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MichaelMurphy

Partner

"I work with each client to reach outcomes that reflect their values, protect their interests, and advance their goals."

Overview

Biography

Michael handles complex litigation with an emphasis on labor and employment, commercial, and civil rights matters. He has an exceptional record of accomplishment in trials throughout New York State and maintains an active practice in state and federal courts and before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and NYS Division of Human Rights.

Michael's clients are local and national leaders in business, government, and community organizations. He frequently represents clients in sensitive, high-profile litigation and investigations.

Michael also counsels clients regarding governance, risk management, and regulatory issues.

Bar Associations

  • Federal Court Bar Association, Northern District of New York, Founding Member, Past President, Nominations Committee Member, Past Rules Committee Member
  • Albany County Bar Association, Board of Directors Member

Selected Memberships & Affiliations

  • American College of Trial Lawyers, Fellow
  • Merit Selection Panels for Appointments of US District Court Magistrate Judges, Chair and Member
Experience

Representative Experience

  • Procured a landmark qualified immunity decision from the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, with the decision protecting the interests of law enforcement.
  • Represented the interests of a statewide not-for-profit in an enforcement action brought by the Charities Bureau of the New York State Attorney General.
  • Represented a municipal authority in a multi-plaintiff civil rights action that involved an investigation by the federal agency with regulatory jurisdiction over the authority.
  • Represented a multi-state health care provider in dual actions in US District Court and before the American Arbitration Association.
  • Tried multiple civil rights actions on behalf of a city police department and represented the department in Department of Justice investigation into events giving rise to the lawsuits.
  • Represented an employer in a fully litigated preliminary injunction hearing alleging theft of trade secrets.
  • Represented the defendants in a claim brought by a former employee alleging that his former employer and the president of the board of directors terminated him in retaliation for reporting alleged violations of the employer's policies. The jury unanimously concluded that the defendants did not retaliate against the plaintiff.

Prior Experience

  • Carter Conboy, Managing Director and Shareholder
  • Ainsworth, Sullivan, Tracy, Knauf, Warner & Ruslander, PC, Partner

Selected Honors

  • The Best Lawyers in America®: Civil Rights Law, 2020–2025; Litigation – Labor and Employment, 2019–2025
  • Selected to Super Lawyers Upstate New York: Employment Litigation: Defense, 2008–2024
  • The Best Lawyers in America®: Albany "Lawyer of the Year": Litigation – Labor and Employment, 2020
  • Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent Peer Review Rated for Very High to Preeminent Ethical Standards and Legal Ability, 2008–2019
  • Fortune Magazine, American Lawyer, Corporate Counsel, and National Law Journal, Top Labor & Employment Lawyer, 2012–2014

Featured Media

Alerts

NYS Legislature Seeks to Restrict Time Period for Third-Party Actions

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United States Department of Justice Issues Antidiscrimination Guidance to Federal Funding Recipients

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NYSDEC Finalizes Regulations to Manage the Endangered and Threatened Species Mitigation Bank Fund

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NYS Energy Planning Board Releases Draft Energy Plan, Detailing Pathways to Decarbonization While Maintaining System Reliability Through 2040

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Non-Judicial Collateral Remedies, Part 3 – Strict Foreclosure

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Court to Weigh Key Privacy Issues in Web Tracking Case Against Cigna