Firm Overview
Areas of Practice
Attorneys
Representative Clients
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Claire P. Murphy, Partner
Ms. Murphy joined Sperling & Slater as a partner in 2000 after spending several years at the Chicago office of Kirkland & Ellis, where she became a partner in 1995. Ms. Murphy has extensive expertise in several areas of litigation, including bankruptcy and insolvency, employment, complex commercial litigation, trade secrets, copyright and franchise. She has also represented clients in connection with class action lawsuits and corporate investigations.
Education
J.D., magna cum laude, Loyola University of Chicago, 1989
B.A. in Liberal Studies, cum laude, University of Notre Dame, 1982
Representative Matters
Complex Commercial Litigation
Representative matters include South Bay Chevrolet v. General Motors Acceptance Corporation, in which Ms. Murphy obtained a verdict in favor of GMAC, which was affirmed on appeal, in a California consumer fraud class action suit involving financing issues. She obtained a multi-million dollar judgment and injunctive relief for Lucini Italia Company, a celebrated olive-oil producer, prevailing on claims of trade secret misappropriation, fraud and breach of fiduciary duties. Lucini Italia Co. v. Grappolini, Lucini Italia Co. v. Grappolini, 2003 WL 1989605 (N.D. Ill. Apr. 28, 2003); 288 F.3d 1035 (7th Cir. 2002); 231 F. Supp. 2d 764 (N.D. Ill. 2002). She also assisted Lucini in related claims before the London Court of International Arbitration in Italy. Ms. Murphy represents Robertson-Ceco Corporation in a lawsuit against major financial institutions, claiming hundreds of millions in damages in connection with a credit commitment being pulled in favor of another client. She has represented Wirtz Corporation in litigation relating to liquor distribution and franchise rights, and won summary judgment for a client in a Truth in Lending Act case. Coelho v. Park Ridge Oldsmobile, et. al., 2003 WL 4757867 (N.D. Ill. Feb. 11, 2003). As special counsel to PricewaterhouseCoopers, the receiver for Independent Trust Corporation, and the Illinois Office of Banking and Real Estate, she pursued affirmative claims and obtained a significant settlement on behalf of some 17,000 retirees who lost pension funds as a result of alleged fraud and corporate mismanagement.
Employment Litigation
Ms. Murphy has represented hundreds of clients ranging from Fortune 100 and Fortune 500 companies to executives in litigation and internal investigations, and has assisted her clients in finding non-litigation solutions to employment law issues. She has successfully defended claims of sexual harassment; claims of race, gender, age, disability, and national origin discrimination; and claims under the Equal Pay Act, the WARN Act, and the NLRA. She has practiced in federal and state courts across the country, as well as before the EEOC, the Illinois Department of Human Rights, and the Illinois Human Rights Commission. In addition, she also has extensive experience in conducting reviews of employment policies, in crafting training programs, in new policy implementation, and in hiring and termination issues. She has negotiated severance packages and employment agreements on behalf of her clients as well.
Bankruptcy and Insolvency Litigation
Ms. Murphy, as special counsel to the Liquidating Trust for HA-LO Industries, has represented the entity in bankruptcy adversary proceedings against several entities and individuals that contributed to HA-LO’s downfall. Ms. Murphy pursued breach of fiduciary duty claims against HA-LO’s former CEO, related bad faith actions against the five insurance companies providing the former CEO with Directors’ and Officers’ liability insurance, gross negligence claims against HA-LO’s financial advisors, and fraudulent transfer claims against several of its financing entities. She has assisted her client in recovering over $47 million, including several million dollars in excess of the insurance policy limits. Ms. Murphy was also appointed special litigation counsel to the Trustee of Mego Financial Corporation, once a leading player in the timeshare and resort industry and a now a debtor in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Reno, Nevada. In that capacity, she has brought claims against former directors and officers of Mego Financial Corporation, as well as against its former auditor.
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Claire P. Murphy
312-641-3200
cmurphy@sperling-law.com
Sperling & Slater
55 West Monroe Street
Suite 3200
Chicago, Illinois 60603
312-641-3200
fax: 312-641-6492
info@sperling-law.com
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