Miller Johnson Attorney Amy Murphy Selected as a Michigan State Bar Foundation Fellow
GRAND RAPIDS – September 15, 2026 – Miller Johnson is proud to announce that Amy E. Murphy has been selected to the Michigan State Bar Foundation Fellows Program. This prestigious honor recognizes attorneys who have demonstrated exceptional professional achievement and a strong commitment to community service. Murphy joins a distinguished group of legal leaders dedicated to advancing the Foundation’s mission and supporting access to justice across Michigan.
“It was an easy decision to accept this nomination when I learned about the Fellows’ commitment to advancing access to justice in Michigan,” said Murphy. “There has never been a more pressing time to work toward a justice system that is accessible and responsive to the needs of all members of our community. I am grateful for the opportunity to support the Foundation’s important work and contribute to its mission.”
Murphy joins an esteemed group of Miller Johnson attorneys who have been elected Fellows of the Michigan State Bar Foundation. Her selection follows the 2025 election of Jeff G. Muth, the firm’s most recent Fellow, and adds to a roster of previous Fellows that includes Bob Brower, Rich Cherry, Erik Daly, David Gass, Bill Gilbride, Todd Holleman, Aimee Jachym, Tim Kramer, Craig Lubben, Jennifer McManus, Melissa Neckers, Jim Peterson, Tom Quilter, Julie Sullivan and Matt Vicari. Murphy’s election further reflects Miller Johnson’s longstanding commitment to professional excellence, leadership and service.
Murphy focuses her practice in civil, white collar, and appellate litigation. She has litigated a wide variety of claims, including breach of contract, business torts, breach of fiduciary duty, theft of trade secrets, copyright and trademark infringement, violation of noncompetition clauses, employment discrimination, professional malpractice, fraud, shareholder oppression, and securities and antitrust claims. Murphy is a skilled oral advocate, with experience in federal and state appellate courts. Notably, she presented argument in the Michigan Supreme Court in a high-profile constitutional challenge in which Miller Johnson’s clients prevailed. The high court’s opinion described the case as “perhaps the most substantial dispute ever presented to this Court.”
Murphy has experience in all aspects of civil litigation. She has first-chaired both jury and bench trials, taken and defended depositions, written and argued dispositive motions, prepared witnesses for examination, conducted discovery, and navigated mediation and settlement. She has successfully represented clients in business disputes, constitutional challenges, and state and federal government investigations. Recently, Murphy defended to favorable conclusion a complex class action involving contract, securities, and antitrust law.
Murphy has been named as a 2027 Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch for Commercial Litigation and Criminal Defense: White Collar. She currently serves as president of the West Michigan Federal Court Association. She has held a leadership role in Michigan’s chapter of the Women’s White Collar Defense Association. She also serves on the Board of Trustees of Opera Grand Rapids. In 2025, Murphy was named to Crain’s Grand Rapids’ 40 Under 40 Class for her dedication to the profession and her community engagement.
Murphy 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.
The Michigan State Bar Foundation was established in 1947 by lawyers and judges to help the legal profession meet its responsibilities to the public. In 1941, State Bar of Michigan President, Glenn Gillespie, along with the leaders of the Bar, had the vision to create a Foundation, only a few years after the State Bar of Michigan itself was created in 1935. For the first 40 years, the Foundation supported many worthwhile projects, including judicial conferences, state law revision committees, jury instructions and teacher training. Civil legal aid to low-income individuals became a focus for the Foundation when longtime access to justice leader and Foundation Trustee, John Cummiskey of Grand Rapids, suggested a role to add support to the network of legal aid agencies throughout Michigan.
Miller Johnson is a full-service law firm delivering strategic legal counsel to businesses and individuals through corporate law, employment and labor, litigation, mergers & acquisitions, education law, and private client services. The firm’s 170+ attorneys serve clients across regional, national, and global markets from offices in Chicago, Cincinnati, Detroit, Grand Rapids, and Kalamazoo. For more than six decades, Miller Johnson has helped clients navigate complex legal matters through a collaborative, practical, and results-driven approach. The firm is recognized in Chambers USA; Best Lawyers; Best Law Firms; Legal 500; and additional leading rankings and recognition publications reflecting its commitment to excellence and client service.
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