Severson and Werson

Mike chairs Severson & Werson’s Insurance Practice Group.  He advises and represents domestic, European, London Market, Bermuda and Asia-based insurance companies and numerous syndicates at Lloyd’s, London in primary and excess capacities.  Mr. Murphy also specializes in the defense of insurers and their policyholders, coverage interpretation, claims management and representation of Underwriters in multiple lines including property and casualty, professional liability, employment practices, energy and product liability.  Mr. Murphy is also a practicing mediator and Superior Court appointed Special Master.

• Featured speaker at Swiss Re Asia Pacific Claim Conference in Singapore—September 2008 and 2010.
• Featured speaker on Building Information Modeling “BIM” (Legal update to design professionals) at Beasley Insurance 2011 Annual Experts Meeting.
• Featured speaker at Munich Re Asia Pacific Claim Conference in Hong Kong—January 2010.
• Featured speaker and lecturer in People’s Republic of China, Hong Kong, Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, Vietnam and Thailand on United States Claim Trending Involving Asia-Manufactured Products
• Selected, “Northern California Super Lawyer” for Insurance Coverage by Northern California Super Lawyer magazine.
• Selected, “Best Lawyer in the Bay Area—Litigation” by Bay Area Lawyer Magazine.
• Mr. Murphy spoke on “Case Law Trends” at the session of the same name at the National Legal Malpractice Conference (New York City, April 2006).
• Interviewed, Skyradio’s “America’s Premier Lawyers” regarding Alternative Dispute Resolution.
• Mr. Murphy presented the keynote address, “Defending the Professional Client” Attorney and Carrier Perspectives” at the Errors & Omissions Insurance ExecuSummit (New York City, September 2005).
• Mr. Murphy presented “Handling Legal Malpractice Claims Involving Intellectual Property” at the ABA National Legal Malpractice Conference Spring Meeting (Boston, April 2005).
• Author, chapter “Unique Approaches for Unique Professionals” published by Aspatore Books in Inside the Minds: Professional Liability Law: Leading Lawyers on Strategies for Minimizing Risk and Increasing Success in Professional Liability Suits.

Mr. Murphy practices in the firm's construction and insurance groups.

Mr. Murphy's specific experience includes:

Professional Liability:  Mr. Murphy defends professionals including attorneys, all disciplines of design professionals, real estate brokers, nurses, physical therapists, psychotherapists, counselors, and insurance agents/brokers against allegations of errors and omissions and other claims.
 
Property and Casualty: Mr. Murphy defends a variety of personal injury and property damage lawsuits as well as sports, leisure, entertainment liability and product liability claims.
 
Insurance Coverage and Bad Faith: Mr. Murphy advises insurers regarding coverage, represents insurers in declaratory relief actions, and defends insurers against bad faith claims.  He is the Monitoring and Program Counsel to domestic and foreign carriers as well as various syndicates at Lloyd’s, London.
 
Construction Litigation: Mr. Murphy has handled hundreds of construction defect, catastrophic loss, and delay claims, including matters ranging from alleged defects in condominiums and single family homes to major commercial real estate projects.

Biographical Information:

Education:
J.D., 1983 University of Santa Clara School of Law
B.A., 1980 University of Santa Clara

Admitted to Practice: Licensed in California and Indiana

Professional Affiliations: Mr. Murphy is active in a number of professional organizations, including the Professional Liability Underwriting Society (PLUS), the Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel (FDCC), the Defense Research Institute (DRI), American Bar Association: Litigation and Tort and Insurance Practice Sections, State Bar of California and the State Bar of Indiana.  Mr. Murphy is rated AV in the Martindale-Hubbell legal directory. Fellow of the American Bar Association Foundation. Member of ABA Standing Committee on Lawyers Professional Liability.

• Defended railroad in one of the largest natural resource damages claims in the history of the State of California—claim brought by the United States of America.

• Represented insurers in  largest insured property and casualty claim in the history of the State of Arizona.

• Represented insurers in what was at the time largest bodily injury claim in the history of the State of Alaska.

• Represented London and European insurers in multi-million dollar mineral mine failure in Australia.

• Represented insurers to design professional in large Northern California East Bay gas pipeline explosion.

• Represented London and European insurers to a defense judgment in a catastrophic pipeline explosion in the State of Washington.

• Defended two European insurers to a defense judgment in a coverage action of global significance involving the Alien Tort Claim Act, War Exclusions involving a Third World Energy Project.

• Represented insurers in what at the time was the second-largest property loss in the history of the State of Alaska.

• Represented insurers in several MDL product defect class actions.

• Represented defendants in purported class action involving neighborhood dispute and nuisanace claims

• Defended several Major League Baseball teams and individually named professional baseball players in California-venued casualty litigation.