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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, municipal, and civil rights and constitutional law. He has an exceptional record of accomplishment in litigation throughout New York State and maintains an active trial 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.

Bar Associations

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

Selected Memberships & Affiliations

  • American College of Trial Lawyers, Fellow    
  • ALFA International, Labor & Employment Practice Group Steering Committee Member and Board of Directors Chair Emeritus
  • Defense Research Institute
  • 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 Community Activities

  • Trinity Alliance of the Capital Region, Leadership Volunteer and Outside Counsel

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
Knowledge

Selected Speaking Engagements

  • ALFA International Labor & Employment Practice Group Seminar, "Arbitration: Thumbs Up or Thumbs Down?"
  • New York State Bar Association, “Introductory Lessons in Ethics and Civility”
  • ALFA International Labor & Employment Practice Group Seminar, "A Good Offense Is the Best Offense"
  • ALFA International Seminar, "Corporate Yin-Yang? Yes, Small Steps Can Leave Big Footprints! Making Corporate Social Responsibility a Reality"
  • New York State Funeral Directors Association, "Joint Employment and Independent Contractors in 2016 and Beyond: Who's the Boss?"

Selected Media

Selected Alerts & Blog Posts

Selected Podcasts

Featured Media

Alerts

RAPID Action: NYS Office of Energy Renewable Energy Siting and Transmission Announces Draft Regulations for New Transmission Siting Framework

Alerts

NYSDEC Issues Draft Freshwater Wetlands General Permit

Alerts

USPTO Updates Audit Program

Alerts

NYS DOL Publishes Long-Awaited FAQs on Paid Prenatal Leave Law

Alerts

Update on Massachusetts Pay Transparency Law Disclosures and EEO Reporting Requirements in 2025

Alerts

Massachusetts Employers Required to Provide Job Applicants Notice That Use of a Lie Detector Test Is Unlawful

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