Ellen K. Spiropoulos is a member of the Firm’s Financial Institutions Practice Group. She represents both privately-held and public companies in a wide range of transactional matters.

In addition to a breadth of experience guiding successful commercial and real estate transactions, Ellen assists local and national businesses in the restaurant, entertainment and hospitality industries with obtaining applicable operating licenses and permits for food and alcoholic beverage service as well as any related compliance or enforcement issues.

Prior to joining Phillips Murrah, she taught research and writing at Oklahoma City University School of Law and was in private practice, specializing in employment and civil rights litigation. She has worked pro bono on immigration cases for individuals seeking political asylum and for refugee detainees.

Ellen is currently on the Executive Committee and the Chair of Advocacy and Awareness Committee for OKC Beautiful. She has also served as a volunteer attorney for the Associated Catholic Charities Immigration Program, as the case materials committee chair for the Oklahoma Bar Association National High School Mock Trial Competition and the director, vice president, president and Immediate Past President for the Oklahoma Court Appointed Special Advocates Association.

Born and raised in Bloomington, Indiana, she lives in a celebrated historic neighborhood near downtown Oklahoma City with her husband, Andrew, a professor at Oklahoma City University School of Law, and their two young children, Katie and Alex.

• Carleton College (B.A., cum laude, 1986)
• Northwestern University Law School (J.D., 1994)

• Oklahoma County Bar Association
• Oklahoma Bar Association (Vice Chair, Young Lawyers Division Mock Trial, 1996-1998)
• American Bar Association (Business Law Section, 1999-present)
• Federalist Society
• Urban Land Institute
• Oklahoma Real Property Lawyers Association
• Alliance of Alcohol Industry (Attorney & Consultant)

• Local counsel for development of $90 million cancer treatment facility, responsible for the real estate, architectural and construction aspects of the transaction
• Represented developer of large scale, mixed use real estate project consisting of residential, retail, office (medical, corporate tower, and village) and light industrial uses
• Counsel for owner of downtown hotel and multi-story building in severing and transferring building for multi-use development
• Handled regulatory matters, including food and beverage licensing, for area sports, hotel, restaurant and entertainment venues
• Represented publicly held company of national restaurants in acquisition and sale of franchise outlets
• Guiding successful commercial and real estate transactions
• Assists local and national businesses in the restaurant, entertainment and hospitality industries with obtaining applicable operating licenses and permits for food and alcoholic beverage service as well as any related compliance or enforcement issue

• Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma (Board VP of Education; Executive Committee)
• Casady Parents Organization (Board Treasurer)
• Oklahoma City Beautiful (Board Member; Previous President)
• St. George Greek Orthodox Church