100 EAST PRATT STREET
SUITE 2440
BALTIMORE,
MD
21202-1031
410.949.1146
410.659.0436 fax
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In recognizing William J. Murphy in its 2011 edition, Chambers USA quotes a source as saying, “simply brilliant—he understands what perfection is and knows how to achieve it.” An experienced litigator, Mr. Murphy has tried civil and criminal cases in state and federal courts, has represented clients in commercial arbitration, and has argued appeals in many courts around the region. He has represented witnesses and targets of grand jury investigations, has defended clients investigated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and has represented individuals in congressional investigations—including several attorneys in the Office of the White House Counsel during the Clinton Administration. A former U.S. Supreme Court clerk, Mr. Murphy also has represented and consulted with clients in several matters presented to that court.
In addition to his ranking in Chambers USA for commercial litigation, Mr. Murphy has received numerous other legal industry recognitions. He has been selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America every year since 1999, being recognized for bet-the-company litigation, commercial litigation, and white collar litigation. He has also been named a “Local Litigation Star” by Benchmark Litigation, and has been listed in the International Who’s Who of Business Lawyers for business crime defense. In 2008, Super Lawyers named Mr. Murphy to its list of the top 10 lawyers in the state of Maryland.
Mr. Murphy was inducted as a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers in 2002, and now serves as vice chair of the organization’s Maryland State Committee. For several years he has been a guest lecturer in the business law course at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, presenting issues to MBA candidates on the application of federal criminal law to corporations and their executives.
Before entering private practice, Mr. Murphy clerked for Associate Supreme Court Justice Harry A. Blackmun and Chief Judge Collins J. Seitz, United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. He also previously was an associate at Williams & Connolly in Washington, DC.
Experience
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Represents the principal owner of real estate development companies in federal litigation alleging fraudulent conveyances and veil-piercing liability arising from a defaulted loan on a shopping center.
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Represents corporate and individual investors in a dispute over the production and ownership of a long-form television documentary series for broadcast on public television.
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Represents the principal shareholder of a closely held business in litigation initiated by a minority shareholder seeking dissolution of the corporation and related equitable relief.
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Represents outside directors in claims initiated by the litigation trustee appointed by the bankruptcy court for a national developer of senior living facilities.
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Represents individuals detained by the U.S. military at Guantanamo Bay and Bagram Air Force Base.
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Represented a large retailer of wine and spirits in a successful federal antitrust challenge to Maryland wholesale price regulations in a case that involved four separate appeals to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.
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Represented numerous local, regional, and national law firms in matters involving claims of professional malpractice and breaches of fiduciary duty.
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Represented several outside attorneys for Enron in Justice Department Task Force proceedings, congressional hearings, regulatory matters, and private securities litigation that followed Enron’s collapse.
EDUCATION
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University of Pennsylvania Law School,
J.D.,
1978, magna cum laude; Order of the Coif; Articles Editor, The University of Pennsylvania Law Review
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St. Joseph's University,
1975, summa cum laude
COURT ADMISSIONS
- U.S. Supreme Court
- U.S. Court of Appeals, District of Columbia Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, 3rd Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, 4th Circuit
- U.S. District Court, District of Columbia
- U.S. District Court, District of Maryland
BAR ADMISSIONS
- Maryland
- District of Columbia
MEMBERSHIPS
- Vice Chair, Maryland State Committee, American College of Trial Lawyers
- Member, White Collar Crime Committee, American Bar Association Criminal Justice Section
- Member, Professional Ethics and Judicial Selection Committees, Baltimore City Bar Association
- Former Member, Business and Technology Advisory Committee, Circuit Court for Baltimore City
- Volunteer Mediator, Circuit Court for Baltimore City
- Former Regional Chair, Membership Committee, U.S. Supreme Court Historical Society
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PRACTICES
Related Information
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