Mr. Murphy is engaged in a national litigation practice. His experience includes more than 75 jury trials. He also has coordinated product liability litigation worldwide for domestic and offshore manufacturers. Mr. Murphy served as managing partner of Schnader's San Francisco office for nine years.
Mr. Murphy is a third-generation San Franciscan. Before entering private practice, he served as an assistant district attorney in San Francisco.
Areas of Experience
Product Liability
· defense of manufacturers in jury trials in California and other states
· coordination of product liability litigation worldwide for domestic and offshore manufacturers, including selection and supervision of local counsel, management of the discovery process, and planning of trial strategy
· experience with a wide variety of products including aerial work platforms, grape harvesters, forklifts, palletizers, lift gates, valves, aircraft, toxic substances, exercise equipment, and chiropractic devices
Commercial Litigation
· obtained summary judgment in favor of the U.S. subsidiary of a multinational energy company in a lawsuit in which the plaintiff was seeking to be indemnified for $41 million in environmental remediation costs
· prosecution and defense of litigation involving breach of contract and failure to repay secured loans
Aviation
· defense of product liability claims against manufacturers of aircraft and related components in federal and state courts
Insurance Litigation
· in an action brought on behalf of the subrogation complex claim unit of a major insurer, recovered damages for a fire loss that had been caused by the explosion of a faulty product
· successful defense of two excess insurers in a six-week trial concerning claims by a home builder that $7.5 million in construction defect damages were covered by insurance
Civil Rights Litigation
· defense of promoter of professional golf competitions against claims of gender discrimination
Government and Regulatory Affairs
· representation of a franchisor in connection with a government investigation of suspected violations of environmental laws by franchisees
· defense of a government contractor in litigation brought by the San Francisco District Attorney alleging fraudulent business practices
· service for a total of 16 years on the judicial selection advisory boards of two California governors
Community Activities
· Mission Dolores Academy, director
· St. Ignatius College Preparatory, regent emeritus
· The Guardsmen, life member and past director
· University of San Francisco Alumni Association, past president
· Leadership San Francisco, graduate
Clerkships
Judge Edmund L. Palmieri, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York
Professional Affiliations
· Association of Business Trial Lawyers, member
· St. Thomas More Society of San Francisco, past president
Other Distinctions
· Rated AV® Preeminent™ by Martindale-Hubbell®
· Alpha Sigma Nu
· University of San Francisco Law Review, assistant editor
· U.S. Army Reserve, 1969-1977, honorably discharged with the rank of captain
· Named annually to the list of "Northern California Super Lawyers" for civil litigation defense
· University of San Francisco Alumni Service Award
· The Guardsmen Hall of Fame
· Mr. Murphy has spoken on numerous occasions to manufacturers and industry groups concerning product liability claim management and litigation strategy.
News
09/19/2011, Sixty-Eight Schnader Attorneys Rated AV® Preeminent™ by Martindale-Hubbell®
05/27/2011, Super Lawyers Recognizes Many Schnader Attorneys in 2011
Publications
Articles
05/01/1995, "The State-of-the-Art Defense in Product Liability Cases: A Fifty State Survey [California Treatment]"
Alerts
10/29/2008, California's Green Chemistry Initiative Promises Many Changes for Manufacturers and Distributors of Products Sold in California