Brian Murphy

Brian Murphy has been in practice in Illinois since 1989. Initially in practice with an insurance defense firm, Williams & Montgomery, in 1991, Mr. Murphy joined Hofeld and Schaffner. Since that time, he has practiced catastrophic personal injury and wrongful death litigation on behalf of injured persons and their families. Mr. Murphy is a lifelong resident of Chicago, Illinois, and is licensed in Illinois. He has been admitted pro hac vice in Ohio, Michigan, Indiana and New York. He has practiced in the Circuit Courts of Cook County, the Chicagoland collar counties and other counties throughout the state. He has tried cases in Cook County, DuPage County, Lake County, Will County and Kane County. He has argued successful appeals before the Illinois Appellate Court and the Illinois Supreme Court. He is admitted to the Federal Trial Bar for the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. In his career, Mr. Murphy has obtained awards and settlements totaling over $300,000,000.00 on behalf of clients injured and killed by negligence and malpractice. Murphy has successfully litigated cases involving medical negligence, auto negligence, trucking negligence, work site negligence, product liability, premise liability, and transportation negligence, including FELA and Jones Act litigation. Mr. Murphy has successfully represented clients and families against the United States government in Federal Tort Claim Act litigation. Active in state wide bar organizations and bar leadership, Mr. Murphy is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association, having served as Secretary and Chair of the Tort Law Section Committee. He is a member of the Board of Advocates of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, the largest plaintiffs’ Attorneys bar in the state of Illinois, where he was Co-Chair of the Medical Negligence Committee for over 10 years. He is an invited member of the Society of Trial Lawyers, the oldest trial lawyer society in the State of Illinois and is a past board member. Mr. Murphy is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates, an invitation only society of plaintiff and defense lawyers. A number of peer review groups have selected Mr. Murphy for special recognition. He is AV-rated by Martindale-Hubbell and has been since 1999. He is included in the Best Lawyers of America, has been named as an Illinois Super Lawyer for over 10 years and has been selected to Illinois Leading Lawyers, reserved for the top 5% of all lawyers practicing in the State of Illinois. Mr. Murphy is a frequent lecturer and author in all areas of personal injury and wrongful death litigation. For over 10 years, he was a chapter author for the Illinois Trial Lawyer Association Medical Negligence Trial Notebook , concerning the Illinois Medical Negligence Statute of Limitations. Awards and Honors Super Lawyers® Selectees Brian Murphy included in a Super Lawyers® list Honors AV Rated, Martindale Hubble, 1999 - Present Best Lawyers in America, 2021 - Present Illinois SuperLawyer, 2006 - Present Illinois Leading Lawyer, 2017 - Present Who's Who in America, 2012 - Present Who's Who in American Law, 2015 - Present AVVO Rating: 10.0, 2012 - Present Other Sources of Feedback About Brian Murphy Included on the 2026Illinois Super Lawyers list Past Lists 2025 Illinois Super Lawyers list 2024 Illinois Super Lawyers list 2023 Illinois Super Lawyers list 2022 Illinois Super Lawyers list 2021 Illinois Super Lawyers list 2020 Illinois Super Lawyers list 2019 Illinois Super Lawyers list 2018 Illinois Super Lawyers list 2017 Illinois Super Lawyers list 2016 Illinois Super Lawyers list 2015 Illinois Super Lawyers list 2014 Illinois Super Lawyers list 2013 Illinois Super Lawyers list 2012 Illinois Super Lawyers list 2011 Illinois Super Lawyers list 2010 Illinois Super Lawyers list 2009 Illinois Super Lawyers list 2008 Illinois Super Lawyers list 2006 Illinois Super Lawyers list 2005 Illinois Super Lawyers list

• Member, since 1991

• Williams & Montgomery, Attorney, 1989 - 1991
• Languages
• English (Primary)

• Back to Basis - Tort Law Seminar, Illinois State Bar Association, June 12, 2014
• IPI 5.01 - The Missing Witness Instruction, Tort Trends, Illinois State Bar Association, 2014
• Mediation: How to Make It Work, Illinois State Bar Association, October 29, 2014
• Retainer/Referrals & Fees, Illinois Trial Lawyers Association - Ethics & Professionalism Seminar, May 8, 2015
• 10 Things Every Lawyer Should Know, Illinois State Bar Association Seminar for Tort Law - Moderator, March 2, 2016
• The Key Aspects to Prosecuting or Defending Your Case, Illinois State Bar Association, May 21, 2015
• Litigating in the Municipal Division, Moderator for Illinois State Bar Association webinar , September 15, 2015
• Case Selection, Illinois Trial Lawyers Association - Medical Malpractice Seminar, December 5, 2015
• Case Selection and Intake: Wrongful Death, Survival and Catastrophic Injury Cases, Illinois State Bar Association, February 24, 2017
• Anatomy of a Medical Negligence Trial, Illinois State Bar Association - Program Director and Moderator, November 2, 2017
• Actual and Apparent Agency, Illinois Trial Lawyers Association - Update and Review Seminar, October 12, 2018

• Illinois, 1989
• U.S. District Court Northern District of Illinois, 1989

• Illinois Trial Lawyers Associations, 1991 - Present (Board of Advocates and Member)
• Illinois State Bar Association, 1989 - Present (Member, Past Elected Assembly Member and Past Chair of the Tort Section Committee)
• Society of Trial Lawyers , 2007 - Present (Member and Board Member)
• American Board of Trial Advocates, 2017 - Present (Member)