become established in a Manhattan high-rise.[15]

Later, once again, the practice became insolvent due to a number of reasons. Murdock would lose his law license for some time. Nelson went through a difficult divorce. Murdock continued to be absent or somewhat distracted due to his activities as Daredevil. However, the friendship and partnership appear to continue in the Marvel Universe.

Rosalind Sharpe: Associate[]

Foggy Nelson's mother Rosalind Sharpe later approached Murdock and Nelson and offered to partner with them. Rosalind was a highly successful attorney in Boston and also Foggy's mother. After some initial shock and hesitation, Murdock and Nelson agreed.[16]

Nelson and Murdock Once Again[]

During Mysterio's plot against Daredevil, Foggy Nelson was accused of the murder of their client, a divorcee (actually a porn star Mysterio hired) who hired their firm to help settle her divorce case and was sent to prison. Rosalind Sharpe, fearing the bad publicity this will bring to their firm and her career, fires Foggy to sever his ties to the firm. Matt quits the firm after Rosalind makes it clear he is forbidden from helping Foggy in this case.[17] After Mysterio is unmasked as the mastermind of this plot and Foggy is released, despite Karen Page having been killed in this incident, Matt is named as the sole beneficiary of her will and the money he inherited from it allows the two to re-establish Nelson and Murdock as their own business again.[18]

A New Beginning and a New Partner[]

Matt Murdock again lost and again regained his law license and his former legal secretary now also an attorney, Becky Blake, joined the firm as a partner. At this time, besides changing to a new location, the firm also went in the direction of not having an office that accepts walk-ins, but rather one that selectively chooses its clientele to avoid dealing with Daredevil stalkers.[19]

Notable Events and Clients[]

One of their first clients was The Thing, who asked Murdock to review the lease of the Baxter Building, but the lawyer couldn't do it on time and he was dismissed by the Fantastic Four.[20]

The next client was the Owl, whom Foggy turned down, but Matt decided to take the case instead. The Owl, lurking in the next office with some of his thugs, was confronted by Daredevil, but he managed to hold Karen Page hostage and have DD surrender to him, too.[21]

Some time after, as requested by the court, Matt took the Purple Man's case, accused of bank robbery.[22]

Later on, Mr. Murdock called a press conference to publicly state that Daredevil was the Matador, hoping to get a rematch after his first defeat.[23]

Not knowing Matt's real skills, Foggy got him a voice recorder, to take notes without writing. Having read the news about the opening of a wax museum with a new display, showcasing Daredevil, Matt, Foggy and Karen decided to go to check out the display.[24]

Some time later, the Sub-Mariner forced his way into the law office of Nelson and Murdock in order to seek the audience of a lawyer. Namor sought to sue the surface world for its exploitation of the sea, however when Murdock explained how ridiculous the notion was, Namor went on a rampage across the city. When he turned himself over to the authorities to answer for the damage that he had done, he later called the office to be defended.[25]

Matt's next client was Wilbur Day, a former employee of Kaxton Laboratories, where he invented hydraulic lifts which his boss Carl Kaxton had stolen the patents. Murdock then called Kaxton to tell him that his former employee intended to sue him, a threat which Kaxton encouraged them to follow through on. Later, when meeting with Wilbur again, Kaxton arrived at the office to contest the law suit. While the two argued over who owned the rights to the hydraulic device, Matt noticed that one of them was lying due to an irregular heart beat, but couldn't figure out which one was the liar because they were too close together. Returning to the Nelson and Murdock law office from Kaxton's property, Matt was confronted by him, but Murdock told him that Day had dropped the lawsuit and they decided to let the whole thing go.[26]

While Foggy, Karen and Mike Murdock were to the court trial against Leap-Frog, the office was violated by the Masked Marauder, who actually was the building landlord, in order to find clues to the identity of Daredevil.[27] Soon after, Stilt-Man rose to the window of Nelson and Murdock and threw in one of the Masked Marauder's sleeping gas pellets, incapacitating the occupants (Matt Murdock, Foggy Nelson and Karen Page) inside and taking them hostages.[28] After they were rescued by Daredevil, Foggy took Karen away for a date, leaving Mike Murdock behind.[29] The law office was attacked once again by the Masked Marauder's gang, who beat up Foggy and kidnap Karen to get revenge on Daredevil for their master's arrest, to draw out Daredevil.[30]

