Dirks, Van Essen & Murray names Sara April partner and renames firm

Sara April

Owen Van Essen and Phil Murray have announced that Sara April has become a partner in the firm, now renamed Dirks, Van Essen, Murray & April. 

April joined the firm 12 years ago after spending four years as director of operations for HomeWorks Media Group in Boston, which published specialty magazines. She also worked as an assistant manager of the New Republic magazine, and has written for and edited other publications. She graduated cum laude from George Washington University in 2000 with a B.A. in journalism.

Van Essen and Murray said in a joint statement, "We couldn't have found a better partner. Sara is incredibly competent and adds a fresh perspective to the collaborative way we operate."

Dirks, Van Essen & Murray was founded by Lee E. Dirks in 1980. Owen Van Essen joined the firm in 1986 and Phil Murray joined in 1996. The firm has successfully closed hundreds of newspaper transactions and represented either the buyer or seller in more than 500 transactions with aggregate value in excess of $12 billion. Over the years, the firm has worked for numerous independently-owned newspaper companies, family-owned groups and most of the nation's largest newspaper companies.