Gerald “Jerry” Murphy is a Partner at Federico Schwartz Merolesi & Lyddane. He has focused his practice on insurance defense litigation for twenty-five years. Mr. Murphy has devoted his entire career to the defense of hospitals and physicians involved in medical malpractice claims. As a hybrid attorney defending traditional medical malpractice and general liability claims, he has developed extensive and unique experience in defending nursing homes and other long-term care facilities. Mr. Murphy represents various clients who provide a full range of Aging services, including skilled nursing and rehabilitation, assisted living and home health care agencies in matters involving falls, supervision, pressure ulcers (bedsores), alleged abuse and infection control.  He also has extensive experience representing physicians in New York State disciplinary hearings.

In Mr. Murphy’s broad-based legal practice, he also litigates complex, high-exposure civil litigation matters in areas ranging from general liability defense, product liability claims, catastrophic property and casualty loss, premises liability, insurance and coverage disputes, construction litigation including New York Labor Law Section 240 (the “Scaffold Law”) cases.  He is often called on by his clients to handle complex high-stakes disputes, often at key junctures, involving strategic discovery and issue-framing through complex pre-trial, trial, and post-trial hearings, proceedings, trials, motion practice, and appeals. Mr. Murphy has also defended various municipalities and local governments in general liability matters. He has had the honor of successfully defending police officers, firefighters, and other emergency first responders in general liability matters, as well as lawsuits alleging civil rights violations under 42 U.S.C § 1983, including but not limited to claims involving excessive force, wrongful arrest, malicious prosecution, warrantless searches and seizures, and rights of due process.

Mr. Murphy zealously litigates cases from inception through trial.  He has also successfully prepared and argued numerous appeals before the Appellate Divisions of the First and Second Departments in cases involving premises liability, general liability, construction and labor law, municipal and commercial liability, as well as medical malpractice and veterinary malpractice.

Mr. Murphy grew up in Suffolk County, New York, and received his undergraduate degree in 1998 from Stony Brook University, where he was a member of the Division I Rugby Club. Thereafter, he received a Juris Doctorate from Touro Law School in 2001. He was admitted to the New York State Bar and to the USDC, Eastern District in 2002. He is a member of the New York State Academy of Trial Lawyers, as well as the Nassau-Suffolk Trial Lawyers Association.