When they both learned that the Cobra and Mr. Hyde had begun a crime spree, Foggy wasn't interested in defending them, but Matt decided to handle the case as Daredevil.[31] After his senses were disabled due to a chemical created by Mr. Hyde, "Mike" showed up at Nelson & Murdock and told Foggy the bad news: Foggy agreed to help "Mike" try to catch Mister Hyde and the Cobra by being his eyes and ears.[32]

When he knew that the Emissaries of Evil were looking for Daredevil, Matt called Karen at the office to tell her he couldn't come to work, having to attend to a few personal matters. He only returned once all the criminals were captured and turned over to the police.[33]

Karen and Foggy left the studio for an unexpected vacation with 'Mike' in Canada, to visit the Montreal Expo '67.[34]

The regular workday at Nelson and Murdock was once again interrupted by the unwelcome arrival of the Trapster, who came here seeking legal advice -- by force. The Trapster demanded to know how to get away with murder when the body isn't found, stating that after getting defeated by the Fantastic Four so many times, he was going to go after 'easier' prey, and kill Daredevil. Not giving him any usable advice, Trapster claimed that he knew how to get rid of Daredevil and left.[35]

While Matt was out of office, Foggy gladly accepted a proposal to run for district attorney, and as he celebrated with Karen, he received a call from Debbie Harris, who got out of prison and wanted to see him again, although he refused, worried to compromise his D.A. career with an ex-convict.[36] While he was preparing for his date with Debbie Harris, Foggy spotted her talking to Daredevil, who pushed her away: Nelson, unaware that it was really Dr. Doom inside DD's body, got mad that DD would treat Debbie that way.[37] Back to work, Matt suggested that Foggy's real problem was that he was afraid of what the public will think of a candidate for the district attorney's position dating a former criminal. Matt then convinced Foggy to setup a double date between them and Karen and Debbie.[38] When Debbie disappeared, angry at all the inaction to find her, Foggy decided to take matters into his own hands and left the studio to research the Unholy Three's previous employer.[39]

Back from the New York Public Library, he decided to tell all the newspapers the Exterminator's identity. Debbie eventually entered the law office and returned to normal right in front of Karen Page.[40] Finally reunited, Matt, Karen, Foggy and Debbie mourned the loss of Daredevil, believing he was 'Mike Murdock', who supposedly died fighting against the Exterminator.[41]

Karen Page then announced that she couldn't take working at Nelson and Murdock anymore and decided to leave since she and Matt couldn't reconcile how they felt for each other. Matt had an opportunity to make her stay, but he pushed her away not wanting to risk her life because he's really Daredevil.[42]

A short time later, Nelson watched a filmed report of a protest demonstration, where Debbie was right out in front with the leaders of the march, and got angry with her for getting involved in a public controversy, worried about the repercussions for his D.A. campaign. Matt tried to reconcile the couple, but promptly left the studio as soon as he watched the Jester's televised promise to capture Daredevil.[43] While Daredevil was trying to evade the police, Franklin wanted to know Karen's whereabouts from Deborah, who refused to tell him.[44] Matt finally reappeared, telling Foggy and Deborah that he had been mugged.[45]

Next, Matt received the visit of Willie Lincoln, an injured Vietnam War veteran, former NYPD cop accused of accepting a bribe, who got him as a lawyer to clear his name.[46]

Having heard of Stilt-Man's forthcoming attack to attempt Foggy's life, Matt drove everyone else out of the office, including Karen who had just come back for him. At night, as Daredevil, he then battled the villain, who eventually managed to escape, although DD prevented him from bringing harm to Foggy.[4]

Some time later, Foggy held a Christmas party with Debbie and Heather Glenn, without Matt, who was nowhere to be found.[47]

When the firm was being relocated in the Worldwide Plaza, Matt Murdock stepped in and was comforted by Karen Page for taking the Kingpin down, even though the Owl was already trying to take his place.[48] The day after, Matt and Foggy worked on a case against a Long Island City man breeding wolf hybrids on rooftops.[49]

Many years later, Nelson and Jeryn Hogarth assisted Reed Richards and Susan Storm to sign a contract which would sell the entire Pier Four to the Gideon Board investment group.[50]

Some time later, Peter Parker came to the office to meet Matt Murdock, whom he hired to represent Felicia Hardy, charged with the murder of Garrison Klum. As soon as he learned she was innocent, they both agreed to break her out of Ryker's Island.[51]

Notes

  • The firm has sometimes been (mistakenly?) depicted as "Murdock and Nelson".[4]

See Also

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