Michael B. Murphy

Michael Murphy leads Severson & Werson’s Insurance Law group. As such, he specializes in the defense, interpretation and monitoring of multiple coverage lines. Mr. Murphy also has extensive experience defending construction, personal injury, and commercial claims.

Mr. Murphy’s more specific experience includes:

Professional Liability: Mr. Murphy defends professionals including attorneys, all disciplines of design professionals, real estate brokers, nurses, physical therapists, psychotherapists, counselors, insurance agents/brokers and securities dealers against error 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 and entertainment 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 represents design professionals, in construction defect, catastrophic loss, and delay claims, including claims ranging from alleged defects in condominiums and single family homes to major commercial real estate projects.

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.

Recent Professional Activity

Selected, “Northern California Super Lawyer” for Insurance Coverage by Northern California Super Lawyer magazine (August 2006).

Interviewed, Skyradio's “America's Premier Lawyers” regarding Alternative Dispute Resolution (2006).

Selected, “Best Lawyer in the Bay Area - Litigation” by Bay Area Lawyer Magazine (September / October 2005).

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).

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.

Voted a Northern California "Super Lawyer" for Insurance (2005 - 2006).