Amy Murphy is the Co-Chair of Miller Johnson’s Commercial Litigation Practice Group. Amy is skilled in high stakes and complex litigation.  When it comes to resolving difficult and delicate legal issues, clients trust Amy to deliver thoughtful advice and tenacious advocacy.

Amy focuses her practice in civil, white collar, and appellate litigation. She has litigated claims of breach of contract, business torts, breach of fiduciary duty, theft of trade secrets, violation of noncompetition clauses, legal malpractice, fraud, shareholder oppression, and copyright and trademark infringement.  She has successfully represented clients in business disputes, supply chain litigation, high profile constitutional challenges, cases involving claims of sexual abuse, and state and federal government investigations. She also counsels clients, often before litigation, in a wide variety of matters, including intellectual property, document retention and preservation obligations, and compliance with federal, state, and administrative law.

In 2020, Amy represented medical providers who prevailed in a challenge to Michigan’s emergency management acts. Amy presented oral argument before the Michigan Supreme Court on behalf of the providers whose services were prohibited by emergency executive orders issued in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Ruling for the providers, the Michigan Supreme Court held that the Emergency Powers of the Governor Act of 1945 was unconstitutional and that the executive orders violated the Emergency Management Act of 1976.

Amy has experience in all aspects of civil litigation, including taking and defending depositions, writing and arguing dispositive motions, preparing witnesses for examination, conducting discovery, and navigating mediation and settlement.  She participated on a trial team in a complex case in federal court involving allegations of theft, partnership, and breach of contract.

Amy works with clients ranging from public and privately held companies, family-owned businesses, non-profit organizations, targets of government investigations, company executives, and private individuals.

Amy served as a law clerk to the Honorable Anthony J. Scirica of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit from 2013 to 2014 and the Honorable Richard D. Bennett of the United States District Court for the District of Maryland from 2012 to 2013.

After completing two federal clerkships, Amy practiced in Washington, DC for three years before moving to Grand Rapids.

Professional Affiliations, Activities and Honors

At Miller Johnson, Amy is active in the firm’s Women’s Initiative Network and serves on the firm’s Recruiting Committee.

In the federal system, Amy is admitted to practice in the United States Courts of Appeals for the Fourth, Sixth, and D.C. Circuits and the United States District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Michigan and the District of Maryland. Amy is admitted to practice in all of Michigan’s state courts.

Amy is a member of the bars of Michigan and the District of Columbia.

Amy has been named as a 2024 Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch for Commercial Litigation and Criminal Defense: White Collar.

Community Activities

Amy serves as Treasurer of the Federal Bar Association for the Western District of Michigan. She is an active member of the international Women’s White Collar Defense Association and the Grand Rapids Bar Association.

In 2021, Amy was appointed by the Michigan Legislative Council to serve on the Michigan Law Revision Commission. The commission, made up of members of the Michigan Legislature and the public, reviews the state’s common law, statutes, and judicial decisions to recommend reforms to antiquated and inequitable laws.

Amy serves on the Board of Trustees of Opera Grand Rapids and is a devoted supporter of the arts.

Education

Amy earned her law degree with honors from University of Michigan Law School, where she served as Editor-in-Chief of the Michigan Law Review. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English with honors from the University of Pennsylvania.

Publications
Discarding the North Dakota Dictum: An Argument for Strict Scrutiny of the Three-Tier Distribution System, 110 Mich. L. Rev. 819 (2012)